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I chose this career because  I  want to be able to help those can't help themselves and being in the ER is one way I can help lots of patients with anything they come in with!

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How does this career fall into the Healthcare Occupations field of study?

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How does this career fall into the Healthcare Occupations field of study?

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It falls into the Healthcare Occupations field because I would work in the hospital as a nurse, caring for the wellbeing of many patients like taking vitals, or transferring patients from bed to the bathroom, or giving a patient stiches

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Where could the person seeking to work in this field expect to work at? Why?

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Where could the person seeking to work in this field expect to work at? Why?

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Since my career is so specific, any hospital specifically in the ER is where they would be seeking to work!

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What type of education is required and how many years for each level to complete?

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What type of education is required and how many years for each level to complete?

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To become a Nurse in the ER you need an associate's degree in nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)!  You then can take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN exam), which determines if it's safe for you to begin practicing as an entry-level nurse. It could take anywhere from 16 months to four years to become a nurse

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ER Nurses do lots of things, as we have lots of patients come in and out with many different conditions but in a summary we
- Identify medical issues
-Provide immediate support
-Blood transfusions
-Wound care
-Medication administration
-Chart vitals
-Monitor the patient’s condition
and many more!

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What type of personality will do well with this type of career?

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What type of personality will do well with this type of career?

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A very social person as your with people all day, you would also need patience and stay calm when working with the patients. You would need lots of empathy for patients and their family/friends.

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Anatomy

Physiology

Biology

Chemistry

English

Psychology

Statistics

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What type of technology is required to do this job? 

# data[].attributes.subject
What type of technology is required to do this job? 

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Nurses must be able to use most technology like x rays, computers, copiers, printers, and something known as monitoring technology which can information on heart rates, blood pressure, and other vital signs

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-Taking vitals( Blood pressure, height, weight and heart rate)
-Inserting IVs
-Taking blood
-Preparing patients for medical procedures

-Working through emotions
-Multi-tasking
-Flexibility
-Time Management Skills
-Team Working Skills
-Empathy

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Clinical skills

Composure in stressful situations

Working through emotions

Being assertive

Flexibility

Multi-tasking

Time management

Interpersonal skills

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What is the Job outlook for the future? What is the salary range for local persons in the career you chose?

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What is the Job outlook for the future? What is the salary range for local persons in the career you chose?

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The median average pay for nurses is $77,600 per year or $37.31 per hour!
The job outlook from 2021-2031 is 6% (As fast as average)

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Nurse Salary

How much do nurses make? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median average pay for nurses is $77,600 per year or $37.31 per hour. But that's just an average across nurses with different kinds of degrees, experience, specialties, locations, and oh, so many more factors.

In order to shed some light on this, we asked the Nurse.org community to weigh in. 3,000 U.S. nurses answered our salary survey, sharing where they are in their nursing careers, how much they make, and a number of factors that contribute to what they earn.

Nurse Salary by State

An important consideration when talking about nursing income is to consider the state and city where you work. Some cities and states pay considerably less than others, and that is often also determined by the cost of living in that particular area.

State

CNA Salary

LPN Salary

RN Salary

NP Salary

CNM Salary

CRNA Salary

Source: May 2021 BLS National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Median Nurse Salary by State
>> Click to See the Highest Paying Jobs for Nurses in 2022

Nurse Salary by Career Type

At a high level, the biggest factor impacting your salary as a nurse will likely be the type of nursing career you hold. For instance, a more entry-level role like a CNA will earn a lot less than an advanced practice registered nurse like a nurse practitioner or a CRNA.

Nursing Career Median Annual RN Salary

Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)

$30,290

Licensed Practical Nurse/ Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)

$48,070

Registered Nurse (RN)

$77,600

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

$123,780

Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)

$112,830

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)

$195,610

Nursing Instructors

$77,440

Source: May 2021 BLS National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Which Nurses Get Paid the Most?

If you're starting out in nursing or looking to advance your career, you're probably curious to know which types of nurses earn the most money. Not all nursing careers are paid equally! Below are the top 5 paying nursing careers, but you can check out the full list of highest paying nursing jobs.

1. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist - $183,580

2. Certified Nurse Midwife - $115,540

3. Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - $112,196

4. General Nurse Practitioner - $111,680

5. Clinical Nurse Specialist - $111,215

Registered Nurse Salary by Degree

Another big factor in how much you make as a nurse is what degree or certification you hold.

ADN vs BSN Salary

While the BLS doesn't differentiate between nurses who've earned an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) versus those who've earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), what degree you have DOES impact how much you can make!

Amongst the ADN- and BSN-prepared nurses we polled, we found that BSN nurses were earning, on average, $3.89 more per hour than ADNs!³

Masters Degree in Nursing (MSN) Salary

Nurses with a master's degree have an opportunity to earn significantly more money in their careers. Across the MSN nurses we polled, the average hourly pay was $52.61 and the average annual salary was $131,309.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for masters-educated nurses is $123,780 per year or $59.51 per hour.

Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) & Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD in Nursing) Salaries

DNPs and PhDs in nursing have the highest level of nursing education. According to Payscale, nurses with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree earned an average base salary of $107K as of June 3, 2022.

RN Salary by Years of Experience

Nurses across the board start their careers with a lower-paying salary than a more experienced RN. Amongst the nurses we polled, the average hourly wage for new nurses was $29.04.

As a novice nurse gains on-the-job experience, they will also move up in pay accordingly. Hourly pay increased by years of experience in all the nurses we talked to, with the average salary for a nurse with 20+ years on the job coming in at $41.14 -- $12.10 more per hour than a nurse at the start of their career! ₄

While specialty, degree, where you work, and a number of other factors, certainly play a role in how much you make, experience will always be a factor.
>> Related: Nurse Starting Salary Guide
Nurse Salary by Gender

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that 13.3% of registered nurses are men, a considerable increase from 2.7% in the 1970s.

Interestingly though, even though nursing is still a mostly female-dominated profession, there is evidence that male nurses are earning more than female nurses for the same work - even when controlling for differences in career trajectory and on-the-job experience.

One study from the University of California San Francisco found that male nurses were earning about $5,000 a year than their female counterparts in the same job.

Our own study confirmed this finding, with male nurses who responded to our survey reporting earning an average of $2.73 per hour more than their female counterparts. ₅

Per Diem vs Contract Nurse Salary

As a nurse, your hours aren't always cut and dry. In addition to full-time versus part-time options, nurses can also work per diem or on a contract basis.

Per Diem Nursing: Per diem literally means "by the day," which makes sense as these are nurses who work on call. They get to pick their schedule and don't have to meet minimum shift requirements.

4% of nurses we interviewed reported working per diem.

Contract Nursing: Contract nursing is similar to per diem nursing, except you'll work a set amount of hours for the duration of your contract with a hospital or facility. This will guarantee you the stability of full-time hours and benefits, but you may have to work weekends or holidays and you have less flexibility than a per-diem nurse.

Amongst our polled nurses, contract nursing was as popular as per-diem nursing with 4% reporting working as contract nurses. ₆

RN Salaries by Specialty

RN salaries also vary based on your specialty. According to the nurses we polled, the highest paying specialty was the OR, where nurses earned, on average, $51.47 per hour. The next two highest-paying were Endoscopy at $43.68 hourly and ICU at $43.15 hourly. ₇

How Do Nurses Get Paid?

Nurses get paid either an hourly rate or an annual salary. Our survey found that most nurses are being paid hourly.¹

What Kinds of Nurses Get Paid Hourly?

In general, nurses who work in direct patient care areas are paid an hourly wage. This includes ADN, BSN, MSN, NP, and DNP nurses.

For example, if a patient care RN earns an hourly wage of $50 an hour, and they work 12-hour shifts, they will make $50 x 12 = $600 per shift.

What Kinds of Nurses Get Paid a Salary?

Nurses who move into administrative roles, however, are usually paid a salary. This means that they are paid a pre-arranged, fixed amount of money by the institution where they are employed.

For example, if an RN makes a salary of $80,000 per year to work as a Unit Director for an Intensive Care Unit, they can divide their total yearly salary by 12 months to figure out how much money they can expect to receive each month (which comes out to $6,666 per month).

In these circumstances, the total number of hours worked is not the most important factor. However, the expectation is still that they are putting in full-time hours in the workplace.

In addition to a salary, some RN hospital administrators are often also incentivized with end-of-year bonuses in addition to their salaries.

Show Me Nursing Programs

Additional Compensation for Nurses

For nurses, the base salary is just the beginning. 96% of nurses responded that they earned some form of additional compensation.² This can be achieved in a number of ways including overtime, shift differentials, stipends for associated nursing expenses or bonuses.

Overtime

The most common form of additional compensation is overtime, with 34% of the nurses we polled reporting that they receive it.
What is Overtime Pay?
Overtime pay refers to hours that are worked by a nurse that exceed their normal weekly scheduled working hours. Full-time for nurses is usually 36-40 hours per week. Anything over that is "overtime."
How Much is Overtime Pay for Nurses?
Most institutions will offer time-and-a-half or double-time pay for overtime or holiday hours. So a nurse making $50 would make $75 or $100 an hour for each overtime hour worked.

That is also one of the reasons that some nurses want to work on holidays such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. They have an opportunity to increase their paychecks by working the same amount of hours as they usually would.

Shift Differentials

Getting paid more for shift differentials is also common. 24% of the nurses we talked to said they got additional money for this.
What is a Shift Differential?
A shift differential is additional per hour compensation for nurses who work shifts considered to be less desirable to work, such as mid-shifts, graveyard shifts, or weekend shifts.

A shift differential can also help encourage nurses to work these shifts and ensure adequate staffing. In many cases, nurses will work a certain number of weekend or night shifts anyway. Still, the shift differential helps nurses feel more appreciated for working hours that they wouldn't have chosen to work themselves. It can also help with nurse retention in some cases.
How Much is a Shift Differential?
A shift differential may be anywhere from $2 to $8 per hour, which can add to a significant increase in pay at the end of a shift.

Some nurses who have worked the night shift for many years are hesitant to move into day shifts because they do not want the pay cut that they would take by switching to non-differential day shift hours.

Bonuses

Bonuses were less common, with 11% of nurses reporting that they receive bonuses.
What are Bonuses?
Bonuses can be earned at the end of the year, or for other reasons such as accreditation, retention, picked up shifts, specialties, performance and even COVID-19.

In some cases, administrative RNs are incentivized through end-of-year bonuses to find ways to save the hospital money by switching to less expensive products, lowering hospital infection rates, increasing patient satisfaction scores, or improving patient outcomes in some way.

Each institution sets their bonuses differently depending on what financial and patient care goals they are striving to reach.

Show Me Nursing Programs

Negotiating as a Nurse: Real Nurses Share their Advice

Many nurses wonder about whether or not they should be negotiating their salary and it's especially hard for new nurses to know how to navigate this. That's why we asked our community of nurses to weigh in. Here's what you had to say:

1. ALWAYS Negotiate

@ wholelifenurse

"1. Understand the answer is always no if you don't ask.

2. Recruiters will always tell you they go by a grid or pay scale and they can't negotiate (lies - everything is negotiable). If you can present value that you bring to the table that benefits them ESPECIALLY value and evidence that you can save them money, you have leverage for what you want.

3. Know the market

4. Having other offers on the table from local hospitals can get you the number you need.

5. Have a folder of "evidence" -remember in a negotiation you're a lawyer trying to win your case - prove you're worth the number you're asking for.

6. You can negotiate more than just pay....so yes you can negotiate at a union (also all unions are treated differently).

7. Realize that you are working alongside people with the same experience who are making more money than you hourly simply because they asked....ALWAYS negotiate! ❤️ "

2. Be Prepared to Walk Away

@ jhessc

"Be mentally prepared to quit if need be... I negotiated for a raise after I won a state safety award (from a nomination from our medical director), did charge, tech, precept, pick up shifts etc. i hadn't gotten a decent raise for 5 years. They said no. So I quit and got a job that paid me my worth. 🤷🏾‍♀️"

3. Know Your Worth

@ nurse_haskins

"1. ALWAYS be ready to NEGOTIATE your WORTH' meaning "WHY YOU ARE WORTH MORE" whether it's your credentials, years of experience, contributions to the organization ( past/resume), skillset, certifications, etc......

2. ALWAYS be READY to SHOWCASE who you are❤️ YES you can brag on YOURSELF 💛 you've worked hard and you should be proud, explaining professionally; Why THEY need YOU and what you have to bring to the table!!"

4. They Expect You to Negotiate

@ danawarner00

"First managment / HR is trained and taught to do interview questions and one of the questions that they are always told to be prepared to answer is negotiating pay raise. They should always be aware that anyone doing an interview can ask for it, and when someone asks they just need to hear a good reason as to why you need it. That's it. They should say yes if they hear a good reason or that you bring something to the table (experience, degree, certification, etc). You can always tell them your worth and that if you were to work there you would not be happy with the pay you could leave ... so you need initiative to stay for a while and your worth is high due to experience, degree, etc."

5. Don't Give Up!

@ Nurseboss721

"mention your worth, work ethics, and pervious offers from other employers. Continue to negotiate until you get what your worth. It works for me, I'm always ready to negotiate with anyone👊🏾"

Get That Money

Nurse salaries vary based on a lot of different factors but there are a ton of ways to make more money as a nurse. As long as you are willing to work hard and learn, you'll be able to find ways to keep increasing your salary year over year.

FAQs

Curious about what other healthcare professions pay? Check out these salary guides:

1. How are Nurses Paid? 533 answered, "I'm paid an annual salary." 2278 answered, "I'm paid hourly."

2. 407 of 422 nurses responded yes to the question "Do you earn any additional compensation? Overtime, bonuses, etc.? 143 said they receive overtime pay, 103 said they receive shift differential pay, 48 said they receive bonuses, 16 said they receive compensation for nursing expenses, and 15 said they receive no additional compensation.

3. Across 436 ADNs polled, their average hourly pay was $37.09. Across 572 BSNs polled, their average hourly pay was $39.33. Across 121 MSNs polled, their average hourly pay was $52.61 and their average annual salary was $131,309. Across 64 diploma RNs, the average pay was $37.53 per hour.

4. Salaries were based on 1653 respondents who gave their years of experience.

5. Salaries were based on 1306 female respondents and 162 male respondents.

6. 2,812 nurses responded to the question "Do you work full time, part-time, per diem or contract?"

7. Salaries were based on 1,020 nurses who gave their specialty and salary earned.

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How much do nurses make? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median average pay for nurses is $77,600 per year or $37.31 per hour. But that's just an average across nurses with different kinds of degrees, experience, specialties, locations, and oh, so many more factors.

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Does someone in this field need continuing education to maintain their certification?  And is it different for different states/ countries?

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Does someone in this field need continuing education to maintain their certification?  And is it different for different states/ countries?

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Yes, even as an RN we are required to continue our education each year to maintain our licenses. We take CEUS or Continuing Education Units. They reflect the time spent participating in educational courses or approved activities. One CEU is equal to 10 hours of instruction! In most states, we all are required to the same continuing education.(https://nurse.org/resources/continuing-education/#:~:text=CNE%20is%20Continuing%20Nursing%20Education,to%2010%20hours%20of%20instruction.)

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Becoming a nursing professional (whether it's an LPN, RN, or advanced nurse practitioner) requires a strong educational foundation. Most nurses earn a bachelor's or advanced degree and pass the required certification exams before ever seeing their first patient. But once you've put on your scrubs and entered the working world, the learning doesn't stop.

In fact, most states require nurses to complete some form of continuing education every two to three years as a condition of licensure. Even if your state board does not require any education for continuing competence for renewal, you may still be required by your employer or nursing association for job-specific certifications (i.e., nursing specialties, magnet hospitals, etc.). Specialty certifications such as medical-surgical, critical care, neonatal, etc. have specific requirements for continuing education. Make sure to check with your own hospital and any associations to which you may belong to find out if you have further requirements above and beyond that of your state nursing board.

This guide will walk you through what you need to know about Continuing Education (CE) and the specific requirements for your state and type of license.

Let's start with a quick explanation of what all those acronyms mean since you might be wondering if those terms can be used interchangeably.

CE stands for Continuing Education. Most licensed professions require some form of continuing education.

CNE is Continuing Nursing Education and refers to courses specifically for nursing professionals.

CEUS or Continuing Education Units are also known as Continuing Education Credits. They reflect the time spent participating in educational courses or approved activities. One CEU is equal to 10 hours of instruction. The hours of instruction are called 'contact hours'. *

* Contact hours refer to the stated amount of time an individual is present during a course. One contact hour can equal 50-60 minutes of class time depending on the state.

Some states expect some portion of your continuing education to be on specific topics. The remaining hours can often be decided by you.

For instance, in New York, nurses must take an Identifying and Reporting Child Abuse course and an Infection Control course as part of their hours. In Michigan, one hour of Pain Management education must be completed.

The other thing to keep in mind is that CEUs must be earned within a specific renewal period as identified by your state. So if you need to earn a certain number of CEUs every two years, you can't double up and apply extra hours to the following two years. They do not carry over.

Continuing education requirements to maintain certification status through a professional association are usually separate from the state board's requirements. In order for licensed nurses to maintain their certification status, most certifying organizations require that a portion of their CE program requirements receive approval through a specific peer review process. Check with the organization that provides your certification for additional information.

Nursing CE Requirements by State

ALASKA

Every 2 years: 2 of the 3 are required for license renewal: 30 contact hours, OR 30 hours professional nursing activities, OR 320 hours nursing employment.

At least 30 contact hours of continuing education, including 15 contact hours of education in advanced pharmacology and clinical management of drug therapy. If you hold a current DEA registration, 2 hours of education in pain
management and opioid use and addiction in the two year renewal period
is required.

Every 2 years: two of the following three are required for license renewal: 30 contact hours, OR 30 hours professional nursing activities, OR 320 hours nursing employment.

LOUISIANA

A minimum of 30 hours OR a minimum of 900 practice hours every two years

Every year 30 hours at the advanced level and directly related to the full
scope of the advanced practice role and population focus for APRN whose
role and population focus does not provide for
certification/recertification and 6 hours in pharmacotherapeutics for APRN with prescriptive authority

Based on employment: 5 contact hours (full-time nursing practice), 10 contact hours (part-time nursing practice), or 15 contact hours (not employed or worked less than 160 hours).

NEBRASKA

20 contact hours every 2 years, plus 500 practice hours every 5 years.

40 hours of continuing education in clinical specialty area for APRN-NP licensed more than two years including 10 must be in pharmacotherapeutics

"20 contact hours within the last renewal period. Must be related
to the practice of nursing. At least 10 of the 20 hours must be formally
peer reviewed and approved continuing education. Up to 4 hours may be
CPR or BLS courses"

NORTH CAROLINA

One of the following every two years: 15 contact hours and 640 hours of active practice, OR National certification or re-certification, OR 30 contact hours, OR completion of refresher course. Completion 2 semester hours of post-licensure academic education, OR 15 contact hours plus various other nursing-related activities.

50 hours of continuing education every year including 1 hour on controlled substance prescribing practices, signs of theabuse or misuse of controlled substances, and controlled substance prescribing for chronic pain management for nurse practitioners who
prescribe controlled substances.

One of the following every two years: 15 contact hours and 640 hours of active practice, OR National certification or re-certification, OR 30 contact hours, OR completion of refresher course. Completion 2 semester hours of post-licensure academic education, OR 15 contact hours plus various other nursing-related activities.See website for further details

PENNSYLVANIA

30 contact hours every two years including mandatory child abuse course.

30 contact hours every two years. 4 hours of Board-approved education consisting of 2 hours in pain
management or the identification of addiction and 2 hours in the
practices of prescribing or dispensing of opioids for CRNP with
prescriptive authority

No CE Required.

TENNESSEE

5 contact hours every year for practicing nurses. Must be accompanied by two documents verifying competence or 10 contact hours annually for those not practicing and one additional document verifying competence

Every two years - 5 hours of continuing education (10 hours if not currently practicing) and 2 hours of continuing education to address controlled substance
prescribing practices, including the Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines,
for APRN with Certificate of Fitness

5 contact hours for practicing nurses accompanied by two documents verifying competence or 10 contact hours for those not practicing and one additional document verifying competence

TEXAS

20 contact hours every 2 years. Mandatory CE requirements including
Forensic Evidence Collection for Nurses and Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics for Texas Nurses

20 contact hours every 2 years. Several mandatory CE requirements such as Nursing Jurisprudence, Ethics, Geriatric Care, and Forensic Collection. 2 contact hours related to geriatric care for those who work with older adults and 5 hours in pharmacotherapeutics for APRN with prescriptive authority.

20 contact hours every 2 years. Several mandatory CE requirements such as Nursing Jurisprudence, Ethics, Geriatric Care, and Forensic Collection

As mentioned briefly in Part One, CEUs refer to a unit of credit equal to 10 hours of participation in an educational course or approved activity. The key here is choosing approved or accredited programs. In order for a CEU to count toward your required hours, it must be administered by an approved CE provider. Usually, if it's nursing CE coursework from a college or university or a nursing school, you should have no issues with having such credits approved. However, the study hours must be related to nursing in some way, so taking a liberal arts course, for example, wouldn't count.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) is the organization that sets the standards for nursing board certification and is recognized by all state boards of nursing. Taking ANCC-approved courses not only boosts your earning potential, it also ensures that you're able to stay on top of the latest advances in the profession and provide your patients with the best care.

Directory of State Nursing Boards

State

State Board Homepage

Phone

With a busy nursing work schedule, fitting in CNE might seem like quite the challenge. However, you generally have a reasonable period of time to complete your requirements, so you can space out the hours in a manageable way.

If you're employed by a large hospital and are part of a union, it's quite possible that your employer will offer free continuing education courses at your facility. Check with your employer to see if any such opportunities are offered.

If you're completing your CEUs independently, there are many options for completing CE hours online or at your own pace. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Commission on Nurse Certification lists nationally accredited CE providers on its website.

Fun Ways to Complete Your CEUs

Before you start dreading the idea of having to take classes for the rest of your career, you should know that CE classes can also be a lot of fun. Some smart nurses combine their CE hours with their vacations in order to get the most out of the time they spend away from the hospital. There are also a handful of CE providers that offer their CE seminars in the form of cruises or tropical getaways.

Seminars and other professional development events are also a great way to network or scope out travel nursing locations and opportunities.

Again, just be sure to double check with your state board before you sign up for courses from an unfamiliar provider. The few minutes it will take to confirm that a course is accepted is worth the time and money you save on one that doesn't count towards fulfilling your CE requirement.

Large hospitals and unions know that it is in their best interests to make sure their nurses are up-to-date on the latest therapies and technologies. Therefore, your employer may pay to send you to conferences and training sessions that can help fulfill your CEU requirements. Check with your employer to see if these benefits are offered.

Even if your hospital does not pay for your CEUs, they can usually be completed without having to spend a large sum of money. Some hours can be completed at no cost, or for nominal fees (under $50). Some providers offer the option to pay a flat fee to take as many courses as you'd like.

Remember though, you often get what you pay for and many of the best learning experiences can be expensive. It should be noted that no matter how much you spend, CEUs can usually be written off as a tax-deduction when you file your tax returns. See IRS Publication 970 for detailed information on claiming this deduction.

In the end, if you're still having trouble getting funding for a continuing education course, consider applying for various continuing education or professional development scholarships.

After completing CE hours, you want to be sure that your time and effort will be recorded properly. Usually, the provider will give you a certificate of attendance. If it's done online, you will likely receive an electronic notification that you completed the course, but you can request a hard copy as well. In most cases, the acronym BRN should appear on the completion certificate, signifying that it is an approved "Board of Registered Nursing" continuing education provider.

Be sure to keep paperwork or digital copies of your CE completion records for a few years in case your credentials are ever audited.

Keeping your RN and specialty nursing licenses up to date is something that all nurses have to do in order to keep working in the field. However, don't overlook the other benefits that CEUs can provide, namely staying on the cutting edge of new innovations in the industry so you can thrive professionally. In other words, choose your CE hours carefully so that you can get the most out of the experience, whether it's networking with fellow RNs at a conference or learning a new skill that can be directly applied in your day-to-day job.

How many continuing education credits do nurses need?

The exact number of continuing education credits (CEUs) is specific on the state of licensure. For those that hold a compact license, the number of hours is based on the state of primary residence. Some states require specific courses as part of the CEUs. For example, Michigan requires one hour of Pain Management education.

How do nurses get continuing education credits?

CEUs can be obtained through a variety of ways including from a nurse's employer. CEUs are generally offered online for a small nominal fee. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Commission on Nurse Certification lists nationally accredited CE providers on their websites.

How do nurses check their CEU hours?

It is important for nurses to maintain a record of their CEU hours. Nurses will often have to report these hours to their place of employment. Individual state boards of nursing will often audit nursing licenses on a regular basis. During renewal, individuals are certifying that the required CEUs were completed.

Why is it important for nurses to be lifelong learners?

Healthcare is an ever-changing field and there are always new policies and procedures based on evidence-based research. Through CEUs, nurses are able to stay up to date on relevant information to the profession.

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Becoming a nursing professional (whether it's an LPN, RN, or advanced nurse practitioner) requires a strong educational foundation. Most nurses earn a bachelor's or advanced degree and pass the required certification exams before ever seeing their first patient. But once you've put on your scrubs and entered the working world, the learning doesn't stop.

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2 Universities/ Colleges that provide education for this field

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2 Universities/ Colleges that provide education for this field

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Another amazing school with an amazing nursing program is Columbia University!

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Columbia University in the City of New York

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Double Discovery Center works with low-income and first-generation college-bound youth in New York City to ensure high school and college graduation.

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2 Universities/ Colleges that provide education for this field

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2 Universities/ Colleges that provide education for this field

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Johns Hopkins University is one of the best schools to become a nurse

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Johns Hopkins, founded in 1876, is America's first research university and home to nine world-class academic divisions working together as one university

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Did you change your mind about the career you chose after researching it? Why.

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Did you change your mind about the career you chose after researching it? Why.

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Not at all! I've always loved helping those around me who need it. I's been my dream since I was little to work in a big hospital and help those around who can't help themselves