primary care nurses, nursing care beyond the ... - School of Nursing

School of Nursingby the Numbers449&70: The School of Nursing officially marksthis milestone anniversary of its founding:April 6, 1939–April 6, 2009.and 9: Classmates with School ofNursing graduation years ending in70either of these numbers will markmilestone reunions at Alumni Day2009 on Saturday, September 26.thirty-two6610232: The number of December 2008 graduates of the school’snurse anesthesia master’s major.66: The number of102:Cameos of Caring30awardees honored atthe 2008 GalaThe number ofKeepers of the Lightover the past 66 years.30: The number of continuingeducation credits mandatedfor registered nurses inPennsylvania during eachtwo-year license period.Mandatory Continuing Education forRegistered Nurses in PennsylvaniaOn June 29, 2006, Governor Ed Rendell signed into law Act 58 of 2006(SB 235), which requires 30 hours of board-approved mandatory continuingeducation (CE) during each two-year license period for individuals licensed asregistered nurses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The first group thatwill need to verify completion of 30 hours of board-approved CE are those RNsexpiring October 2010. The CE credits must be completed in the timeframesindicated in the table below for your expiration date. For example: If yourlicense expires on April 30, 2011, you will need to complete 30 hours of boardapprovedcontinuing education between May 1, 2009, and April 30, 2011.If your expiration date onThen you must obtain 30 hoursyour RN license is/will be: of board-approved CE from:October 31, 2010 11/1/08–10/31/10April 30, 2011 5/1/09–4/30/11October 31, 2011 11/1/09–10/31/11April 30, 2012 5/1/10–4/30/12For purposes of academic credit, the board has limited the number of CEhours that may be obtained from a single source or course. Therefore, onecourse/source in a quarter system may offer no more than 10 CE hours,regardless of the number of academic credits.This bill recognizes that registered nurses continue to practice in anenvironment that is increasingly complex and technical. Prior to Act 58,registered nurses were the only health care providers in Pennsylvaniawithout requirements for mandatory continuing education for licenserenewal. Earning 30 hours of CE every two years is mandated in nine otherstates: Alaska, California, Delaware, Kentucky, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico,Utah, and West Virginia. Faced with an aging population of patients who aresicker, and health care delivery systems that continue to develop and evolve,it has become increasingly important for nurses to continue education tokeep pace with advances in scientific knowledge, new technologies, andmedical discoveries. The CE regulations were published in the PennsylvaniaBulletin as final on July 12, 2008, and can be viewed on the continuingeducation link of the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association Web site atwww.panurses.org. All licensees should have received a letter from thePennsylvania State Board of Nursing explaining this requirement. ThePennsylvania State Nurses Association answers questions about the newrequirements on the Education link of its Web site at www.panurses.org.The University of Pittsburgh is an approved provider of continuing educationby the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.In addition to continuing education courses, the school offers Fast TrackBack, a refresher course for registered nurses with a current nursing licensein the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. More nurses are coming out ofretirement because of the economy, but despite the current nursing shortage,recent reports indicate that lack of current experience may make it harderto re-enter the workforce. Nurse recruiters say even a short career hiatuscan create a big obstacle to getting back into the rapidly changing world ofhealth care. Nurses who have been out of the job market for as little as oneyear sometimes say they find themselves left out in the cold when lookingfor a new job. Fast Track Back prepares registered nurses for re-entry intohospital-based nursing practice through 25 hours of classroom and humansimulation learning and 80 hours of hospital-based practice with an experiencedregistered nurse clinical coach.32 university of Pittsburgh