Be honest, when do you start working on your CEUs?

Kitiger, RN · Sep 27, 2020

I read a lot, but I don't always want to pay for the test so I can get credit for each class.

My problem is that I forget about making sure that I have enough credits, until my date draws near and I am forcefully reminded.

adventure_rn, MSN, NP · Sep 27, 2020

LOL, mine is probably the weirdest.

Two of my three specialty certifications (neonatal CCRN and peds CCRN) must be renewed every three years, and they each require 100 hours of CEUs. When you renew your CCRN certification, it's cheaper to buy an AACN membership and renew as a member than it is as a non-member. As a member you have access to their CEU library, which has over 400 free CEUs.

Whenever my renewal comes due, I buy an AACN membership, renew all of my specialty certs at the same time, and then knock out 100+ CEUs in the next 3 months while my AACN membership is still active and I can get free classes. I only renew my AACN membership every third year when my certification renewals are due, so I have to complete all of my 100 CEUs during that year.

It boils down to a rotating 3-year cycle where I do 100+ hours over the course of three months, then don't need to do any CEUs for two and a half years (besides random classes at work).

I figure that way, if I get audited for my CCRNs, all of my CEUs will come from the organization itself, and they already have a transcript of my classes. That way, I won't have to track down 100 separate credit hours worth of random CEU certificates. Plus, it's really cost-effective, since I pay for the AACN membership every third year, anyway.

HiddencatBSN, BSN · Sep 27, 2020

39 minutes ago, adventure_rn said:

LOL, mine is probably the weirdest.

Two of my three specialty certifications (neonatal CCRN and peds CCRN) must be renewed every three years, and they each require 100 hours of CEUs. When you renew your CCRN certification, it's cheaper to buy an AACN membership and renew as a member than it is as a non-member. As a member you have access to their CEU library, which has over 400 free CEUs.

Whenever my renewal comes due, I buy an AACN membership, renew all of my specialty certs at the same time, and then knock out 100+ CEUs in the next 3 months while my AACN membership is still active and I can get free classes. I only renew my AACN membership every third year when my certification renewals are due, so I have to complete all of my 100 CEUs during that year.

It boils down to a rotating 3-year cycle where I do 100+ hours over the course of three months, then don't need to do any CEUs for two and a half years (besides random classes at work).

I figure that way, if I get audited for my CCRNs, all of my CEUs will come from the organization itself, and they already have a transcript of my classes. That way, I won't have to track down 100 separate credit hours worth of random CEU certificates. Plus, it's really cost-effective, since I pay for the AACN membership every third year, anyway.

The ENA really needs to up their membership benefit game. Mild discount on textbooks, classes and journal CEUs that are still $$$ with a few free ones here and there, and the most user UNfriendly website ever.....

There’s probably an ER versus ICU managing a professional organization here ?

Editorial Team / Moderator · Sep 27, 2020

2 hours ago, HiddencatBSN said:

The ENA really needs to up their membership benefit game. Mild discount on textbooks, classes and journal CEUs that are still $$$ with a few free ones here and there, and the most user UNfriendly website ever.....

There’s probably an ER versus ICU managing a professional organization here ?

Long-time ENA member here, and I totally agree! I have three BCEN certs to renew every 4 years - CEN, CPEN, and TCRN (at least they are staggered and not the same year) - and it's painful!

DesiDani · Sep 28, 2020

Do you have sympathy for those who beg others to give them answers to their completed CEUs, when a suspension is on the line for them.

I don't share my CEUs. Why should I, you had 2 yrs just like me? Make your vacation worthwhile, I suppose.

BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2020

I tend to do mine early on.

50 stroke-related CEUs needed to renew the certification in 2024 - halfway done.

25 to renew cardiac certification in 2022 - done.

I barely ever take general CEUs because the stroke and cardiac cover it.

My employer reimburses any nursing continuing education I want. Recently I took a couple of hours on stress reduction in nursing and it was awesome.

16 hours ago, adventure_rn said:

I only renew my AACN membership every third year when my certification renewals are due, so I have to complete all of my 100 CEUs during that year.

Smart!

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · Sep 28, 2020

I attend at about two annual forums for my professional orgs, and with a couple of local offerings that's more than enough to recert my license and my q5yr certs. Most of my CEs are countable for several certs. If I need 60 hrs q 5 yrs and I'm amassing around 125 in that time, I'm fine...and I'm actually, like learning things I use at work, not just ticking off boxes with random stuff. Many of the online ones are 1/4 hr, 1/2 hr, 3/4 hr, and those aren't acceptable for any of my recerts.

sunshines66, BSN · Sep 28, 2020

I have done them all kinds of ways. I have been a nurse for over 30 years and most of that time being certified in my specialty and I try to go to one conference every 2-3 years and get as many as I can that way. This year I was lucky enough to attend a conference virtually so I did not have to pay extra (no travel expenses)and I was able to attend almost every session that was offered so I got I believe 66 Ceus it made for an extremely busy two weeks as I was currently working my full-time job at the same time but I was reimbursed for the entire cost of the conference so worked beautifully. I would highly recommend anyone to look into virtual conferences. It is a great feeling to know I am covered for a couple of years and if I really want to do anything else I can but I don't have to go to something. When I wait I am doing anything I can to get the hours not looking for what will be best for my career.

DesiDani · Sep 29, 2020

Then there are those who never do theirs, gambling on the hope that they will never get an audit. I know plenty of people like that. They say "I've never been audited in YEARS, I'm not doing any CEUs!" Until they are begging others to share their completed CEUs? when they get that letter in the mail.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2020

In Florida we have CEU broker to keep track of our CEUs and thus we don't get audited. Not sure if we can get away without doing our CEUs.

I have a certification and need 150 hours every four years and learned the hard way not to wait until the last minute and promised myself to get at least 35 a year. But I still tend to push it off.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 29, 2020

On 9/27/2020 at 8:56 PM, DesiDani said:

Do you have sympathy for those who beg others to give them answers to their completed CEUs, when a suspension is on the line for them.

Well, we don’t get answer keys to the ones for my specialty organization. Just a question number and a green check or a red x. So I have no way to share my answers ??‍♀️
Not that I would. A failure to plan on their part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

DesiDani · Sep 29, 2020

19 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

Well, we don’t get answer keys to the ones for my specialty organization. Just a question number and a green check or a red x. So I have no way to share my answers ??‍♀️
Not that I would. A failure to plan on their part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

They still could beg you to tell them the answers if they bought the exact same package.

I imagine Dr. House paying some resident to completed his CME for him or arguing why he shouldn't have to do them.