10 Things to Know About Nursing Continuing Education

Most states require continuing education to renew your license and keep your practice current, but the rules vary so much from state to state that they are easy to get wrong. Here are the 10 things RNs and LPNs/LVNs most need to understand about CE, covering the types of credit, how to choose courses and providers, and how to keep your records straight.

If you hold a graduate degree or practice as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN), your requirements are different and most of what follows may not apply to you.

1. CEUs, Contact Hours, and CME Are Not the Same Thing

Get these straight or your credits may not count. State requirements are almost always written in contact hours, while some education providers issue credit as continuing education units (CEUs). The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) counts in contact hours.

A contact hour is 50-60 minutes of nursing education. A CEU equals 10 contact hours, so a one-CEU course is about 10 hours of instruction and a three-CEU course is 30 hours.

Continuing medical education (CME) hours are a separate thing, designed for physicians and measured differently. Some states only let APRNs apply CME to their requirements, while others allow certain nurses to use approved CME credit.

2. Finish Before Your License Expires

In states that require CE, you cannot renew until you document your credits, and they have to fall inside a specific window. Most states run a two-year cycle, so if your license expires September 30, your credits must have been earned during the two years ending on that date.

A few states differ. Iowa gives RNs three years. Washington and Kentucky use a one-year cycle. Earn more than you need in a cycle and the extra does not roll forward. Credits earned before your permanent license was issued do not count either.

3. Requirements Vary by State

The number of credits and the specific training required change depending on where you are licensed. Expect somewhere between 8 and 36 hours of CE every 1 to 3 years.

Some states offer alternatives to standard courses. North Carolina lets you count published work, teaching, or a research project. Alaska gives credit for unpaid volunteer activity. West Virginia credits clinical preceptors for one-on-one mentorship.

Others mandate coursework on specific topics, including HIV/AIDS, sexual harassment prevention, pain management, and whatever else your board of nursing names. Check your state's rules carefully, and remember they change. Washington ran a three-year cycle before switching to yearly renewal.

4. Some States Have No CE Requirement

Not every state requires CE to renew. These do not: Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

Even there, you may still owe practice-hour requirements to renew, and keeping your skills current is on you regardless. Earning CE and additional training strengthens your resume and your career either way.

5. Multistate License Holders Follow Their Home State

Most states belong to the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), which lets a nurse licensed in one member state practice in others on the same multistate license. Your home state is the one that issued your license, and your CE requirements follow it no matter where you work.

A nurse licensed in Maine, which has no CE requirement, does not have to meet New Hampshire's 30 contact hours every two years just because they work there under the NLC. But if that nurse moves to New Hampshire and establishes residency, they have to get a New Hampshire license and meet its requirements going forward.

6. CE Has to Be Relevant to Nursing Practice

To count, course content has to be approved by your board of nursing and relevant to nursing practice, accredited by a school, nursing organization, or employer. Common qualifying topics include nursing law and ethics, advocacy, clinical practice, communication, pharmacology, quality improvement, and nursing research and theory.

Nursing-related college courses you take toward a degree can also count. In some states, volunteer work, research, or teaching qualifies too.

7. Not Every Course Counts

Plenty of useful training does not qualify as CE. Renewing your CPR or basic life support credential, on-the-job training, and non-nursing college courses do not count.

Some cases are murkier. Attending a conference or professional meeting will not count on its own, but the educational sessions inside that event might. Always confirm what qualifies in your state before you assume.

8. Credits Must Come From Approved Providers

Only an approved provider can issue CE that counts toward renewal. Providers go through an approval process with your board of nursing or the ANCC and get assigned a provider number. Confirm that number before you take a course, so you know your state will accept the credit.

9. Certification Renewal Hours Can Count for Licensure

Contact hours you earn renewing a nursing certification can also apply to your license. If you hold an ANCC certification, such as pediatric or medical-surgical, you complete CE to renew it, and those same hours count toward your state license renewal.

The ANCC requires a minimum of 75 contact hours in your specialty plus at least one of eight additional activities within five years to maintain certification.

10. Keep Your Own Records

You are responsible for documenting every credit and reporting it to your state. Record the course title, provider name, provider number, completion date, and number of credits awarded, and keep the completion certificates as proof.

Use whatever tracking method works for you, but check with your board on how long you have to retain records. Apps like Nurse Backpack and CertAlert+ can store your credits and remind you before they expire.