title: POTS, PANS, and PEARLs: the nursing profession's rich history with distance education for a new century of nursing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Continuing education via distance education is expanding. A review of the media used to deliver classes in the past as well as future possibilities are presented.
  
  
  METHODS
  The personal experience of the authors using these methods to present continuing nursing education is the basis for this article.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is evidence that people learn via distance education as well as they do with traditional formats such as conferences and seminars. Although learners are enrolling in these types of courses for convenience, they enjoy the classes more when there is active involvement and participation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continuing education using distance education strategies will expand, especially because computers are available in the homes of learners. A larger number of offerings will be available, and more learners will use these media to remain current professionally.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock 79430, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gessner
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000266:history; D020375:Education, Distance / Q000266:history*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D013685:Telecommunications / Q000266:history; D014481:United States