8 Free Nursing CEUs in California You Can Take Online

It can get frustrating.

As a nurse, you have a very busy schedule and not a lot of cash to spare.

But you’re expected to complete at least 30 CEUs every two years in California!

So where do you squeeze in those hours in an already hectic schedule? And where do you find the extra money to pay for these courses?

Well, we’ve come up with the perfect solution for you:

Take FREE nursing CEUs ONLINE at your own time and pace!

To help you out, we’ve come up with a list of 8 free nursing CEUs in California that you can take online.

And these aren’t random courses either.

Everything on our list is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

After that, we’ll also answer frequently asked questions about CEUs in California.

So let’s dive right in!

Can You Take Free Nursing CEUs in California?

You might be wondering, “Can free online nursing courses really count for CEUs in California?”

Yes!

The great thing is that the California BRN accepts CEUs that are done at home and independently.

According to them, “There is no limit to the number of contact hours that can be completed through independent or home study courses.”

But you have to be selective.

Only online courses that are approved by the California BRN will count for CEUs. You know that a course is approved if the provider has a CEP number from the BRN.

This is why it can get a little harder for California RNs to find free CEUs.

Unlike California, most of the other states accept any course accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This gives them more options and an easier time finding free CEUs.

But don’t worry! We’ve done the research and compiled a list of 8 free nursing CEUs in California you can take online.

But you have to be smart about it!

Strictly speaking, there are no CEUs that are ENTIRELY free.

There’s always a catch.

The sites that offer free CEUs are just giving you a taste of their online courses so that you will be interested enough to purchase a package or individual courses.

Each site usually only offers about 2-3 free CEUs (although some offer a lot more).

And it’s not too expensive to get a full package.

But if you’re broke, there’s a funny way you can get all your CEUs for a renewal period without spending a single dollar.

If you combine the free CEUs from our list of providers, you’ll be able to get 34 contact hours!

Of course, it’s a bit hassle.

You’ll have to be willing to register on all these different sites.

And you have to make sure that the free courses are not too similar since courses that have the same content and objectives will only be counted as one.

You should also make sure the courses are relevant to your practice.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into our list!

8 Free Online Nursing CEUs in California

These are the 8 sites you can go to for free nursing CEUs approved by the California BRN:

Let’s discuss each one.

Nurse.com

Nurse.com offers a wide variety of courses for nurses with different specialties and care settings.

Their courses are approved by the California BRN (CEP#13791) and the ANCC.

Some of their paid packages include Unlimited CE Subscriptions and State Renewal Packages.

But the great thing is that they also offer many free courses.

You may have to take a multiple-choice exam for some of these courses. You should get a score of 75% or higher to earn contact hours for these courses. But you can retake the test as many times as you want.

Nursing CE

NursingCE.com is an online resource that helps nurses with different specialties meet the CE requirements of their state.

Their courses are approved by the California BRN (CEP#17383) and the ANCC.

You can purchase state and specialty packages, but they also offer a few free courses.

Although, currently, they only have 3 free courses, they will be adding more free courses regularly.

After you score 80% or higher on the posttest of a course, you can download your certificate.

Nursing CE Central

Nursing CE Central offers fast and easy courses that count for CEUs.

They are approved by the California BRN (CEP#17418) and the ANCC.

They offer renewal bundles per state as well as individual courses on varied topics.

They also offer a 14-day free trial with 3 free trial courses that you can take before deciding if you want to buy a package.

No tests are required after taking the courses.

Nurse CE 4 Less

NurseCE4less offers high-quality CE courses for nurses at a low price.

Their courses are approved by the California BRN (CEP#16322) and the ANCC.

Aside from individual courses, they also offer an unlimited access package, state packages, and specialty packages.

Currently, they only offer one free course, but it counts for 3 hours.

You don’t need to take any test after finishing a course.

Fast CE for Less

Fast CE for Less offers many CE courses with fast facts that condense and highlights important information.

Their courses are approved by the California BRN (CEP#17693).

They offer an all-access pass to gain unlimited access for 1 year as well as nursing CE bundles that meet state requirements.

But they also offer a few free courses.

You are not required to take tests to gain a certificate for these courses.

Nursing-CEs

Nursing-CEs provides quality nursing continuing education at a low cost.

They are approved by the California BRN (CEP#16978).

They offer big courses with a lot of CE hours.

But they also offer a few free ones, worth 1 CE each.

You need to take a test to get a passing certificate.

CEUfast

CEUfast provides CEUs for a variety of healthcare professionals, including different types of nurses.

They are approved by the California BRN (CEP#13509) and the ANCC.

They offer a package for unlimited access to the courses, but they also currently offer one free course for nurses.

You need to take a test after taking a course, but there are unlimited test attempts.

Cheap Nursing CEUs

Cheap Nursing CEUs offers premium CE courses for different types of nurses.

They are approved by the California BRN (CEP#16757) and the ANCC.

They offer unlimited CE access as well as courses that are paid per contact hour.

There is one free course being offered on this site.

You will receive a certificate after taking an exam and getting 70% or higher.

FAQs about Nursing CEUs in California

There you have it! We’ve covered the list of 8 free online CEUs in California.

But let’s answer a few questions you may have about CEUs.

How often do I need to renew my California nursing license?

You need to renew your nursing license every 2 years, usually before the last day of the month following your birth date.

How many CEUs are needed to renew my nursing license in California?

There are different requirements depending on what type of nurse you are. CNAs are required 48 hours; LVNs and RNs are required 30 hours; and APRNs are not required additional hours aside from the hours needed to renew their RN licenses.

For more information on the CE requirements, you can read this guide.

How do I know if a CEU is approved by the California BRN?

Courses in California have to be approved by the California BRN in order for them to count as CEUs. Approved Continuing Education Providers (CEPs) have an official CEP number from the BRN.

You can verify if a provider is approved by using the DCA license search.

What counts as nursing CEUs?

For a course to count as a nursing CE, it should be relevant to the nursing practice and enhance scientific knowledge or technical nursing skills.

It can be related to direct or indirect patient care, nursing administration, education, and research.

But remember that the courses should come from providers that are approved by the California BRN.

For more details on acceptable and unacceptable courses, you can go to the BRN website.

Why do nurses need CEUs?

The medical field is always advancing. There are always new developments in technology, medications, processes, etc. Even the laws of the land can change or be added to.

It’s very crucial, therefore, that nurses stay updated so that they can always deliver safe and high-quality patient care.

One way to ensure that nurses are updated is by requiring approved continuing education units every renewal period.

Not so frustrated anymore?

We know that being a nurse is not easy.

And having to think about CEUs can add to the stress!

But when you realize that you can gain CEUs for FREE from the comforts of your own home and at your own time and pace, then the stress significantly decreases.

And with this guide, you have a list of 8 free Nursing CEUs in California that you can take online.

We made sure that all these sites are approved by the California BRN so that you won’t waste time on courses that won’t be credited.

And if you add up all the free CEUs from these sites, you’ll have more than enough for one renewal period!

But remember to choose the courses that are really relevant to you as a nurse.

After all, CEUs are an investment in your personal and professional development.

We hope you found this helpful and we wish you all the best!

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