A nurse’s education never truly ends. Once you receive your degree and obtain your license, you still must remain compliant with your state’s continuing education regulations. Nurses are required to seek continuing education in areas that relate to their field of practice. Many employers offer courses and in-services that qualify as continuing education credits, but ultimately, it’s the responsibility of the nurse to make sure this requirement is met.
Below is a list of websites that offer free continuing education for nurses. Some or all of the sites may also have additional courses for a fee. Always check any online resource to make sure it’s approved for CE credit in your state.
Nurse.com offers a variety of paid courses, as well as a database of freebies. The free courses come from resources such as Capella University, Johnson & Johnson, Wound Care Education Institute, and Azusa Pacific University. Just click on the course you’re interested in and you’ll get redirected to the resource’s website. Be sure to check your state’s requirements before taking any free courses to ensure compliance. Nurse.com offers a yearly membership with unlimited access to courses. With that being said, I did discover that you still have to pay for a few select courses even if you have the unlimited membership…. hmmmm….doesn’t seem unlimited! Anyway, there are still lots of courses to choose from that do fall into the unlimited category. You can search the courses and filter the results by your state or specialty, which makes it super convenient.
Medscape CME & Education offers free continuing education courses on a variety of topics. Sign up for a free membership and gain access to the courses. The process is simple and painless. Once you’ve signed up, just review the information on your topic of choice, take the test, complete the evaluation, and print your certificate. There’s even a handy Activity Tracker that lists any in progress activities, as well as completed activities. Medscape CME & Education is also available at the app store for your convenience. I haven’t tried the app yet, but it’s on my “To-Do List”! Feel free to let me know if you’ve tried the app and tell us what you think! Medscape is accredited by the ANCC.
NursingCE.com offers a handful of free courses for nurses to choose from. Sign up for a free account on their website to access the courses. NursingCE.com also offers three paid options for membership if you need additional CEs. The first option includes bundles by state. The price of this package varies by state. The California bundle for LPN/LVN/RN includes 8 courses and the North Carolina Bundle for LPN/LVN/RN includes 9 courses for a total of 30 hours for each state. Both bundles are available for $40 each. The Florida bundle for LPN/LVN/RN includes 8 courses for a total of 28 hours for $25. Bundles are also available for NP/APRN in some states. The second option is to purchase a 1 year membership with access to all courses in the library for $69. Last is the career option, or lifetime membership, for a one time payment of $199. This membership gives you access to the course library forever. NursingCE.com is accredited by the ANCC.
Johns Hopkins University offers a large selection of free and paid continuing education courses. Topics range from Cystic Fibrosis to Diabetes to Viral Hepatitis. You need to create an account to access the courses, but the process is simple and only takes a few minutes. Online courses, webinars, and podcasts are available. Take the test and, if you pass, they will email your certificate. Johns Hopkins University is accredited by the ANCC. Their website states they offer military discounts.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC is an excellent resource for free continuing education courses. There’s three systems available that offer courses for CE credit. The Training and Continuing Education Online (TCEO) is a system that provides access to CDC training activities. This site has a large selection of courses that cover a wide variety of topics. Set up a free account with TCEO to access the courses. The CDC Laboratory Training website offers free laboratory training in the form of online courses, seminars, webinars, and workshops. Visit the CDC Laboratory Training link to register for access to these courses. CDC Train is an online management system that offers access to thousands of public health training opportunities. Many training courses offer free CEs. Register on the CDC Train link for access to any available courses. Be sure to check all courses for accreditation and compliance with your state regulations.
And there you have it! Five credible resources that offer free continuing education courses. Please remember that all of the resources listed above are subject to change. This list is current as of today, but the availability may change in the future. I hope this list helps with your continuing education needs!
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