by Heather Colley

Created on: August 17, 2009

After working hard for two years for your associate degree in nursing or four years for your bachelor degree of nursing, you would think that your educational days would be behind you. But no, you still have to study for and take the examination for your nursing boards, to ensure that you did indeed learn something at college.

After boards, your education is still not complete. It is impossible to cram everything you must know into your college years, so most states require for you to take a specific number of hours each year or every two years toward your continuing education. Each state has a different requirement, so make sure you read up on what your state specifies. These hours are to be documented and filed away, in case your nursing board ever requires you to surrender proof.

If you have two years to complete the coursework, don't wait until the last minute to do it. As soon as January 1 rolls around, start looking for classes to take. You don't know what the future holds, and you might not have the time to complete the required hours.

If you aren't consistently learning, you aren't consistently growing as a nurse. You need to keep an open and willing mind and learn everything you can. This will make you a better nurse, and greatly appreciated by your patients.

If the class you are taking doesn't state that it is approved by your State Nursing Board, then you will need to call and make sure it is. It is a waste of time and money to take a class, only to find out that your State Board will not accept it.

You are usually required to pay a fee to update your license. Again, this is different for each state, so you will need to review the necessary fees.

Several states are now allowing you to go online to renew your license. You will need to answer several questions about your employer and how many hours you have worked.

Continuing education classes can be found in various formats. You can take classes at your local hospital, or take classes from various agencies that mail the coursework to your home. Another option increasing in popularity is going online. There are several websites that offer classes for free or a nominal fee. Two such sites are www.nursezone.com and www.medscape.com. After taking the class, you may download and print your certificate of completion. If you would prefer to take coursework that relate to your nursing practice, then you can go to www.google.com and using words that relate to your line of work in the search engine, you can find several websites that can help.

Of course, one excellent way to get your hours would be to return to college and further your career. If you have your associate of science in nursing (ASN), then work toward your bachelor degree (BSN). You can also get your Master's or even a Ph.D.

Remember, no matter how high the degree, you will always be required to do your continuing education.

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