It’s no secret that anyone hoping to become a nurse has to complete several years of education before receiving their nursing license. It doesn’t stop there, though; nurses also have to fulfill state-mandated CEU (continuing education unit) requirements at periodic intervals. While the main purpose of continuing education for licensed professionals is to help them stay current with advancements in their fields, nurses also have to take CEUs in order to maintain their nursing licenses.
When it comes to fulfilling CEU requirements, there are quite a few factors to consider to make sure everything gets done correctly. Some nurses develop a list of necessary CEU courses themselves, while others take online nursing CEU classes to simplify the process. If you’re a nurse who will need to complete your own CEU courses, you have plenty of options; the main thing is to make sure you know what the requirements are before you start signing up for courses.
Where are CEU courses offered?
Nurses tend to have work schedules that are both busy and erratic, so it’s fortunate that there are so many different options for CEU courses. Some of them are offered via structured classroom settings, while others are self-paced, on-demand webinars. They could be free, or they could cost a few thousand dollars in tuition. Whatever kind of CEU you’re looking for as a nurse, the chances are good that you’ll be able to find it.
- Some employers offer CEU courses – Not every healthcare facility will provide these for their employees, but some larger organizations will develop programs that either cover the cost of nursing CEUs or provide the courses in-house (for free or at a low cost). While there are obvious advantages to this, one drawback is that the subject material covered by the available courses may be limited in scope.
- Online classes – If greater flexibility is desired, nurses can complete the necessary CEUs via online courses. They run the gamut in format, subject matter, and cost, and they work well for nurses who can’t depend on being able to take time off for classroom-based courses. They’re also a great choice if local options don’t cover the desired subjects.
- Academic sources – As it turns out, there are quite a few ways to obtain nursing CEUs. You can take approved college courses, attend accredited conferences or seminars, or complete workshops. In some cases, even getting published in a peer-reviewed journal can be counted towards your CEU requirements. Another couple of methods to teach academic courses or develop the curriculum for one.
Before signing up for any courses, you’ll need to confirm that they’re accredited by either your state’s board of nursing or the ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center). This goes for online courses, workshops, webinars, and everything in between.
Nursing CEU requirements
Given that your nursing license depends on the completion of these courses, it’s a good idea to play by the rules. Of course, this begs the question: what exactly are the rules? One is that nursing CEU requirements vary by state; if you have any questions about CEU requirements, your best source of information will be your state’s board of nursing.
Another thing you should know is that each state establishes its own deadlines and number of required contact hours. There’s a lot of overlap from state to state – for instance, a two-year renewal period is common – but you still have to find out what your state specifically mandates.
Some nurses end up with extra contact hours at the end of their license renewal period; this can happen in a couple of different ways. Sometimes, that’s just what happens after taking the courses they were interested in. At other times, it’s because they accidentally took courses that covered duplicate topics, and some of those contact hours couldn’t be counted towards overall requirements. If this happens, the extra hours, unfortunately, can’t be credited to the upcoming renewal period – another reason why planning ahead pays off.
How do nurses benefit from CEUs?
Besides the fact that these courses help them keep their nursing licenses current, there are quite a few personal benefits that CEUs bring as well.
- CEU courses can move nurses closer to advancement or promotion. CEUs aren’t just refresher courses, although that’s one of their purposes. They can also bring focus and depth to an area that a nurse already specializes in or provide a certification that qualifies them for a more desirable job.
- CEU courses can improve confidence, satisfaction, and motivation. Nursing CEUs may seem like just a bunch of hoops that nurses have to jump through every couple of years, but they can also give insights on topics of personal interest. This can bring greater clarity and passion to their jobs and strengthen areas that hadn’t previously been focused on.
- CEU courses keep nurses up-to-date on new developments. The field of healthcare is a rapidly changing one, with numerous advancements and breakthroughs being made every year. By staying on top of these advancements, nurses can continue to provide the best possible care for their patients.
Terms you’ll need to know when reading about CEUs.
If you aren’t already familiar with the discussions surrounding nursing CEUs, you may be confused by some of the acronyms and technical terms you encounter.
- Contact hours – One CEU is worth ten contact hours. A contact hour measures the time you spend being instructed in the classroom or the time you spend performing hands-on activities.
- CNE – Continuing Nursing Education, a type, of course that’s meant for nursing professionals.
- BRN – If you see this acronym listed by a CEU provider, it indicates accreditation by the Board of Registered Nursing.
- CE – This signifies “Continuing Education,” a catch-all term that describes job-related courses taken by licensed professionals.
The takeaway
Fulfilling CEU requirements may seem like a complicated task at first, but things should fall into place once you learn more about the regulations surrounding nursing CEUs. With a bit of research and enough planning ahead, you shouldn’t have any problem completing your required CEU courses.
