What continuing education does a nurse need to renew a license in Iowa?

Step 1. Count your hours for the renewal period. Renewal takes 36 contact hours or 3.6 CEUs, and one CEU equals 10 contact hours. A semester hour of college credit equals 15 contact hours, and a quarter hour equals 10.

Step 2. Check whether you are exempt. Honorable active duty in the U.S. military during the license period is one case. A nurse who is sick or disabled applies before the license expires and cannot claim an extension or exemption on the renewal until the board approves it. A nurse who has neither the hours nor an exemption cannot renew until one is met during the late renewal period.

Step 3. Pick subjects that fit the rule. Appropriate subject matter includes nursing practice, the science nursing rests on, legal and ethical aspects of health care, and managing health care, among others.

Step 4. Complete your hours or use a credit route. National certification and a nurse residency program count as 36 hours each. A board-approved refresher course counts as contact hours. Precepting a nursing student or an employee moving into a new clinical area for at least 60 hours, in an organized program, counts as 6, and the supervising institution issues the paperwork.

Step 5. Keep your proof for four years. It should show that you attended, plus your name, the course date and title, the hours awarded and the provider's approval details.