California Nursing CE Requirements: A Quick Guide
In the state of California, all nurses must fulfill a CE (continuing education) requirement consisting of 30 contact hours of course material every two years. In this guide, we take a closer look at California CE nursing requirements: what they are, why all they’re important for all California nurses, and which courses fulfill them.
What are the CE requirements for California nurses? Who is required to meet these requirements?
To ensure that all nurses are continually providing the best care possible, it’s important that they stay up to date on their knowledge and skills as healthcare professionals. For this reason, all states require nurses to complete continuing education requirements on stipulated schedule. In the state of California, the California Code of Regulations, Section 1451, Article 5 stipulates that all nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years for their licenses to remain valid.
These CE requirements apply to all nurses. Only in certain cases, and for certain time frames, can a nurse be exempt from CE fulfillment. These cases include demonstrable hardships lasting one or more years (such as a physical disability or disability of a loved one), nursing activity overseas or outside of the U.S via a federal institution, or a request for licensure to become inactive.
What are acceptable CE courses?
With California’s nursing CE requirements now outlined, it’s time to cover how those requirements can be fulfilled. Per California state law, nurses need 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years. Those hours can be fulfilled in a number of ways.
For starters, any continuing education course must relate to nursing in some capacity. As the field of nursing covers a wide range of subjects, continuing education courses also span a wide range of categories. Starting with courses related to the scientific knowledge needed in nursing, continuing education in the physical, behavioral, and social sciences is acceptable. Likewise, any course that applies to patient conduct or patient well-being can be used to fulfill continuing education requirements. Other continuing education subjects include human sexuality, grief management, foreign languages, and nursing management, administration, and education.
Where can I take CE courses?
There are a number of places you can take CE courses to fulfill California’s nursing CE requirements. Any above the subjects covered in a college course or workshop can count towards CE hours. CE hours can also be obtained through only courses offered by accredited institutions. Lastly, CE hours may be obtained through the completion of certain life-saving certification courses offered by accredited providers. Note that all courses must be approved by the Board of Registered Nursing.
Learn More and Enroll Here at SureFire CPR
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