Once you've received your RN degree, you should further your career by attending extended education in nursing programs. Since this is a field where new drugs emerge and better technology appears, enlisting in CEUs (continuing education units) can keep your brain aware of these changes. In addition, certain states require CEUs on specific courses, such as domestic violence, in order for those to keep their license.

Since you need to take nursing CEUs to stay current with nursing trends, there are numerous options to evaluate while finding the perfect fit for you. Consider the following when examining pricing and costs of continuing education in nursing:

1. Seek out scholarships geared toward those enrolled in nursing continuing education classes.

2. Enroll in an online nursing continuing education program.

3. Find affordable colleges or universities that offer programs for continuing education for nurses.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate scholarships for nurse continuing education classes

Don't think that because schooling is expensive that you cannot afford it. Search around for scholarships to keep the cost down. There's nothing wrong with using financial assistance to secure your dream of attending a nurse continuing education program.

I recommend: The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers full or partial scholarships for those in the continuing education in nursing program. These scholarships are for conferences and clinical updates for those in the program to attend. At $15, the university's two-hour nursing continuing education courses aren't expensive, however. The Massachusetts Nurses Association is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to those seeking a nursing continuing education provider. Check out its scholarship if you're a current member of the nursing industry in Massachusetts.

Look at facilities that offer nursing continuing education online programs

If you work during the day and don't have the means to attend school physically, then look to nursing CE programs offered online. You can attend these classes on your own time and from the comforts of home.

I recommend: The American Nurses Association Center for Continuing Education and Professional Development offers online nursing continuing education classes. This accredited association allows you to meet state licensing requirements with its classes, and these are free classes as long as you're an ANA member. If you prefer to study through a university's online system, then look to Villanova University. Its nursing CE program currently offers general classes or a series of classes that focus on psychology or on becoming a nurse manager, which are about $20 per contact hour.

Pick a college or university that offers continuing education for nurses

Maybe you want the traditional university experience while you further your nursing career. Check out affordable options when narrowing down your choices. Depending upon the school, look to spend around $20 per credit hour to around $150 for a teaching class.

I recommend: The University of Washington has a continuing nursing education program that provides conferences, annual updates and self-study classes to those in the health care industry. It also offers contact hour credit in continuing education. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has a nursing school called the Center for Lifelong Learning. Catering to the state as well as national needs of clinical nurses, you can receive CEUs here while attending conferences.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check with your current employer for suggestions on where you can attend continuing education in nursing classes. Your employer might offer you a sabbatical or a bonus if you take certain courses or classes.

If you are a licensed nurse, one of the requirements for keeping that license is to complete a certain amount of hours of continuing education for nurses every two years. The number of hours of education that are required varies by state—usually ranging from about 20 to 30 hours, but the need for the continuing education units, or nursing CEUs, is universal.

Nursing CE programs offer nurses the opportunity to stay up-to-date on new scientific developments in their area of expertise. Since you have to take the courses anyway, you might as well make the most of these nursing continuing education courses. Follow these steps to maximize the potential of nursing CE programs.

1. Find a program that meets your state’s nursing CE standards.

2. Research opportunities for nurse continuing education credits.

3. Choose nursing continuing education that will help you work in a specialty area.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Obtain continuing education in nursing that meets state standards

Right now you enjoy practicing where you are, but it's possible that a move would require you to eventually work in another state. If you take your nursing CE classes from programs that comply with regulations from a variety of states, you know you're covered. Your state nursing association website can also offer valuable information.

I recommend: AKH offers continuing education courses for nurses. Some of these classes are regular online courses, and others are live online courses. Nurse Research Publication offers courses that you can do online or through the mail. Both of these programs comply with boards of nursing standards in all states that require continuing education.

Make a list of opportunities for continuing education for nurses

There are numerous outlets where you can take nursing CE programs. Determine if nursing continuing education seminars or nursing continuing education classes work best for you.

I recommend: NurseCEU.com also provides links by nursing specialty for online nursing continuing education. Medical Education Systems is another site that offers specialized continuing education programs for nurses. PESI HealthCare allows you to search for continuing education seminars and webinars based on your zip code.

Find nursing continuing education programs in your specialty

It's common for a registered nurse to seek continuing education programs in order to work in a specialty. These areas often require advanced training, so it's important to find a program that offers the specific education you need.

I recommend: RnCeus.com lists low-cost continuing education programs by specialty. RNCentral allows you to choose continuing education options to become an advanced practice nurse, nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist and more.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember to keep track of your nursing continuing education credits so you can show it to the appropriate authorities if they ask to see them.
• •  Make sure that the program you are viewing or attending is eligible for CEU credit by your state's nursing association.
• •  Plan ahead. Nurses and other busy healthcare professionals sometimes wait until the end of the two-year period to begin thinking about CEU credits. This can cause you to take less valuable courses that you might have avoided if you had planned better.

Continuing education for nurses is mandatory for all nurses to keep their licenses up to date. Whether you're an RN, a nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist, you'll need to take nurse continuing education courses to renew your license. By learning some basic continuing education in nursing education and training, you'll be able to find the courses you need, and the seminars you'll want to attend, to keep your license up to date.

You'll want to find nursing continuing education classes that you can take to renew your license, courses for nursing continuing education online and seminars for nursing continuing education. These options should help you launch your education and training in this field:

1. Look for nursing continuing education courses.

2. Look for nursing continuing education credits you can earn online.

3. Look for extended education in nursing seminars.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find continuing education for nurses

To keep your nursing license up to date, you'll want to find nursing continuing education courses in your field, or others you have an interest in learning, that you can fit into your work schedule. There are many schools that will allow you to take courses and earn your credits in your own home, at your own time. You can find continuing education for nursing courses you can take through the mail and Internet.

I recommend: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) provides many services to continuing education in nursing. Nursing Education of America offers new nursing license renewal courses every month.

Find online nursing continuing education

Online nursing continuing education courses may be the best ones to take if you have a busy schedule, and can't attend courses outside of your home. If you choose to take online nursing continuing education courses, you can look for schools that offer their courses over the Internet. Many schools offer a variety of courses for nurses who need to earn credits to renew their licenses online. You can find accredited schools and colleges that offer the courses you'll want to take to renew your license.

I recommend: Dynamic Nursing Education challenging continuing education courses and programs for nurses. Nurse.com offers online continuing education for nurses, as well as online state certificate courses.

Find nursing continuing education seminars

In addition to taking nursing continuing education courses, you may also want to attend seminars. Nursing continuing education seminars are all over the country. You can search for them online, see what seminars will be in your area and when they are. Some of these seminars are even offered over the Internet, so you can attend them from the comfort of your home.

I recommend: Nursing Spectrum offers continuing education seminars for RNs. Med-Ed offers traditional, on site and distance learning seminars for continuing education for nurses.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To find continuing education for nurses, you can search the Internet for a nursing continuing education provider in your area.

While requirements vary by state, all nurses must take continuing education courses to ensure that their skills remain up to date. However, it's important for you to understand the types of programs available in order to make wise decisions. For example, your CEUs must have accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. As long as the program has this status, you are free to look for the type of course that best suits your schedule, whether that's self-study or on-site training.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Continuing education unit (CEU)

A continuing education unit is equal to 10 hours of study in the continuing education course. Many professions, including nursing, require workers to receive a certain number of CEUs per year.

I recommend: Read more about continuing education units from the Tennessee Technology Center at Shelbyville.

American Nurses Credentialing Center

The American Nurses Credentialing Center is an organization that regulates the standards of continuing education classes for nurses. If a course meets the standards of the Center, then it is accredited, which means that it will count towards a nurse's required CEUs. Nurses can take classes that are not accredited, but they may not count towards CEUs.

I recommend: Learn more about the process of accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Nursing Skills Competency Program

The Nursing Skills Competency Program is created by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. It is a program designed to improve the skills of nurses and to verify that nurses have the skills necessary to work with patients. This program does not meet the criteria to gain CEUs, but it's nonetheless important for nurses to periodically check competency levels.

I recommend: Learn more about the Nursing Skills Competency Program form MedScape.

Self-study courses

Nurses are busy people and it can be difficult to find the time to meet CEU requirements. Self-study courses allow nurses to study on their own time. You can take classes through the Internet, or through books or videos.

I recommend: Take a look at the self-study courses for nurses at Nurse.com.

Seminars for nursing continuing education

Some nurses prefer to learn in person. For these people, seminars are an ideal choice. Seminars are short courses that last a day or two. You can either look for courses within your city, or travel to find courses that are more interesting.

I recommend: Learn more about nursing seminars through NursingSpectrum.

On-site education

On-site education is an ideal way for a hospital or doctor's office to ensure that all nurses meet their requirements. In an on-site seminar, an educational company will come to your location to offer the course.

I recommend: Med-Ed offers on-site seminars for nursing continuing education.