Nursing CE reimbursement

[Inquisitive Nurse]

Hello!

I have an issue that I hope someone can advise me on.

Nurses in my unit are assigned online education, often with CE credit. If we do them at home, we are reimbursed at our base pay for however many hours are awarded for CE credits. I recently completed one such assignment, and my boss has informed me that I have spent too much time on the assignment. My boss states that he completed the assignment in less than 20% of the time that it took me, and there is concern that I am falsifying a time card. Note that I spent the same amount of time that was awarded for CEs (1 CE = 1 hour).

My theory is that if the assigned education has X amount of CEs, than it is not unreasonable that I would spend that amount of time completing that assignment. Does anyone know who/what organization assigns CEs to education assignments?

What should I do?

Thanks for any advice you may have.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

First thing I'd do is not complete required CEs at home. If they want them completed as part of employment, then they need to provide the time to do so. That's how my facility is with our mandatory annual online competencies- we are given an education day if needed to complete them during a normal shift.

Other than that, you can look at the documentation included with the CE- the ones I do through AORN (not required for work but for my certification) include an evaluation that asks how long it took to do it and clearly states what time period is anticipated to complete it. Generally, I finish a good bit faster than what that states, but I'm a quick reader. As a side note, for many of the articles I've completed both through AORN and others, 1 CE = 50 minutes instead of a full hour.

[Inquisitive Nurse]

Thanks for the advice. I like learning at home, but you make a good point, the employer needs to provide time to complete mandatory education.

[CraigB-RN, MSN, RN]

The CEU/CNE should state who the accrediting body is. In general, a 1 Ceu/CNE should take an hour. If you were taking 2 hours then your boss might have a point. I would hazard to guess your boss just scanned the material and took the test.

As to doing it at home, you need to decide what the purpose is? If it's just for work, then I agree, you should be doing it at home. If your doing it for the ceu's for licensure or certification, then I do them at home.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

OhMyGoodnessGracious!

My organization does not permit ANY mandatory education to be completed "on your own time".... specifically to eliminate this problem. In the past, I have been involved in this tug-of-war.... and the manager(s) received the same slap on the wrist & the organization ended up paying the full amount claimed because: 1) they could not disprove the employee's claim; 2) online transmission times are not standard - the employee may have had a bad connection or old equipment or any one of a bazillion other technical slow-downs; and 3) Mandatory education needs to be included in regular worked hours. One of the biggest (although not legal) issues... the effect on employee morale if they are expected to use their own 'personal' time to complete mandatory training.... just not fair or equitable.

This type of wage & hour case law is too well established to expect a different outcome.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Clock in early to do the work on a computer in your unit, which presumably is in view of others, or stay after your shift to do the same. Ta da! They paid for the time it took, and your computer time is documented. End of issue.