Nurses take continuing education courses to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
Some states require nurses to complete continuing education credits during each license renewal cycle to keep their licenses in good standing. Some continuing education courses require students to complete tests at the end of each module or at the end of each course. If you want to pursue continuing education credits without taking assessment tests, try no-test continuing education for nurses.
Types
Licensing bodies grant continuing education credits for attending nursing seminars, presenting a lecture or poster at a conference, attending nursing workshops or publishing a paper in a nursing journal. None of these continuing education options requires nurses to complete a test to receive credits. Since each state has different continuing education requirements, check with your state nursing board to determine the acceptable types of continuing education units in your state.
Features
Courses that do not require testing may involve group participation or independent study. Group participation at workshops and seminars involves learning about health care and nursing in a professional environment. In addition to learning new skills and updating your health knowledge, you will have the opportunity to meet other nurses and network in a professional manner.
Independent study continuing education courses allow busy nurses to complete their required education units without traveling and spending time at group events. Some states limit the amount of independent study CEUs awarded to nurses. For example, Alabama only allows nurses to complete 12 of the 24 required CEUs independently, according to Nurse.com.
Benefits
This type of continuing education allows nurses to meet their requirements without the anxiety of test-taking. Nurses with learning disabilities that affect their test-taking abilities also benefit from no-test continuing education opportunities. Participating in some forms of no-test continuing education also gives busy nurses scheduling flexibility in completing the requirements to renew their licenses.
Disadvantages
Tests are a measurement of how well a nurse understands and remembers the material in a continuing education course. Without the test component, nurses may have difficulty recalling the information. Performing well on tests requires nurses to take good notes and study for exams. Without testing, participants may not pay close attention to the material, reducing the effectiveness of the educational opportunity.
Tips
Select an education opportunity that best fits your skills. If public speaking makes you nervous, try attending a nursing seminar or workshop. If you have strong writing skills, research and publish a paper in a nursing journal. Keep detailed records on the continuing education units you complete. If your state licensing board audits your continuing education, you must provide receipts, course manuals or other documents to prove that you completed the required units. The New Jersey Board of Nursing, for example, requires nurses to keep certificates of completion, copies of published articles, and copies of research study materials for four years after completing each continuing education opportunity.
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