Do I Need to Take Continuing Ed Classes After Becoming an RN?

Yes. Licensure does not end your education. Every state requires registered nurses to complete a minimum number of continuing education units (CEUs) to renew their license, and many nurses take more to sharpen their skills, earn specialty certifications, and open up better jobs. Done well, continuing education raises both your competence and your earning potential.

Patients depend on nurses to stay current. As Beth Hawkes, MSN, RN-BC, puts it, continuing education "is designed to keep nurses up to date in their practice and abreast of current trends and guidelines. For nurses, continuing education is a lifestyle."

What CEUs Are

Continuing education units, also called continuing education credits, are the classes and approved activities that build on the education you already have. Some nurses pursue them to advance their careers or earn specialized certifications; others take them mainly to keep their license current.

One CEU equals 10 contact hours, with each contact hour running 50 to 60 minutes of approved activity, didactic or clinical. Requirements vary by state. Most Texas nurses, for example, complete 20 contact hours (about two CEUs) every two years. Some states require 30 or more contact hours. Check your own state board before you assume anything, because the rules and the accepted topics differ everywhere.

How Continuing Education Helps Your Career

Beyond keeping your license active, continuing education broadens your clinical knowledge, opens new job opportunities, and can raise your pay. Most nurses become lifelong learners by necessity, trading textbooks for journals and adding skills as the field changes.

For new nurses, it fills knowledge gaps. "Finding an accredited provider that offers a wide variety of courses on different topics, such as clinical safety, communication, and nursing law, will be especially beneficial for new nurses," said Jessica Dzubak, MSN, RN, director of nursing practice at the Ohio Nurses Association. "Often, professional nursing associations offer these types of courses, and some have dedicated resources specifically for new nurses."

For nurses moving into leadership, Dzubak suggests targeting specific weak spots: "Consider what areas they would like to improve upon, whether it be communication, fiscal responsibility, human resources management, or leadership theories and styles, and then find accredited courses that meet their individual learning needs."

Which Courses Count

What you take depends on your state's renewal rules, your specialty certifications, and your own interests. Some states mandate continuing education in specific areas such as human trafficking, opioid addiction, domestic violence, and bioterrorism.

Continuing education falls into four buckets:

• License renewal (required): You choose accredited courses and providers that improve your practice and meet your state's required hours. Courses must be approved by your state board of nursing.
• State-mandated topics (required): Specific subjects your state requires, such as human trafficking or domestic violence. You pick the provider, but it must be board-approved.
• Specialty certification and renewal (optional): Accredited courses focused on a nursing specialty that meet the certifying body's requirements.
• Personal interest (optional): Topics like yoga or liberal arts. No board approval needed, and these generally don't count toward licensure unless the course qualifies.

You can complete courses in many formats: online classes, webinars, correspondence courses, classroom instruction, nursing conferences, and clinical workshops.

What Kind of Classes You Can Take

Accredited providers offer a wide range. According to Dzubak, nurses most often pursue continuing education in nursing laws and guidelines, clinical topics, interpersonal skills (conflict management, communication, leadership), advocacy, and pharmacology.

Continuing education also lets you earn specialty certifications that position you for advancement. Many employers prefer certified nurses and specifically recruit candidates certified in areas such as medical-surgical, neonatal, critical care, gerontology, pediatrics, ambulatory care, cardiovascular nursing, informatics, pain management, and psychiatric or mental health.

Individual course topics run the full clinical range. Examples include acute and chronic pain management, human trafficking and exploitation, acute pancreatitis, service animals in healthcare facilities, inflammatory bowel disease, legal implications for nursing practice, forensic evidence collection, and HIV case studies.

What Doesn't Count

You'll likely need basic life support, CPR, and advanced cardiac life support to get and keep your RN license, but these certifications usually don't count toward continuing education requirements. On-the-job training and employer orientations don't count either. If you're enrolled in a nursing degree program, however, that coursework may satisfy your initial continuing education requirements.

What Courses Cost

Costs vary widely. Some courses are free; others run $150 or more, depending on delivery, location, contact hours, and content. Some employers pay for or subsidize continuing education, especially for specialty fields. Some providers offer unlimited course access for a monthly or annual subscription. Because it counts as professional development, your continuing education costs may be tax deductible.

Where to Find Courses

Start with national nursing organizations that offer continuing education for specific specialties:

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
• Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
• National League for Nursing (NLN)

Advanced practice nurses can find courses through:

• American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
• American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA)
• American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)
• National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH)

Most states also have nursing associations that offer continuing education, often free.

Confirm Accreditation

Make sure both the provider and the course are approved by your state board of nursing or the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which is recognized by every state board. Quality varies. "Accreditation ensures the education has met a rigorous set of quality standards and that the information is reputable and free of commercial influence," Dzubak said.

After You Finish Your Courses

Keep your records. You'll need them to renew your license and to survive an audit by your state board.

Store the following for each course: course name and description, provider, completion date, contact hours or CEUs, and any credential earned. Keep an electronic record and back it up or print a copy so a computer failure doesn't wipe out your documentation.

You usually don't send these records to your state board, but you report your activities when you renew, and you must produce the records if you're audited. Keep them for at least two to three renewal periods. California, for example, runs random audits of registered nurses and requires you to keep certificates or grade slips for four years. Check your own board for its specific recordkeeping rules.