Health care professionals' attitudes toward licensure, national certification, and continuing education requirements: results of a Texas survey.

Health care professionals are challenged to not only maintain their skills but take them to new levels. Continuing education (CE), mandated by licensure and national certification, is one means of working toward this goal. This study examined the opinions and attitudes of professionals in regard to these issues. The majority of the survey respondents supported the need for licensure and certification and perceived that they benefited personally. A significant percentage indicated that existing CE systems might not meet their intended purposes and goals and might not be the best criteria for renewal. Many had difficulty finding appropriate and convenient programs, and some programs did not deliver as advertised. The results suggest an opportunity to improve both CE systems and CE programs offered to health care professionals.