Please explain CEU's

[gchelak]

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.

[gchelak]

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!

Thanks for the info but I am still in Canada and the BNE said none of the education my employer offers is valid, I am sure that goes for any documentation I can get from my employer.

Also, to take PALS class that they offer here (IF the education was to be accepted in Texas) is not available until after Oct, when I move back to TX...and the employer does not pay the $500 or so to do the 2 day course! The info the BNE sent me was all about the old Type I education you can find online so that is what I will focus on.

My only other worry is the Bioterrorism course that should have been completed before Aug 2007 (see my previous posting)

Thanks again for everyone's input...it is hard enough to figure out the ambiguous information from Canada while I am here never mind figuring out the US system when I can't ask my colleagues.

Gail