Continuing education for nurses: a necessity or a nicety?

The changing health care climate has resulted in escalating financial constraints. One department that is often scrutinized for its cost-benefit relation to the hospital is the nursing education department. These departments are increasingly being reduced in size and investment in the continuing education of nurses is being rationalized. However, reducing financial support of education may be counterproductive in both the short- and long-term. This article does not propose a "recipe" for effectively facilitating continuing education. However, it does provide sound justification for investing in the continuing education of nurses and demonstrates not only that quality education results in enhanced knowledge and skills, but that there is also a positive correlation between professional development and factors such as staff satisfaction, staff retention, and quality patient care.