CEU For Nurses Are Required

If you want to stay on top of your nursing license requirements, you need to know how many CEUs you need. A CEU is equivalent to 10 hours of participation in an educational course. Continuing education courses must be offered by an accredited institution and focus on nursing-related content. There are several reasons to take CE courses, and these are all beneficial to your professional development. In addition to being relevant to your nursing practice, CE can help you network with fellow RNs and learn new skills.

To get your initial license, you must complete 30 hours of continuing education. After you earn it, you can practice in other states. Then you need to complete another 30 hours of continuing education. APRN’s are exempt from the 30-hour CE requirement because they are allowed to practice in multiple states. They do not need additional Nursing CEUs hours for the advanced practice license. However, APRNs must earn eight hours of CE every two years or have 200 practice hours.

CEUs are also available through large hospitals with unions. These may be free, or you can pay a subscription to get them. However, you must make sure that the course meets the standards set by your state board before enrolling in it. The purpose of continuing education is to improve your skills and advance your career. If you are taking a non-approved course, it will not count toward your CEU requirement.

How Many CEU For Nurses Are Required?

To be eligible for CEUs, a nurse must love learning. The field of nursing is not static and nurses must continue their education to stay current. Continuing education unit courses help nurses advance their knowledge, and it is important to make sure your CEUs are current and relevant to your field. Most states require RNs to take CEUs every two years, but there are exceptions. If you are seeking to earn your CEUs from CME courses, you can take nursing-specific college courses. General education classes, such as math or science, do not qualify for CEUs.

In addition to continuing education, nurses need to obtain board-approved national nursing certification. To become licensed, you must complete at least twenty contact hours in the field of nursing that you practice in. Some states require a minimum of 30 contact hours every two years. This is the case in Nevada. However, if you have recently graduated, you only need to complete the bioterrorism requirement once. If you earn your degree within the last two years, you don’t have to complete the 30-hour CE requirement.

To keep your license, RNs and LPNs must complete 30 hours of approved continuing education every four years. For LPNs, the requirements are a bit more relaxed. However, they must also complete at least three contact hours of infection control every four years. This is a requirement for all nurses. If you fail to complete the required number of contact hours, your license may be suspended or revoked.