Continuing Education in Nursing

Earn nursing continuing education credits in a way that works for you
By Irene Durham 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.

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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.
Try:  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.   

• 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.