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After going to all your classes, doing all your clinicals, and finally getting your nursing
license, you're ready to focus on your nursing career. But there's more to it than simply
getting your license and starting work somewhere. You will have to renew your license, and to
do that, you have to fulfill your CEU requirement.
What is continuing education?
A CEU requirement is a continuing education requirement that all nurses have to fulfill
in order to renew their licenses. Depending on the standards set by your state licensing board,
you may have a wide variety of courses to choose from for your requirements.
Continuing education is just what it sounds like: furthering the education you've gotten to be
a nurse. You could learn new information and techniques, or you could be refreshing information
you know and use every day. The important thing is that you keep learning, and that you keep
expanding your skills. The more you keep learning, the better your career as a nurse will be.
Why is it a requirement for nurses?
Continuing education courses are required as part of renewing your license for several
reasons. Since the healthcare field does change and advance often, it's important to keep
up with the advancements in medicine and technology that occur. Nurses are responsible for
the lives of their patients, and it's vital that they be well-trained, capable, and knowledgable
about the techniques they need to use with their patients.
By adding a CEU requirement to license renewals, the state licensing board can help ensure
the nurses working in the healthcare field meet the standards they set. Having it a part of
license renewal helps regulate how often the continuing education courses are taken.
How do I find out more about my CEU requirement?
The first and best place to get more information about your continuing education requirements
is to talk to your state licensing board. Not only will they have all the up to date information
you need, but they will be able to give you additional resources, and perhaps even contact
information for schools and colleges that offer the courses you need.
You can also speak with your academic advisor, or perhaps your employer, about your CEU
requirement. They may not have all the answers you need, but they may be able to at least
get you started as you prepare for your license renewal.
When you finally get your nursing degree and license, it can be a big relief. But it's
important that you know that just because you're working in the healthcare field doesn't
mean you stop learning. In order to renew your license, you'll have to fulfill your CEU
requirement. This doesn't mean the state licensing board thinks you aren't qualified to keep
your license. It's simply a way of ensuring that your knowledge and skills are up to date with
medical advancements so you can be the best nurse possible for your patients.
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