Top 10 Free Nursing CEUs Available Online
To keep a valid and active registered nursing license, nurses must participate in continuing education throughout their careers. State boards of nursing measure their hours of participation in continuing education by CEUs.
The exact requirements of CEUs vary by state, but most states do require some amount of CEUs for license renewal. If you're looking for free nursing CEUs you can complete right now, you've come to the right place!
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
Chamberlain University is the #1 largest school of nursing with a community of more than 177,000 students, faculty, and alumni. Chamberlain offers BSN, MSN, and DNP programs online and has a long history of successfully delivering top quality education.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
For more than 15 years, American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Post University has been educating registered nurses and healthcare professionals like you online. We offer a number of advanced online nursing degrees designed to give you the advanced education needed to achieve your personal and professional goals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Natiowide except AZ, CA, DC, LA, NY, OR, TN, WA, PR
Is it Possible to Get Nursing CEUs Free?
Yes! Absolutely. Some employers will offer free classes, local universities often host guest lectures that may qualify, and it’s especially easy with free online courses.
Top Places for Free Nursing CEUs Available Online
1. Nurse.com
Nurse.com offers a number of free nursing continuing education courses on a wide variety of topics. These courses are approved by the ANCC and available across the US. The free courses are sponsored by different organizations and universities. The free courses change frequently, so consider checking regularly to maximize the free course options available to you.
To access these courses, you just need to create a Nurse.com account, complete your online courses, and then take a CE test to get your certificate. Nurse.com does offer a membership option with unlimited access to CEU classes. Make sure when you search for free CEUs, they say “courtesy of”. Here are some of the courses currently available for free:
Here are some of the courses currently available for free:
- Nursing Informatics: Technology to Improve Patient Care CEU Hours: 1
- Screening and Treatment of Depression CEU Hours: 1
- Common Medication Actions and Interactions CEU Hours: 1
2. Incredible Health
Incredible Health has a library of online CE courses accredited by the ANCC, including a number of free courses. In order to access your free CEUs, you'll need to create an Incredible Health account and download their app. Accessing the courses can be more difficult through Incredible Health, but they are worth more than other platforms. Here are some of the free courses they have available now:
Here are some of the free courses they have available now:
- Free CEU: A-Fib and Stroke Risk, CEU Hours: 1.5
- Free CEU: Chest Tubes Nursing Care, CEU Hours: 4
- Free CEU: ADHD in Children, CEU Hours: 2
3. Nurse CEU
Nurse CEU is an online nursing directory of CEU providers. On their site, they have a page with lots of free nurse CEU courses available. There are roughly 30 free courses available to nurses varying in credit hours. Nurse CEU is just a platform for listing the courses, and after clicking on the links, you will be redirected to other sites. Some websites will require creating accounts. Some of the current courses featured are:
- Sexual Harassment Training, CEU Hours: 1
- COVID-19: The Impact of a Pandemic on Mental Health, CEU Hours: 1
4. Quantum Units Education
Quantum Units Education is a trusted online CE provider that has served over 150,000 CE Courses since 2005. There are minimal free CEU courses available. There is an option to pay for a membership and get unlimited access to courses. Currently, they are offering 2 free CEUs:
- A Guide to Managing Stress for Disaster Responders and First Responders, CEU Hours: 1
- Older Adults Living With Serious Mental Illness, CEU Hours: 1
5. NursingCE.com
NursingCE.com is an ANCC-accredited provider of nursing CEUs. They offer a limited selection of free nursing CEUs. In order to receive your certificate, you'll need to review the material and earn a score of 80% or higher on the test. Currently, there is only one free option available:
- Avoiding Nurse Burnout Nursing CE Course, CEU Hours: 1
Popular Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Programs
GCU's College of Nursing and Health Care Professions has a nearly 35-year tradition of preparing students to fill evolving healthcare roles as highly qualified professionals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
Earn a valuable nursing credential at Purdue Global’s School of Nursing. Expand your expertise and prepare to take on leadership and independent practice opportunities. Complete your courses online, on your schedule.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, but certain programs have state restrictions. Check with Purdue for details.
Earn your nursing degree from one of the largest nursing education providers in the U.S. Walden University’s BSN, MSN, post-master’s APRN certificate, and DNP programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Get enhanced practicum support with our Practicum Pledge.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide, excluding CT, ND, NY and RI. Certain programs have additional state restrictions. Check with Walden for details.
WGU's award-winning online programs are created to help you succeed while graduating faster and with less debt. WGU is a CCNE accredited, nonprofit university offering nursing bachelor's and master's degrees.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Nationwide
For more than 15 years, American Sentinel College of Nursing & Health Sciences at Post University has been educating registered nurses and healthcare professionals like you online. We offer a number of advanced online nursing degrees designed to give you the advanced education needed to achieve your personal and professional goals.
CCNE
Online
RN Required
Enrollment: Natiowide except AZ, CA, DC, LA, NY, OR, TN, WA, PR
6. American Nurses Association (ANA)
The ANA offers a variety of free courses to nurses and APRNs. The free CEUs are listed and mixed in amongst paid courses, so you will have to search through all 13 pages of offered courses. To access the courses, you must add them to your cart and then create an account. Here are several of the free courses available:
- The Concept of Infection Control CEU Hours: 0.5
- The Basic Science of Viruses CEU Hours: 0.5
- Multi-Dose Vial Infection Prevention Practices CEU Hours: 0.5
7. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
AACN offers a variety of free online courses. Some require an active AACN membership, while others don’t. Either way, you will need to create an account on the AACN website to start any CEU and track activities. Current free online courses include:
- Creating and Sustaining Healthy Work Environments (HWEs) CEU Hours: 1
- Central and Peripheral Medication Administration Practices in Pediatric Patients CEU Hours: 1
8. Elite Learning
Elite Learning by Colibri Healthcare offers free CEU courses that are accredited by the ANCC and accepted by all state boards of nursing. Courses are offered as webinars with guest speakers. You can attend live on the specific date listed or view it later in the recorded version. There are currently two courses available:
- Facial Aesthetics: Using Botulinum Toxin A and Dermal Fillers for Better Results CEU Hours: 1
- Compassion Fatigue: The Battle to Be Nice CEU Hours: 1
9. Prime
A less common website, there are plenty of free options available to nurses. These courses offer CEU to MDs, PAs, NPs, and nurses so the content tends to be higher level in content. Most of the content is focused on oncology and immunotherapy so it is a little niche but does offer many options. Free CEUs currently available include,
- Overcoming Barriers to Optimal Treatment and Management of FLT3-Mutated AML in the Frontline Setting CEU Hours: 0.25
- Transforming LS-SCLC Care With Immunotherapy: Clinical Data and Practical Tips CEU Hours: 0.5
10. CEUfast
CEUfast offers only one free CEU at this time, but you can access courses and even read the content but must pay to receive credit. There are no ending tests for courses on CEUfas,t so this is a very popular option for nurses, even those willing to pay.
- Mpox CEU Hours: 1
How Many CEUs Do Nurses Need Per Year?
To determine how many CEUs nurses need by state, Nurse.org has compiled a complete list of CEU requirements and state board contact information. Some states specify requirements for specific educational classes, including child abuse and narcotic abuse education as part of the total mandatory CEU credits.
For example, California requires a minimum of 30 CEUs every two years while Arkansas only requires 15 credit hours. On the other hand, Pennsylvania requires 2 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting training in addition to the 30 CEUs for license renewal.
On average, nurses will need to earn 20-30 contact hours with every nursing license renewal (typically every 2 years). Once your renewal window passes, your CEU accumulation starts over again. You cannot carry over CEUs from previous years and use them throughout your career. This forces nurses to truly educate themselves in a consistent manner year to year. If you are licensed in multiple states, you can use the CEUs for multiple license renewals. Just be sure to check individual state requirements, as they do vary from state to state.
