Nursing and the Need for Ongoing Education

Nurses as a group are hardworking and dedicated. I don't think this is news for anyone who is a nurse, knows a nurse, or has been cared for by a nurse. As a profession, the commitment to patient care is something that patients often comment on. Examining the Code of Ethics for Nurses on the American Nurses Association (ANA) website cements this value. Code 5 states that “the nurse owes the same duties to self as other, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence and to continue personal and professional growth.” Code 7 states that “the nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration and knowledge development.” (www.nursingworld.org). This commitment to excellence is achieved in part by ongoing education. Continued nursing education is required by many states for renewal of a registered nurse (RN) license and can be achieved in a number of venues.

The National Association of Bariatric Nurses (NABN) was established in 2004 and was founded to dedicate resources, knowledge, and research aimed at the improved life and nursing care of those suffering from obesity. The mission of the NABN mirrors that same focus of quality of care.

Several months ago, the editor-in-chief of Bariatric Nursing and Surgical Patient Care, Lisa Rowen, DNSc, RN, FAAN, wrote a thought-provoking editorial, “Membership: To Give and Receive.” In her succinct editorial Dr. Rowen posed several questions to the readers. One question she pondered was “What do you expect to get from a professional society?” She concluded that one value of NABN membership is “learning and staying current with evidence and best practice through colleagues, the journal, and the annual conference.”

You may wonder where I am headed with this. Well, here goes: Consider making the NABN annual conference part of your ongoing nursing education. If you are currently a certified bariatric nurse (CBN) and wish to retain this title, it is mandatory to obtain bariatric-specific continuing education credits. For those who have never attended this conference, you may be surprised. Attendees continually comment on the outstanding assortment of speakers on various bariatric issues, the networking opportunities, and the warm environment—but that is the essence of nursing, after all!

Currently the 2010 conference is in the planning stages. A dedicated planning committee is, once again, pulling together an agenda to include a number of nationally respected speakers. We understand you have choices when selecting how best to meet your continuing education needs. It is our goal, as an organization, to provide our members with an educational environment packed with quality, interest, and value.

In closing, I would encourage you, if you have not planned to do so already, to check out the educational opportunities made available at the NABN conference planned for Norfolk in September. I don't think you will be disappointed!

As always, please feel free to contact me with your comments, questions, and concerns.

Until next time—