Nurses need continuing education units to maintain their licenses. Hospitals, professional nursing organizations and large private practices hold educational conferences for nurses in order for them to receive CEUs. Another way nurses can keep up with their continuing education needs is to attend activities that award continuing medical education credits to doctors. Nurses can usually get certificates from participating in these activities and present them to their state board of nursing for credit. CME credit comes in two categories, but most certifying bodies count only Category 1 credit; you will see the type of credit specified on conference or activity brochures or materials. Each Category 1 CME credit translates into one-tenth of a nursing CEU.
The American Medical Association manages this system as a way to sanction various continuing education activities such as hospital grand rounds, online learning and medical conferences. It awards one CME credit for every hour spent at these activities.
Instructions
1. Contact the CME provider for the activity you attended. This information is available on any of the activity materials, ranging from websites to brochures to the actual syllabus materials provided at the activity. Inform the provider's staff that you are a nurse and need a non-physician certificate of attendance for CEU purposes. These certificates specify that the activity you attended received a specific number of AMA Category 1 CME credits. Most providers give certificates automatically to all activity participants; some require that attendees complete an evaluation form and certificate request to receive a certificate. Check with the provider for specific details.
2. Convert the number of AMA Category 1 CME credits indicated on the certificate to nursing CEUs by dividing by 10. Providers calculate AMA CME credits on an hour-for-hour basis; therefore, six hours spent in an activity will earn six CME credits. However, nurses earn CEUs at a rate of 0.1 CEU for every hour spent in an activity-- so time spent in a six-hour activity will earn 0.6 CEU.
3. Locate your state board of nursing (see link in Reference section) and make sure it provides reciprocal credit for attendance at activities that receive AMA Category 1 CME credits. Although most state boards of nursing accept AMA CMEs, some require special forms to document attendance. Others just require that you have a non-physician certificate of attendance.
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