Which States Require Continuing Education for Nurses?

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Continuing medical education (CME) helps nurses and medical professionals stay updated on the developments in the industry. It also enhances their skills and knowledge to provide better service to patients.

In America, not all states require a nurse practitioner continuing education. However, the association that you are a member of may require further studies as a requirement to continue your membership.

If the state should require a CME or some continuing education credits, you need to complete the topics within the specified period, which is from one to three years.

While there are nearly four million nurses in the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics still projects a shortage in the future. The country needs an additional 1.1 million new nurses to avert this looming tragedy.

However, you should make a distinction between a working nurse and a quality labor force. A nurse should be competent because the stakes are very high. The nurses work alongside the doctor to give optimum patient care.

Doctors are also required to undergo a CME, and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the American Osteopathic Association oversee the whole process.

States that Oblige Nursing Practitioners to Finish CME

Most states require that nurses must finish the CME program within a specific period. The length of time you need to learn the topics depend upon the state.

According to Nurse.org, only 11 areas do not require nurses to pursue continuing education. They are:

  1. Arizona
  2. Colorado
  3. Connecticut
  4. Idaho
  5. Maine
  6. Maryland
  7. Mississippi
  8. Missouri
  9. South Dakota
  10. Vermont
  11. Wisconsin

What Topics Are You Obliged to Study?

The nurse practitioner continuing education topics depends on the needs of the state. The government compels nurses to earn credits for these particular topics. After meeting this minimum criterion, they are free to choose which subjects they want to learn more about.

If you are practising in New York, you need to finish three contact hours on the topic of infection control in four years. After four years, you will need to start over again and comply with the three-hour requirement. Before you can secure your license, you also need to finish two contact hours on child abuse.

In Nevada, you are required to finish the bioterrorism course, along with the 30 contact hours of CME every 24 months.

In Iowa, you need to attend child abuse classes, as well as dependence and counselling, on top of the 36 contact hours of CME within 36 months. In Oregon, you need to finish a course that is prepared by the Oregon Pain Management Commission. The course is good for seven hours, and you do not need to attend additional classes to renew your license.

If you live in Arkansas, you can skip classes if you hold a certification recognized nationally, or if you maintain a 2.0 grade average in nursing college.

In West Virginia, you need to finish 12 hours of CME every year. The state also requires that you complete classes on mental health conditions, drug diversion, rehabilitation, and controlled substances. It is understandable considering the opioid crisis that grips the state. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, West Virginia has a death rate of 27.8 per 100,000 population.

About the Author

Kevin Adams is a blogger and content writer who help businesses to efficiently operate.

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