title: Using continuing education to gain skills to improve patient care.
abstract: The first article of a two-part series stresses the importance of offering nurses at all levels of the NHS the opportunity to access continuing education, and explains how personal development plans can support nurses, enabling them to identify their skills needs and access education.
authors.affiliation: Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital.
authors.forename: Philomena
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D003162:Competency-Based Education; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D005791:Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013222:State Medicine / Q000592:standards; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006113:United Kingdom