Please explain CEU's

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I am an RN in Canada at the moment. I did my education and NCLEX in Texas and worked there for 8 months before I moved. Right at the time I moved, I renewed my license (no CEUs are required for your first renewal in TX) and put the license on "hold" with the BNE.

I am now moving back to TX sometime before October 2008 and my license is up for renewal in October. Since Canada does not require CEUs, I have not done any yet.

I went to the BNE web site and they said I needed Twenty (20) contact hours (two Continuing Education Units). I have no idea where to go to get these! My only option at this point is to do the CEUs on the web, but how do I know what ones are approved my the Texas board? They do not have any information, just that the CEUs have to be approved but no info on how I would know and no links to approved sites.

Can someone please explain to me what I need to do? I went to one site http://www.nurseceu.com/pediatrics_ceus.htm that has a bunch of different subjects (I am a PICU nurse here in Canada) and they all have different contact hours and prices. Why would I take one for 2 contact hours and pay $18 when I can take all 20 in one shot for $30?

I just don't get it. :confused:

Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

http://www.bon.state.tx.us/nursingeducation/ceu.html

To count toward licensure renewal, a program must have been approved by one of the credentialing agencies recognized by the Board. The credentialing agencies have met nationally-predetermined criteria to approve programs and providers of CE. The Board recognizes the following credentialing agencies:

* American Academy of Nurse Practitioners;

* American Nurses Credentialing Center;

* American Association of Critical-Care Nurses;

* American Association of Nurse Anesthetists;

* American College of Nurse Midwives;

* Emergency Nurses Association (ENA);

* Texas League of Vocational Nurses;

* Licensed Vocational Nurses Association of Texas;

* National Association for Practical Nurse

* Education and Service (NAPNES);

* National Federation of Licensed Vocational Nurses (NFLVN);

* Continuing Medical Education credentialing agencies (for APNs only);

* National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners;

* Colleges and Universities; and

* Other State Boards of Nursing

Hope that helps you somewhat. I'm still trying to figure out how this stuff is supposed to work.

Specializes in ICU.

hmmm maybe things are done differently in canada but it's hard to believe that there is no continuing ed. being offered and paid for by the hospital you work at itself.....especially in a PICU. i'm on the ed. committee at the ICU i work at and we make up competencies on a monthly basis which are required to be done by the staff as well as several monthly articles with tests placed in our mailboxes by the staff development department of the hospital which are optional. :confused:

Specializes in Pediatrics.
hmmm maybe things are done differently in canada but it's hard to believe that there is no continuing ed. being offered and paid for by the hospital you work at itself.....especially in a PICU. i'm on the ed. committee at the ICU i work at and we make up competencies on a monthly basis which are required to be done by the staff as well as several monthly articles with tests placed in our mailboxes by the staff development department of the hospital which are optional. :confused:

Things are done very differently in Canada...we pay for most of our own education plus there is no way to tell if the "classes" are compliant. When I first moved here there were 3 or so weeks of education and tests, but how does that equate to CEUs?

I figured I would have to start at square one. The requirements here for renewals are more education situations and not articles and exams. We do have competencies, but again, there is no "certificate" and no way to know if they are acceptable classes and CEU's. The competencies are only done once a year.

To save a hassle, I was just going to do CEUs online but don't have sites that I know are accepted in TX since the list (the very same one the previous response lists above) is vague at best.

Does anyone have a URL that they KNOW is acceptable for CEUs in TX?

Thanks for the response. I would rather be over educated and compliant than under.

Gail

Specializes in Pediatrics.
http://www.bon.state.tx.us/nursingeducation/ceu.html

Hope that helps you somewhat. I'm still trying to figure out how this stuff is supposed to work.

Thanks, I did see this on the BNE website but their information is confusing and not specific.

I am going to try to look for my original info that I received when I got my license in the mail to see what it says...they sould not make this so difficult. I guess they are expecting that each unit will do their own education for nurses to make it easier, but in my case, I don't know if my unit's education is accepted...same info, but there is such a huge division between what is accepted in Canada from the US, there is probably the same division in the US accepting what is taught in Canada... :banghead:

Gail

Thanks, I did see this on the BNE website but their information is confusing and not specific.

I am going to try to look for my original info that I received when I got my license in the mail to see what it says...they sould not make this so difficult. I guess they are expecting that each unit will do their own education for nurses to make it easier, but in my case, I don't know if my unit's education is accepted...same info, but there is such a huge division between what is accepted in Canada from the US, there is probably the same division in the US accepting what is taught in Canada... :banghead:

Gail

The accreditation for the asthma course for example is here:

http://www.uninursety.com/user/accreditation.php

This shows that they accredited by the ANCC through the Georgia Nurses Association. This would be good for Texas.

Here is a list of free CEUs:

http://medi-smart.com/freeceu.htm

The Medscape CEUs and CMEs are well regarded.

Generally you have to be able to trace the CEU back to an issuer that is on the list. Many of these issuers license other organizations to actually approve the CEUs. For example ANCC allows most state nursing associations to approve CEUs on their behalf. Others can be directly approved by the various organizations.

For example this one is approved by NAPNP

http://cme.medscape.com/viewprogram/14702

Good luck

David Carpenter, PA-C

Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

I've used medscape before, has some really interesting articles.

Have you taken any of the national certifications in the US? Such as ACLS, PALS, ENPC? Those are worth CEUs the first time you take them.

I did a workbook out of Western Schools, got all the CEUs in one book, one year.

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I hope this doesn't post twice...my connection dropped in the middle of posting the 1st time.

Another couple of questions that have popped up:

according to this BNE web page:

http://www.bon.state.tx.us/about/news030708.html

the Type II education is no longer required after Nov 2008.

Type II was the courses attended, including seminars, etc, and the Type I (that are still required) are the online CE courses, right?

Since I am renewing by Oct 31, 2008 and the Type II's are no longer required after Nov 1, 2008, does that mean I still need the Type II courses or is this just incase I have some, I can still use them as part of my compliance?

Second question:

I renewed my license for the 1st time in Oct 2006 (the same month I moved from the US to Canada). I did not know about the Bioterrorism course needed until a couple of days ago since I didn't think I needed any courses to renew for the first time and I had no way of knowing the new Bioterrorism requirement.

http://www.bon.state.tx.us/about/news110404.html

This web page says " Since the law and the rule state that you must complete this CE component for either two year renewal cycle preceding September 1, 2007, we will accept bioterrorism CE certificates dated anytime between September 1, 2003 through August 31, 2007"

Does this mean that I can be audited and found non-compliant for not having this Bioterrorism component? With the date ending Aug 2007, if I take it now, it will not be in the date range they will accept...What am I to do?

Thanks in advance for helping me make this more clear!

Gail

Specializes in ICU, CVICU.

I did a workbook out of Western Schools, got all the CEUs in one book, one year.

Thanks so much! I hadn't heard of them before and they seem like a great source!

I know that www.netce.com has a lot of good courses. They also have special offers for $29 specifically for Texas nurses to get all of the continuing ed you need at once, and you can do it online or they will mail you a book with everything in it. It seem easy and quick enough, and they are approved through the ANCC and also in Texas, according to their accreditations.

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I am on the Texas state CNE committee so maybe I can help a little. There is no such thing as CEU's. That is an old term. We now use contact hours instead. "approval" means you take a course that has been approved by Texas Nurses Asso., ANA and any of their chapters, ANCC, ENA---- any nursing organization like that. Also, some other organizations. You will need to check the provider's information to determine if the course is approved for nursing continuing education. Quick ways to get CE's: Go online to Texas Nurses Asso. site (www.texasnurses.org) for free hours related to cancer. Take an ACLS, PALS, TNCC, ENPC for 13-16 hours all at once, call hospital education depts for any local offerings, check online sources (I also recommend various manufacturers of hospital products, like Bard or Baxter, etc). Ask hospital educators if they know about courses coming up soon in the area, or have DVD's/VCR tapes to loan out. You can get credit for courses directed to MD's as long as the information is pertinent to nursing also. NurseWeek magazine, AJN and others have CE's. Go to medical library to copy the tests then mail to provider for credit. Good luck!

Specializes in Pediatrics.

Second question:

I renewed my license for the 1st time in Oct 2006 (the same month I moved from the US to Canada). I did not know about the Bioterrorism course needed until a couple of days ago since I didn't think I needed any courses to renew for the first time and I had no way of knowing the new Bioterrorism requirement.

http://www.bon.state.tx.us/about/news110404.html

This web page says " Since the law and the rule state that you must complete this CE component for either two year renewal cycle preceding September 1, 2007, we will accept bioterrorism CE certificates dated anytime between September 1, 2003 through August 31, 2007"

Does this mean that I can be audited and found non-compliant for not having this Bioterrorism component? With the date ending Aug 2007, if I take it now, it will not be in the date range they will accept...What am I to do?

Thanks in advance for helping me make this more clear!

Gail

Anyone know the answer to the Bioterrorism question? I heard back from the Texas BNE and they sent me information about the CUEs from online sources but no mention of the Type I that they previously required and are doing away with Oct 31, 2008, so I am confident the online CEUs are all I need. They told me that NONE of the Canadian education will be accepted. I did not ask about the Bioterrorism CEUs because if what I read was right, I was suppose to have completed it before I renewed my license for the 1st time in Oct 2006. UGH! I had no idea an now what do I do?!:cry:

+ Add a Comment