What Counts (and Does Not Count) As Nursing Continuing Education?

Key Takeaways

• To earn credit, a course must be accredited by a professional nursing organization, a government agency, or an academic institution.
• Employer workshops, non-nursing college classes, and conference attendance usually do not qualify for CEU credit.
• Check your state's rules, track your contact hours precisely, and use free or employer-reimbursed accredited courses when you can.

Your education does not end at licensure. Nursing requires lifelong learning to keep your license, hold your job, and protect the quality of your care. Continuing education units (CEUs) also let you build skills in a specialty. Every state sets its own criteria for what qualifies, so the details matter.

Continuing Education Explained

Nurses complete CEUs after finishing a formal nursing program. You take workshops, read peer-reviewed journals and pass the accompanying exams, or attend state-approved seminars and conferences. The topics mirror what you studied in school, delivered live, in person, or online through recorded webinars. You can also use CEUs to become certified or recertified as a nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, or nurse practitioner.

State nursing boards set the requirements, and some mandate specific subjects like prescription opioids or pain management. Nurses in Texas need 20 contact hours every two years; nurses in Tennessee need five. For any of it to count, the course has to be accredited by a reputable nursing organization or school.

Five Things to Know About Nursing CEUs

Nurses usually pursue CEUs to maintain employment, licensure, or a certification. Costs range from free to over $100. Keep these guidelines in mind:

1. CEUs must be accredited by a professional organization, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), or an approved provider. State boards hold the final say on which accredited courses they accept.
2. Before enrolling, confirm the course is accredited, then check with your state board that it meets state-specific requirements for contact hours and format.
3. Choose CEUs appropriate to your level. A course accepted for a licensed practical nurse may not apply to a registered nurse or an advanced practice nurse.
4. You can take an unaccredited course purely for professional growth, but it will not count toward your CEU requirements. Go in knowing that.
5. Costs run from free to $100 or more. Some employers offer free classes or reimburse the expense, and professional associations, academic medical centers, and universities often offer free or low-cost options.

What Does Not Count

You can earn CEUs across many topics and formats, but accreditation is the dividing line. These generally do not count:

Basic and advanced life support certification. BLS, CPR, and ACLS are required for licensure, but they usually do not count toward your renewal CEUs.

Career-focused courses. Retirement planning, resume writing, and interview prep are useful, but they do not satisfy nursing CE requirements.

Continuing medical education (CME). Physicians take CME to maintain their licenses. Nurses usually cannot use CME for license renewal, though it varies by state.

Employer workshops on workplace policies. Orientation and safety courses do not count, unless they carry credit-hour designations and provide a certificate of completion that your board honors.

Non-nursing college courses. General education or other non-nursing coursework will not count toward license renewal.

Professional meetings and conventions. Attendance alone does not earn credit, though accredited seminars and workshops at those events may.

What Does Count

Check your state board first, but qualified CE generally has to be accredited by a professional nursing organization or college. Both free and paid options exist, and employers often reimburse the cost.

State-approved courses from nursing organizations. Courses accredited by professional nursing organizations, government agencies, or schools. The ANCC offers approved programs, including free webinars, each with its own credit value.

Peer-reviewed articles with an exam. Depending on the state, you can earn CEUs for reading nursing journal articles and passing an accompanying exam.

Specialty credentialing exams. Your board may recognize specialty certifications or recertifications, such as nurse midwife or nurse anesthetist credentials.

Publishing. Some states grant CEUs for publishing a nursing-related article or chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

One contact hour is 50 to 60 minutes of instruction in a board-approved class or clinical or didactic activity. One CEU equals 10 contact hours. Read course descriptions carefully so you know exactly how many credits you will earn.

Not every state requires continuing education. 39 states, Washington, D.C., and all U.S. territories require CEUs for license renewal, but the number of credits and the renewal interval vary widely. Many states require periodic refreshers or specific content in areas like sexual assault, domestic violence, substance misuse, and ethics. Employers may add their own requirements.

CEUs must be state-approved and accredited by a professional nursing association, a school, or an employer. You can earn them through in-person or online courses, webinars, conferences, and clinical workshops. Common topics include nursing law and ethics, clinical practice, conflict management and communication, pharmacology, and advocacy.

You can find free CEUs as well as paid ones. The AACN offers no-cost continuing education, though you may need an active membership for free access. The International Center for Regulatory Scholarship also offers free and paid courses. Paid programs often carry more credits than free ones.

You can write off CE courses you need to keep your job or renew your license. They may qualify for the lifetime learning credit.