Deciding on CEUs

The ones required by my state

Then ones pertaining to my specialty

Then ones that interest me

I see no value in completing CEUs specific to OB, when I've never worked there and don't ever intend to work there. Just because it's free doesn't mean anything to me.

Thank you for your input! That's along the lines of what I've been doing/plan on doing. Every now and then I'll throw myself a bone, so to speak, and take something that is completely unrelated to the specialty I'm in but is something that's always interested me. I see what you mean about avoiding spending time on CEUs in a specialty you have no interest in whatsoever, though!

I always sign up for trainings that are offered by my employer for CEUs.

I get a few CEUs from my hospital's required education (6 I think). You get CEUs from ACLS and PALS. After that, I do some of the free online things that interest me. I've taken a nursing course or two, and some of those 'certification-training' courses, and they can give CEUs.

I've also gone to conferences. I find conferences (if interested) fun, and can generate all of my required CEUs in a few days. They can be expensive. As an employee at my old job, I could go to some of our hospital/system conferences for free. Some I've paid out of pocket for because they interest me. And the food is usually tasty.

I do something online and fast. I choose topics that interest me, not necessarily topics that I'll use in practice. Freebies are too disjointed to bother with. I like a smooth and easy process.

I do a mix of things that are relevant to the patients I see and other topics that I'm just interested in, or apply to my own health.

Free ones.

In order to renew your license, you must complete the Mandatory continuing education requirements for your state.

I like to take a variety of courses yearly to expose me to different aspects of nursing. I think it is helpful for any nurse to be aware of other specialties to broaden your knowledge.

Another reason to take varied courses is to find out if it is something that you may be interested in. If you are interested in transferring to a different type of nursing specialty, taking continuing education courses could expose you to some of the knowledge, terminology, and issues those nurses have in that practice.

I believe learning should be fun. As nurses, we are constantly learning and applying new information every day. I encourage you to broaden your knowledge in nursing practice and find interesting and relevant topics to you and your practice.

Maryrose, RN, MSN