Does your staff groan when the topic of continuing medical education (CME) classes comes up? CME classes that fail to engage participants or provide useful information can be a waste of time, even if they’re required. When it’s done well, though, ongoing training and professional development are powerful ways to strengthen performance, improve retention, and enhance the patient experience.

Making a few changes to your CME program can be instrumental in changing your employees’ attitudes about the continuing education requirement.

Rather than approaching it as a box to check to fulfill requirements, hospital administrators should approach it as an opportunity to advance organizational goals and support their clinicians.

How CME Benefits Your Hospital Beyond Compliance

Clinicians who participate in continuing education tailored to their field are better prepared to use current best practices in patient care.

A study of 10 programs that followed the nurse-led equitable learning (NEL) framework, published in the Journal of Professional Nursing, found these programs helped nurses better identify and address determinants of health to improve their patients’ well-being.

A Harris Poll of more than 1,500 healthcare workers also found continuing education played an important role in retention. Among those surveyed, only one in five said they felt their employer was “very invested” in their long-term career success, and more than 40% worried about AI replacing some aspect of their jobs.

Sixty-three percent of employees said they would be more likely to stay with their employer if they provided tuition support.

It’s also a practical way to reinforce goals such as improving HCAHPS scores or increasing throughput. Something as simple as teaching your employees how to reduce anxiety during minor procedures with distraction techniques can improve patient satisfaction.

Role-Specific Requirements

Nurses, physicians and child life specialists all have different credentialing bodies with their own requirements. Understanding these differences can help you recommend the right programs for your team based on their role. Here is a quick summary of some of these requirements. (Check with your licensing bodies for more specific details.)

Nurses and Nurse Leaders

Nursing CE requirements are set at the state level and vary. Many state boards of nursing require registered nurses to complete between 20-40 hours of continuing education per renewal period, which is typically every two years. Some states require this training to cover specific topics, such as pain management.

Nurses with specialty certifications through the American Nurses Credentialing Center have more stringent requirements. They must have 75 contact hours over a five-year cycle, according to the ANCC handbook, with at least 60 hours from formally accredited providers. Advanced practice registered nurses must complete 25 hours of pharmacology.

Physicians

Physician CME requirements are also set at the state level and vary.

Most states require physicians to complete between 20 and 50 hours of continuing medical education per renewal cycle, though some require more. Virginia, for example, requires 60 hours every two years, and Washington requires 200 hours every four years.

Many states mandate that a portion of those hours cover specific topics, such as opioid prescribing or pain management. Most state medical boards require that credits come from activities accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Beyond state licensure, physicians who maintain board certification through their specialty boards must also meet Maintenance of Certification requirements, which typically include a continuing education component.

For hospital administrators evaluating which programs to promote, prioritizing ACCME-accredited activities ensures credits will count toward both licensure renewal and board certification.

Child Life Specialists

Child Life Specialists follow a five-year certification cycle managed by the Child Life Certification Commission (CLCC) under the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP.)

Recertification requires earning 60 Professional Development Units (PDUs) over a five-year period, covering three areas: professional responsibility, assessment, and intervention.

Child life specialists can earn these through professional presentations, research, and serving on committees. They can also take pre-approved webinars and self-guided courses through the ACLP.

Tips For Making Continuing Education More Engaging and Valuable

1. Encourage Interactive Classes

Lectures have an important place in the CME process, but it’s easy for your attention to drift when you’re a listener rather than a participant. Offering simulations during continuing education classes provides participants with valuable hands-on experience, gets everyone out of their chairs, and encourages interprofessional collaboration.

Research supports the value of interactive sessions. A PubMed summary of studies reviewed multiple types of simulation, including training with mannequins, virtual reality, and volunteers acting as patients. It found that simulation-based learning helped participants develop skills better and reduced errors. The review revealed that medical residents who trained in CPR using simulations that closely resembled real life performed better in actual scenarios up to one year after the training.

Consider partnering with clinical education teams or external organizations to develop simulation-based learning that directly connects to your hospital’s quality improvement goals. When training your staff on procedures they will use on actual patients, it’s more effective for them to practice on mannequins or volunteers first.

2. Make It Relevant and Engaging

Sometimes, the most knowledgeable people aren’t the most adept at preparing interesting lectures. Unfortunately, word tends to spread quickly about those stuffy sessions, and soon, it’s difficult to convince staff to register for them.

Choosing energetic, engaging people with hands-on experience to lead sessions can increase interest and boost attendance. Consider partnering with other organizations to ensure that your educational offerings remain fresh and relevant. Think about what your team encounters in their typical week and how you can address real challenges with the sessions. It’s always worth asking them what they would like to see covered in training as well. Use unit meetings, quick surveys or informal conversations to uncover where they have knowledge gaps and want to see more support. They’ll be more likely to attend training when they’ve had input into what will be covered.

3. Embrace On-Demand Learning

If you ask your staff why they don’t complete CME classes earlier in their renewal cycle, many of them will probably mention the time commitment. Since many classes are only offered during normal business hours, it can be difficult for hospital employees and physicians to rearrange their schedules.

Many hospitals now use learning management systems to centralize continuing education, track completion, and manage compliance in one platform. These systems typically include a mix of live webinars, on-demand recordings, and self-paced learning modules. This flexible format makes it easier for your team to take these courses anytime, whether they have a day off or a break between work activities.

Platforms that are accessible on mobile devices remove another barrier to participation, especially for staff who may not have easy access to a computer during the workday.

Offering a mix of training modalities gives your team options to learn in the format that works best for them, depending on their schedules and the content. Some topics are better suited to interactive, in-person sessions, while others can be more easily addressed online.

4. Align Programs with Hospital Goals

Participants benefit when hospitals choose programs that help them advance institutional goals. For example, if improving patient-centered care is a priority at your hospital, sessions that focus on care issues are more likely to be considered helpful and worthwhile by staff. Reviewing the hospital's mission, goals, and areas for improvement can help you develop programs that interest your staff.

Review your hospital’s strategic plan and areas where you want to make improvements. It might be areas like patient comfort, communication, or staff efficiency. When training directly connects to the work your team does every day and your goals, your staff will feel less reluctant to participate and more supported.

5. Simplify The Administrative Process

If your staff still has to track their continuing education courses manually, it’s time to invest in an update. Most credentialing programs today are available online, which can significantly reduce this burden. Platforms that allow participants to register, track credits, and document completion, such as ACCME’s CME Passport, make training easier for everyone involved.

Beyond Credits: Building a Culture of Continuous Learning

Continuing education programs are an excellent way for hospital staff to sharpen their skills, stay current with best practices, and learn new concepts. But learning shouldn’t end when the credits are complete.

The most effective organizations go beyond formal CME credits to build a broader culture of learning. This is where product and protocol training play an important role.

When healthcare teams adopt new tools or solutions, they need practical, hands-on training to feel confident using them in real situations.

That’s why Gebauer offers product training for all hospitals and healthcare systems that use our products. We can show your team how to apply a topical anesthetic vapocoolant spray, such as Gebauer’s Pain Ease®, to reduce anxiety and pain during minor procedures, such as injections or IV starts. We’ll also answer any questions your team has about FDA-cleared indications, proper storage, and important health and safety information.

It’s just one small way to contribute to a culture of continuous learning and to show your team that your organization is invested in their success and the comfort of your patients.

Training is an important part of your hospital's quality management. To learn more about the benefits and best practices for implementing Total Quality Management, download our guide.