Continuing Education and the CEU
1
editorial Continuing Education and the CEU An OGN nurse has just returned t om her job after attending a one-day, continuing education course sponsored by her specialty nursing organization. She is enthused and eager to discuss the trends and apply the new concepts presented in the course. She feels an increased pride in her profession, an increased commitment to her professional endeavor, and she feels motivated to become morc involved in her nursing practice. These are all very desirable effects but will her participation in educational programs ever havc any bearing on her job status. , . . will it help her qualify to enter new or expanded areas of practice? If she moves to another part of the country will her participation be rccognized there? Only if the value of her participation can be measured by others with nationally accepted criteria. This OGN nurse is one of more than 25,000,000 Americans participating in informal, noncredit classes that range in content from recreational and aesthetic to highly technical and career-oriented. During the past several years, adult continuing education (noncredit, in addition to academic study for college credit) has reached gigantic proportions in this country, in terms of the amount offered and in the emphasis on continuing education. Consumers, educators, legislators, administrators, students, and practitioners of a variety of professions are stressing the need for professionals to keep up with new methods, new materials, and new processes in their chosen fields. Some participants in continuing education are required to participate and to keep a record of their accomplishments. Yet the definitions of continuing education, the means of measuring and recording efforts in continuing education are almost as diverse as the sponsors of the programs offered. The U. S. Office of Education has found gross inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the definition, measurement, and recording of efforts in continuing education when they examined available data. The need for uniformity is evident. Several years ago, a national planning conference was held to study the feasibility of defining a uniform unit to measure noncredit continuing education. The conference was sponsored by a variety of interested groups, including the U. S. Office of Education, the U. S. Civil Service Commission, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and the National University Extension Association. The conferees appointed a National Task Force to recommend a unit to measure and recognize participation in noncredit education and to develop procedures for implementation of their recommendations. The Task Force defined continuing education as: “any post-secondary level educational experience that does not contribute toward a diploma, a degree, a journeyman’s skill or a licensable proficiency”; and to measure participation in continuing education, they created the Continuing Education Unit (“ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction and qualified instruction”). These definitions are currently used by some recognized educational institutions and professional organizations, as well as some state offices responsible for professional licensure. An explanation of the practicality of the CEU has been slow in reaching the general public, but an understanding of this new concept is essential before the consumer will attach merit to the CEU. Dialogue and planned eff orts between professional, educational, and legislative groups will go a long way toward having continuing education and CEU definitions universally accepted. The interpretations need to be protected to prevent inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the use of the CEU. It is not fair for one organization to award CEU’s for attending a local two-hour meeting or reading a journal while another awards the same amount of credit for the development of or the participation in a continuing education course. The guidelines for awarding CEU’s should be expanded, and a nationally accepted means of recording the credit (as academic credit is recorded) should be developed. Right now, many know little to nothing about continuing education and the CEU, others arc very informed, and still others arc misinformed. Some are misinterpreting and adjusting the definitions to fit their own local nceds or requirements. Some states are awarding Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPS), which differ from the CEU other states use to measure continuing education activity. Interorganizational and interstate dialogue and cooperation are necessary to bring about standardization. A preliminary survey by our editorial office of states’ activity in continuing education in nursing shows a need for the states to coordinate continuing education requirements, whether voluntary or mandatory, so that the nurse can transfer her continuing education record from one state to another and have her continuing education activity interpreted according to national guidelines. Nationally accepted recognition of continuing education could be used not only for points toward relicensure, which is now being examined by states and professional organizations, but also for career advancement. A uniform method of recording participation is highly desirable for the sponsor as well as the user. Standardization of the CEU can be useful for recording educational activities for those who are required to complete minimal training for entry into a specific job area and could also serve as criteria for awarding grants for nonacademic activity. CEU credit could be used for certification or applied to recertification. There are sane who would like to see an accumulated number of CEU’s converted into academic credit, and although this idea is not accepted now, it may be in the future; it is in line with the concepts of open universities and career mobility. Beginning with the 1973 Fall District Conferences, NAACOG will offer members the opportunity to participate in continuing education for CEU credit. Through your membership in NAACOG, you can be involved in an exciting new continuing education endeavor. W e support the trend toward continuing education and accept the challenge. EDITOR Septembcr/Oct ober 197 3 JOG N Nrrrsii?g ‘3
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Transcript of Continuing Education and the CEU
editorial Continuing Education and the CEU
An OGN nurse has just returned tom her job after attending a one-day, continuing education course sponsored by her specialty nursing organization. She is enthused and eager to discuss the trends and apply the new concepts presented in the course. She feels an increased pride in her profession, an increased commitment to her professional endeavor, and she feels motivated to become morc involved in her nursing practice. These are all very desirable effects but will her participation in educational programs ever havc any bearing on her job status. , . . will it help her qualify to enter new or expanded areas of practice? If she moves to another part of the country will her participation be rccognized there? Only if the value of her participation can be measured by others with nationally accepted criteria.
This O G N nurse is one of more than 25,000,000 Americans participating in informal, noncredit classes that range in content from recreational and aesthetic to highly technical and career-oriented. During the past several years, adult continuing education (noncredit, in addition to academic study for college credit) has reached gigantic proportions in this country, in terms of the amount offered and in the emphasis on continuing education. Consumers, educators, legislators, administrators, students, and practitioners of a variety of professions are stressing the need for professionals to keep up with new methods, new materials, and new processes in their chosen fields. Some participants in continuing education are required to participate and to keep a record of their accomplishments. Yet the definitions of continuing education, the means of measuring and recording efforts in continuing education are almost as diverse as the sponsors of the programs offered. T h e U. S. Office of Education has found gross inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the definition, measurement, and recording of efforts in continuing education when they examined available data. The need for uniformity is evident.
Several years ago, a national planning conference was held to study the feasibility of defining a uniform unit to measure noncredit continuing education. T h e conference was sponsored by a variety of interested groups, including the U. S. Office of Education, the U. S. Civil Service Commission, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and the National University Extension Association. T h e conferees appointed a National Task Force to recommend a unit to measure and recognize participation in noncredit education and to develop procedures for implementation of their recommendations. T h e Task Force defined continuing education as: “any post-secondary level educational experience that does not contribute toward a diploma, a degree, a journeyman’s skill or a licensable proficiency”; and to measure participation in continuing education, they created the Continuing Education Unit (“ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction and qualified instruction”). These definitions are currently used by some recognized educational institutions and professional organizations, as well as some state offices responsible for professional licensure.
An explanation of the practicality of the C E U has been slow in reaching the general public, but an understanding of this new
concept is essential before the consumer will attach merit to the CEU. Dialogue and planned eff orts between professional, educational, and legislative groups will go a long way toward having continuing education and CEU definitions universally accepted. T h e interpretations need to be protected to prevent inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the use of the CEU. It is not fair for one organization to award CEU’s for attending a local two-hour meeting or reading a journal while another awards the same amount of credit for the development of or the participation in a continuing education course. T h e guidelines for awarding CEU’s should be expanded, and a nationally accepted means of recording the credit (as academic credit is recorded) should be developed.
Right now, many know little to nothing about continuing education and the CEU, others arc very informed, and still others arc misinformed. Some are misinterpreting and adjusting the definitions to fit their own local nceds or requirements. Some states are awarding Continuing Education Recognition Points (CERPS), which differ from the CEU other states use to measure continuing education activity. Interorganizational and interstate dialogue and cooperation are necessary to bring about standardization.
A preliminary survey by our editorial office of states’ activity in continuing education in nursing shows a need for the states t o coordinate continuing education requirements, whether voluntary or mandatory, so that the nurse can transfer her continuing education record from one state to another and have her continuing education activity interpreted according to national guidelines.
Nationally accepted recognition of continuing education could be used not only for points toward relicensure, which is now being examined by states and professional organizations, but also for career advancement. A uniform method of recording participation is highly desirable for the sponsor as well as the user. Standardization of the CEU can be useful for recording educational activities for those who are required to complete minimal training for entry into a specific job area and could also serve as criteria for awarding grants for nonacademic activity. CEU credit could be used for certification or applied to recertification. There are s a n e who would like to see an accumulated number of CEU’s converted into academic credit, and although this idea is not accepted now, i t may be in the future; it is in line with the concepts of open universities and career mobility.
Beginning with the 1973 Fall District Conferences, NAACOG will offer members the opportunity to participate in continuing education for CEU credit. Through your membership in NAACOG, you can be involved in an exciting new continuing education endeavor. W e support the trend toward continuing education and accept the challenge.
EDITOR
Septembcr/Oct ober 197 3 JOG N Nrrrsii?g ‘3
