With all the challenges and disruptions that 2020 introduced to both personal and professional life, have you had a chance to check continuing education off of your to-do list?

Most of the certifications required for those working in patient care need to be renewed every year in order to remain valid. In addition to a fee, those certifications often require a specific amount and type of continuing education credits in order for renewal to be processed. For example, here are the requirements for yearly recertification with IAHCSMM:

  • CRCST Renewals: 12 CE credits, technical in nature and focused on the CS field.
  • CER Renewals: 6 CE credits, technical in nature and focused on endoscopes
  • CIS Renewals: Current CRCST status + 6 additional CE credits, technical in nature and focused on the CS field
  • CHL Renewals: Current CRCST status + 6 additional CE credits focused on management or supervisory topics
  • CCSVP Renewals: 6 CE credits, technical in nature and focused on the CS field

In previous years, you may have had the opportunity to earn continuing education credits at local or national conferences, workshops in your area, or even lunch lectures. This year, the delivery of continuing education looks a little different and is often limited to virtual or online settings, but the learning opportunities are still diverse and broad.

As we anticipate another slower fall with continued COVID-19 restrictions, consider using your time to fulfill continuing education requirements and perhaps even branch out into a different area of learning. You might learn a new specialty of the job you didn’t know you’d enjoy or you could find yourself set up to pursue an additional certification! Regardless of which reason pulls you toward continuing education learning, here are a few outlets we recommend getting started with:

Opt for Self-paced Learning with IAHCSMM

If you’re seeking a new or additional IAHCSMM certification or need to renew a current one, IAHCSMM makes it easy to earn continuing education credits through their online lesson plans. You simply log in to your account, select the lesson plan that goes with your certification, purchase it for a small fee, and then take the quiz upon completing it. Once you pass the quiz, you’re set up to easily renew (or obtain for the first time!) your certification. If you fail the quiz, no fear—you get two chances to pass it.

Learn as a Team

With International Sterile Processing Week coming up in October, you could also use that time to set apart an hour or two for the whole department to learn something or take a class together. Not only does this provide a break from work (make sure to include lunch or coffee and snacks, depending on the time of day), but it also gives you a chance to lead some team building while earning colleagues some continuing education credits.

Explore Continuing Education Series from Censis

Powered by Beyond Clean, our continuing education series here at Censis—True Grit, True You—gives you opportunities to hear from healthcare professionals, surgical tracking experts, and other diverse industry experts to keep you current on what’s trending, as well as maintain your compliance for yearly recertification credits.

You can explore upcoming presentations in our schedule and easily register there for any that catch your eye. Because our schedule updates frequently, you can check back each month to see our new offerings.

We also have a True Grit app available to make it as easy for you to participate if you prefer learning via your cell phone. You can download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play and interact with our continuing education series there.

Regardless of what you choose for your continuing education adventure, make sure your choice meets the requirements for your certification renewals and gives you the chance to learn something new to grow your skills and advance your career.