| With two and a half million men and women working | | | | education, but even where such courses are not |
| as nurses in the United States, nursing is the largest | | | | required nurses often take it upon themselves to |
| occupation in the health care industry. It is also one | | | | upgrade their skill sets. There are many reasons to |
| of the most dynamic, as new technologies, new | | | | do so, ranging from the opportunity for increased |
| medicines, and new approaches treatment are | | | | salaries and promotional opportunities to becoming |
| continually developed and introduced into the nation's | | | | familiar with the newest technologies and techniques. |
| hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. Maintaining | | | | Obtaining various graduate degrees or becoming |
| nursing competency and keeping up with the latest | | | | certified in specific areas of nursing often open up |
| medical advances is an ongoing challenge for every | | | | new avenues of advancement for nurses. Many |
| health care worker and for nurses in particular. In | | | | nurses use continuing education as a means to |
| their efforts to keep pace with these changes, | | | | acquire specialized skill sets that allow them to move |
| nurses turn to various forms of continuing education. | | | | into highly focused areas of nursing such as cardiac |
| Most nursing jobs require some level of continuing | | | | care or gerontology. |