It’s that time of the year again and you need to renew your nursing license. 

Maybe this is your first year having to renew, (for all the newer nurses), or like many, you have a deadline at the end of the month to renew. Who wants to pay hundreds of dollars just to meet the education renewal requirements for your nursing license? If you’re a travel nurse, in between assignments, or your health facility doesn’t offer education courses, don’t worry! Finding cheap and easy continuing nursing education (CNEs) can be a dread, but this article will show you the best sites for free and easy accredited CNEs.

FAQ:

But first, let’s address some commonly asked questions.

Q1. What is a CEU vs CE vs CNE?

Q2. What type of education is approved?

CNEs must be approved by a credentialed agency or provider to be recognized by the state’s nursing board because these credentialed agencies and providers have met national requirements. These include:

• American Nursing Associations (For example, The American Nurses Association- ANA)
• Colleges and Universities in the United States of America
• National Associations for Nurses (For example, The National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service) 
• State Boards of Nursing

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as apart of the ANA is the accreditation program for nursing education.

Q3. How do I find my state’s requirements for renewal?

Each state has different educational requirements for license renewal. For example, some states require a certain amount of CEs over a certain amount of time while other states may not have any CE requirements. 

So if you’re original license according to the 2024 state requirements is in:

Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, South Dakota, Vermont, or Wisconsin then NO CEs are required for renewal. Nice, right?!

Keep in mind that even if you have a multistate license, also known as a compact license, you must meet the requirements for the license in your home state/state that you received your license.

Specific State Guidelines:

If you want to find your state’s specific requirements click here for the latest 2024 state requirements or refer to your specific states’ boards of nursing website. 

Best Free and Easy CNE Sites for Nurses:

This list provides the best free and easiest sites for nursing CEUs/CEs. Each site offers free nursing courses approved and accredited to meet educational requirements. At the most, you may have to create a free account to access, complete, and receive the CNE/CEU/CE certificate. Many of the sites offer quick and easy CNEs (some without tests involved). Here are the top free and easiest sites for nursing CEUs/CEs.

2. Medscape

3. Medline University

4. Intiva Health

5. Gotoper

6. myCME

7. American Nurses Association

8. Nurse CEU.com

Other Resources:

9. Your Health Employer

• If you’re employed with a health facility or agency, many of the employer’s required onboarding or ongoing education will help meet your CE requirements for state renewal. Take a look at your completed courses and see which ones are approved CNEs.
• You can also ask your health facility’s education department or reach out to management and take advantage of the FREE courses offered through your employer!
• If your employer has a membership with UptoDate, through their subscription you can access additional free CEs. 

10. Nursing Organization Membership

• If you’re a member of a nursing organization then you may have access to free courses through your membership.

11. Look at your current nursing certifications- Professional Development

• Certifications and courses offered by approved nursing organizations will satisfy continuing education requirements. These voluntary certifications may be provided by your employer for a free, reduced, or reimbursed cost and can be a great way to advance your career while also meeting your continuing nursing education requirements.
• For example:
  • Nurses in critical care can obtain their TNCC and ENPC through the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) or ACLS and PALS through the American Heart Association (AHA) which count as CNEs. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, feel empowered to access free sites for continuing nursing education and avoid paying hundreds of dollars just to renew your license. Nurses are one of the most giving professions and its nice that there are places that give you free resources. So, jumpstart your continuing education journey with these free and easy sites. Always refer to your state’s Board of Nursing website for specific updates to your renewal requirements. As a pro-tip keep a copy of your CNE certificates and transcripts for your record if you’re audited. Happy learning! 

Comment below on your experiences with these sites. 

These resources were reviewed in April 2024 and are subject to change based on each site’s specific revisions. Contact me if there are changes so that this article provides the most updated resources. Thanks!