Create Your Own Continuing Education for Nurses
The purpose of this post is to encourage nurse educators and nurse entrepreneurs to create their own continuing education activities.
3 BIG Opportunities for Nurses:
Many states require licensed nurses to complete continuing education courses in order to renew their licenses. This = opportunities for you to:
1. EXPAND your leadership skills
2. POSITION yourself as an authority in your niche
3. MONETIZE your income.
How to Get Clear on Your Strengths and Expertise
Here’s a sample of key questions I ask Nurses in my own Continuing Nursing Education activities to help you get clear on your own.
What is your nursing area of expertise?
Are there multiple areas?
Where are you the most confident?
Where do you shine?
What is your passion? What lights you up, turns you
on?What is the problem you solve? What is your solution?
Your vocation as a nurse must revolve around your passion,
your message, and your soul calling. We all want to feel
creative.
Creating your own continuing education course IS creative!
You can create courses for any number of CEs- NCEs, but the more credits you offer- the more you pay to your board- to get approval.
My trainings, in person or online offer 10 NCEs. Several of my CYNs, Certified YogaNurses, have created courses for 3 NCEs.
WHAT TO CHARGE? Prices vary. Greatly. It all depends on the length of the activity and of course how excellent and original your content is. Fees can be from around $10 to thousands of dollars for extended, comprehensive trainings- both onsite, home study, or a combo of both.
Getting approval- ANCC + AANP + AHNA credentialing
Your local state nursing board provides info on their website on how to apply for CEs…actually NCEs (nursing continuing education) as they are approved providers for ANCC. Here is the link to ANCC to get the big picture. http://www.nursecredentialing.org
AND this THANKS to Dr Rachel Silva NP– “For Nurse Practitioners, credentialing as a continuing education provider can also be through AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) at http://www.aanp.org/education/ce-accreditation/individual-program-accreditation, which generally also coincides to offer continuing education for Registered Nurses, too.”
If you’re a member of AHNA- American Holistic Nursing Asociation, (I am) you can also apply for credits with them. http://www.ahna.org/Education/Activity-Approval-Application
TWO SAMPLES of Continuing Ed I’ve Created
Check out these samples and 2 links to see how I describe my education.
1. DIGITAL Home Study– 10 NCEs
DESCRIPTION OF a Live training to HELP YOU understand the format expected- AUGUST 1-2, 2015
UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing, NC
2. A Live On Site Training!
NOTE. You will need to partner with a nurse who is an MSN who will be your nurse planner- in the creation of your continuing education activity. If you are an MSN, you’ve got this.
Your nursing board will be most helpful in helping you to get approval for your activity.
Continued learning for Nurses is life-long, and with health care constantly changing, continued competency is simply a MUST.
This was a BRIEF OVERVIEW of the potential of how to do it, position yourself and what to charge to create an additional income stream.
I hope it has offered valuable insights on how you can be a provider of Continuing Ed for nurses too!
FOOTNOTES
1. “State Board Information Resource”. NursingRequirements.com
This post was written as part of the Nurse Blog Carnival. More posts on this topic can be found at The Days When I’m Not A Nurse. Find out how to participate.
THANK YOU Dear Brittany Wilson, Nerdy Nurse Extraordinare!
CLICK HERE to see our host for this Carnival- and learn what other nurses have to say- http://hello-anna-and-mo.com/
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Another valuable post and valuable skill to have 🙂 Excited to one day create CEUS especially since I am working towards my MSN
Thanks!! 🙂
Forgive me if you already said but can I study by reading books, etc instead of taking an Accredited class?
Annette,
This is a great resource for nurse entrepreneurs. Nurses have the ability to create courses with continuing ed. credits which is a great advantage over other entrepreneurs in different niches or professions. I love that you share with us your own self reflection questions from your own practice!
Thanks Annette, these are great lists of resources for those looking to offer CNEs with their programs. I love how you break it down in such a simple format as it is not as overwhelming as it seems. I have gotten approval on three of my offers now and the process, once you get through it the first time, is relatively painless. Great share, thanks!
Thanks for sharing this very relevant information with us. It’s one of my favorites and very resourceful. For Nurse Practitioners, credentialing as a continuing education provider can also be through AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners) at http://www.aanp.org/education/ce-accreditation/individual-program-accreditation, which generally also coincides to offer continuing education for Registered Nurses, too.
Rachel, marvelous addition re NP continuing ed! There are many, many NPs in the YogaNursing tribe:), I’ll make sure they see this. AND I’m going to update the post and add your info links with thanks to you too!
Wow, that just made my day 🙂 Thank you, I’m honored!
Great, straight forward tips to get credentialed for CEU’s. Very timely for me as this is going to be one of my next adventures! I appreciate how you broke it all down so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming! Thanks!
I loved this post!
As an educator, I have created a lot of CE content (for both RNs and CNAs)
for my employer, but I myself am not an approved provider.
Why I love your post- it’s informational, practical, and inspiring! Thank you for sharing, Annette!
Great post and resources, Annette. There is an exciting message of encouragement and power for nurses and our profession. Sort of like claiming our power! I often work with organizations to customize communication-related workshops and we collaborate around the CEU process. I give them objectives or we co-create them around their goals and needs and they apply for them. I also offer ‘contact hours’ when working on my own. I’m not a provider either and have no plans on becoming one right now.
Thanks, Annette for such helpful advice! I’ve done such courses in the past but only locally – my hospital’s head of nursing ed can certify course but only on site. This information might actually get me off my bum and doing some more work of this kind! Thanks again – Greg
Annette.
You continue to inspire me. Your information is a extremely valuable.
I’ve been teaching a course that I love, and after reading your post, it can be offered as a CEU. I never thought it could, -but now I see that it can.
Thank you for this information and many blessings to you.
Joyce, I’m dee- lighted up you found the AH HA that you can give CEUs for your own course. I’ll take the blessings and beam them back to you. xo
Annette,
This is excellent information. I am sure this is something that many nurse entrepreneurs and bloggers don’t even know is available as an option.
Hi Annette! Thanks for the information and outlining the various ways to host a CEU program. This is especially great for nurse entrepreneurs!
This is great info!!!
Hi Annette, Thanks for pointing out that any nurse can share their expertise through creating a continuing education program. The possibilities for nurses are unlimited.
So do you need to have a MSN in order to create a CEU program for MSN? I am a nurse with a ADN and about to obtain my BSN and also want to start a CEU business for nurses.