title: Certificate programs in continuing professional education.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Career-long learning is a concept at the heart of professional disciplines such as nursing. Nursing shortages, especially in some areas of practice, have stimulated the need for in-depth education and training in specific knowledge content areas. One approach to career-long learning is certificate programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Factors, trends, and strategies to consider in creating certificate programs are reviewed, and guidelines for developing certificate programs are presented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Certificate programs are increasingly in demand by both employers and nurses. Certificate programs provide individuals with a chance to refresh their study skills and raise their abilities and levels of confidence for mastering new learning. Certificate programs also serve as a recruitment and retention strategy for hospitals and agencies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Certificate programs are a viable continuing professional education activity and offer opportunities for nurses to develop specific skill sets and in-depth knowledge in specialized areas of nursing practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Systems, University of Washington, School of Nursing, Seattle, Washington 98195-7260, USA.
authors.forename: Ruth Falk
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Craven
authors.forename: Martha Bassett
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: DuHamel
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003363:Cost Control; D003479:Curriculum; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D011361:Professional Competence / Q000592:standards; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*