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It's a big relief when you finally get your RN license. After all the time and effort
put into classes and exams, you can finally work as an RN! Unfortunately, your education
doesn't end there. After earning your license and practicing as an RN, you have to go
through the RN license renewal process regularly to keep your license active. If you
don't, you can't continue to work as an RN in your state. This may seem unnecessary
because you already went to school, but there are many reasons it's a good idea to
make sure RNs renew their licenses.
To ensure you are still knowledgeable and capable
Even though working as a nurse puts your knowledge and skills into practice every
day, it's important to make sure you still know how to do things you might not do
every day. That way, if something comes up in your career as a nurse you can handle
it easily. By going through the process of RN license renewal, the licensing board
tests you on all aspects of your work as an RN, even areas you might not use often.
When you're given your renewed license, they can be sure that you know how to do
everything you need to do and all your patients will be taken care of.
To keep up with medical advances
Since there are always people in the medical field working on new methods, medicines,
and cures, there are often new advancements in medicine. Sometimes it's as simple as
the way blood is drawn while other times it's something much bigger, such as a new
treatment for a deadly disease. Either way, it's important for anyone in the medical
field to be able to keep up with the advancements to make sure they are giving their
patients the best care available. That's one reason RN license renewal is necessary.
By requiring continuing education for your license renewal, the licensing board can
make sure you know about any changes that have occurred in your field since you got
your license, or since the last time you renewed it.
To regulate RNs in your state
Another reason it's important to go through RN license renewal is to help your state
keep track of who, exactly, can work as an RN. When you have an active license as an
RN, any hospital, clinic, or other healthcare facility knows that you've gone through
the schooling you needed and are "allowed" to practice as an RN. After all, if anyone
of any education level could be hired as an RN, there would be no way to know whether
or not those people knew what they were doing until they were in the situation of
caring for patients. This can be dangerous to patients, as well as to the doctors
and other staff members.
It may seem that RN license renewal is just one more hoop you have to jump through,
but the reasoning is good. Not only will it help keep you updated on medical advancements
and practices, but will help the state regulate who can practice as an RN. This will help
medical care stay at a high quality, and make sure that patients receive the care they
need to get healthy.
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