Lifelong learning and continuing education are important to the field of nursing because as new research and evidenced-based practices emerge,  nurses need to be up-to-date and informed of these changes in order to provide the highest quality of patient-centered care.

My most immediate education goal is obtaining my CCRN upon completion of the BSN program as I am a recent transfer to the ICU after completing a 64-hour long CEU Essentials to Critical Care Orientation (ECCO).  I will be eligible to apply and test for this certification as soon as I gain the necessary experience required of the certification. 

 My 5-7 year goal for life-long learning is to enroll in a family or geriatric nurse practitioner program and become a practicing ARNP. However, as a new nurse of only 1.5 years on the floor, I want to continue working at the bedside and learning about my strengths, weaknesses, and hone in on the niche of nursing that will give me the most fulfillment. I may find that I will never leave the bedside, but as far as the future is concerned, it is open to interpretation and I will see where life takes me.  In the interim, I hope to travel with my husband as travel nurses and see the country and experience life outside of central Florida. Nonetheless, I plan to embrace lifelong learning by participating in continuing education courses either online or at conferences and symposiums. I look forward to going to the many nursing continuing education conferences and retreats to expand my nursing knowledge and network with other like-minded professionals. Lifelong learning can be both formal and informal. Formal in that one may take courses, receive certifications, or advance their degree; and informal in the sense that one can be a lifelong learner by being open minded on a daily basis, by being receptive to the knowledge shared by others, by reading nursing research, and by always striving to adopt the best evidence based practices Lifelong learning means continually nurturing one's spirit of inquiry.