Nurse continuing education keeps a nurse's skills up to date.
Technology can change very quickly and make it difficult to keep up to date in a career. Nurses pursue continuing education to renew licenses and certifications, for career advancement purposes and to get a refresher in a nursing topic or to learn new nursing specialities and technologies. These continuing education experiences are awarded Continuing Education Units.
Licensing and Certification
Nurses are required to renew their licenses and certifications on a regular basis. Registered nurses renew their licenses every 2 years, and their state nursing boards set the license expiration date. Each license and certification requires a certain number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) in order for the holder to renew it. The number of CEUs will depend on the specific license or certification being renewed.
Continuing Education Units
One CEU is equal to 10 contact hours in a nursing board approved continuing education class. A contact hour is one 50-minute block. You can earn CEUs through workshops, conferences, seminars and online or evening continuing education classes and programs.
Considerations
The purpose of nursing continuing education is to update nursing skills; therefore, clinical, on the job activities will not earn any CEUs. Any required job activities such as meetings, presentations, patient education or supervision of other medical staff will not earn CEUs.
Record Keeping
Keep track of your CEUs and continuing education experiences. You may be audited by your state nursing board to ensure that you are keeping up with your continuing education requirements and that your continuing education activities meet with the nursing board approval. Send in documentation of your CEUs when you apply for your license or certification renewal.
Benefits
Nursing continuing education has benefits in addition to allowing nurses to renew licenses and certifications. Continuing education gives nurses a chance to take a refresher course in a specific area and learn new specialties and technologies. It also allows nurses to pursue additional degrees which can lead to pay raises and job promotions.
Tags: continuing education, continuing education, Continuing Education Units, earn CEUs, Education Units