IF YOU ARE A HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, education within your career doesn’t stop after college graduation. Health care and medical providers are constantly learning as new medical technology, standards and practices arise and evolve. The ever-changing world of medicine is relying on people like you, people who are encouraged to keep learning, to help keep the world healthy. Whether you’ve been a registered nurse for 30 years, a soon-to-be medical student graduate or a babysitter trying to land a new job, you have a responsibility to remain properly educated within your field. As an online health care education provider, we have high hopes for the future of online learning for health care professionals.

Check out our top 9 reasons why people just like you are choosing online health care education this upcoming year.

#1 Time Independence

Say what? Time independence is an advantage of online learning that is either nonexistent, or very limited in regards to traditional classroom health care education. This advantage, which is essentially the ability to learn and study anytime the student wishes, for as long as desired, is typically a huge determinant of why people have picked online learning in the past. A health care provider can choose to study his or her online certification course material if it’s rainy, sunny, hot or cold. They can partake in any duration from an entire day dedicated to finishing the course, to over the course of 2 weeks of lunch breaks, time independence is simply necessary for the busy schedules of medical providers.

#2 Open Enrollment

This is another feature of online certification courses that do not exist in the classroom – open enrollment. Most online education providers will offer an unlimited enrollment count and the ability to enroll anytime, meaning you can get certified or recertified when you need to without the need to consider class availability.

#3 Updated Content

What is one of the coolest things to occur in 2016 for online medical certification? Updated American Heart Association Guidelines! The release of the most recent 2015 AHA ACLS, BLS, PALS and CPR guidelines should be implemented in the new year as soon as possible, meaning you can obtain the latest guidelines and receive the most life-saving course material out there.

#4 Fewer Challenges to Consider

While online learning still often may pose challenges, they are not nearly as much of a burden as the logistics that come with enrolling in a traditional weekend course. With online health care education in 2016, you can forget about worrying about traffic, gas, physical books to find and purchase, the potential for the instructor to cancel, weather restrictions, etc.

#5 Increased Accessibility on Multiple Platforms

The New Year will bring us more and more options for online learning for health care providers. While online certification courses were typically only available through desktop computers, students can now complete entire courses on a variety of more mobile platforms, such as laptops, tablets and even smartphones. So, go ahead and certify online while taking your hour-long lunch in the break room!

#6 Accessibility for those with Limitations or Other Responsibilities

There are several limitations that prevent people from participating in traditional courses. These include:

• Restricted mobility (handicap, injured, elderly)
• Family responsibilities (children, weekend babysitting job)
• Irregular, inconsistent or “on-call” hours and scheduling
• Long commute or distance to a training center

Regardless of the reasons that one simply cannot partake in a traditional weekend course, online learning for health care professionals is a perfect solution to these common issues.

#7 Career Advancement Opportunities

While many health care employers require that their employees obtain specific continuing education certificates such as ACLS, BLS, PALS and CPR certifications or bi-annual recertifications, even those who don’t require these certifications can reach new heights within their careers.

From camp counselors, firefighters, nannies, to senior caretakers an additional certification can add continuing education (CME) credits and experience to your resume.

#8 Effectiveness

Did you know that online learning has been proven more effective than traditional, face-to-face instruction? According to a 2010 meta-analysis by the U.S Department of Education, “on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

#9 Cost Savings

Online learning for health care providers is more often than not, much cheaper than traditional classroom courses. At Advanced Medical Certification, 2016 is going to be what we call the “Year of the Bundle”. This year, we are saving our students massive amounts of money by offering bundled course packages, cutting the price in half and keeping your certifications and recertifications in check. Stay tuned for our Bundle Launch, happening soon!