Southern New Hampshire University is committed to your success – from the moment you enroll, to graduation and beyond. That’s why, in addition to our academic programs and courses, we offer high-quality continuing education to help you move forward.
Why continue your education at SNHU?
- 100% online – so you can learn on your schedule
- Grow your expertise (and your resume)
- Satisfy CE requirements for nurse licensure
- Choose from live and on-demand sessions
- Learn from an ANCC accredited organization
Don't have a degree?
We can help with that, too. At SNHU, we offer a number of nursing and healthcare degrees, along with certificates and individual courses. So no matter where you are in your education journey, we can help you take the next step.
Digital Badges for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals
Whether you’re looking to gain CE credits, supplement your master’s or get on track for your graduate degree, we offer multiple digital badges to help you take the next step.
Advanced Healthcare Leadership Skills Badge
This badge satisfies 10 total contact hours for nurses.
To learn more or register, visit the Advanced Healthcare Leadership Skills registration page.
Healthcare Quality Improvement Badge
If you’re passionate about improving patient care, these 3 self-paced, asynchronous modules can help build your skills.
This badge satisfies 17 total contact hours for nurses. Upon completion, you’ll also earn 3 course credits that can transfer to the following master’s programs at SNHU:
- MSN in Healthcare Quality and Safety
- MSN in Nurse Executive Leadership
- MSN in Population Healthcare
- Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Safety
- MS in Healthcare Administration
To learn more or register, visit the Healthcare Quality Improvement Badge registration page.
Nursing and Healthcare Preceptor Badge
- Four-part series — 100% online, with no set class times
- Self-paced — Work through the modules on your own schedule
- Satisfies 6 total contact hours for nurses
- Earn the SNHU digital badge mastery and share with your network
- Cost: $150 (includes all 4 modules)
- Open to all learners — including potential preceptors and current preceptors
To learn more and register, visit the Healthcare Preceptor Digital Badge registration page.
Continuing education (CE) for nurses
Healthcare is always evolving. As a nurse, so are you. That's why SNHU offers a number of continuing education options – many at no cost to you.
As an accredited provider of nursing continuing professional development through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), our CE offerings for nurses are timely, dynamic and relevant to nurses and health professionals across the country. Updated to align with current trends in the industry, these opportunities can help you develop leadership skills and satisfy continuing education requirements.*
At SNHU, you'll have access to a library of flexible, online options that work for your schedule and fit your learning preferences – whether you're looking for something live, recorded, or interactive.
Here are a few perks of earning CE for nurses at SNHU:
Get access to live webinars, conferences and more – many for free
Stay aligned with the latest trends and topics in healthcare
Earn contact hours for continued nursing licensure*
Upskill to make your next career move
*The online continuing education offerings at SNHU do not lead to licensure and are not credit bearing. Please note that state requirements for continuing education for licensed professions vary greatly, SNHU does not guarantee that the completion of these continuing education offerings will result in achieving the continuing education required by your state(s) of licensure and strongly encourages individuals to contact their state licensure board prior to completing.
For a full list of CE requirements in your area, get in touch with your local state board of nursing.
Accredited by ANCC
Get started
Ready to complete continuing education at SNHU? Visit cne.snhu.edu today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nursing Continuing Professional Development Accreditation?
According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) Accreditation “recognizes organizations which demonstrate excellence in the ability to deliver nursing continuing professional development.”
Southern New Hampshire University Nursing is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Why is continuing education important in nursing?
Continuing education is an important way to stay informed in any industry – even after you graduate. For nurses, continuing education (CE) is particularly important for a few reasons:
- Nurse license renewal. This is the biggest practical reason nurses should pursue continuing education. In many states, you must earn a certain number of contact hours to renew your nursing license. This process is often required every 2-3 years. Take a look at your State Board website for requirements in your area.
- Career competency. Nursing and healthcare are always evolving, so it stands to reason that nurses and health workers should evolve with it. Continuing education can help ensure you're up-to-date on the latest advancements in the industry – so you can acquire new knowledge, enhance technical skills and stay current with evidence-based care practices.
- Career advancement. Continuing education could not only help you grow in your current role – it can open doors to new ones, too. Want to become a nurse leader? Learn about underserved populations? Dive deeper into the latest public health challenges? You can find this information and more (at little to no cost) through the continuing education offerings at SNHU.
What is the difference between credit hours, CEUs and contact hours?
Credit hours are the form of measurement most universities use to indicate how many credits a course is worth, based on the time you will likely spend on the course each week. One contact hour is a measure that represents 60 minutes of participation in a continuing educational offering. One continuing education unit (CEU) is equivalent to ten contact hours.
How many contact hours are required for nurses to renew their license?
The amount of contact hours required for nurses to renew their license varies state by state. State Board of Nursing requirements range from about 10-50 contact hours every 2-3 years.
Please visit your local State Board of Nursing website for details in your area of licensure.
How do I register for continuing education events at SNHU?
You can register for an event by navigating to the continuing education platform at the continuing education for health professions page. Once you are on the site you can explore the main page for upcoming sessions or visit the catalog.
If you have not set up an account on this platform, select Register to create an account. Complete the form to create a new account, then log in and select “Take course." Once you've clicked this button, you'll be registered for the course, and a confirmation email should be sent to the email linked to your account.
How do I access a live continuing education event at SNHU?
To access a live event, you must be registered first. See “How do I register for continuing education events at SNHU?” for more information on registration.
After you are registered, it should show up on the homepage within the My Courses box. Click on the title of the event you are ready to attend. Navigate to the Take Course tab and select the “Take course” button. This will bring you to the course home page. Click on the welcome tab in the left tool bar and select review. This will bring you to a welcome page where a link to the webinar platform can be found.
How do I access a pre-recorded activity at SNHU?
To access a pre-recorded activity, you must be registered first. See “How do I register for continuing education events at SNHU?” for more information on registration.
After you are registered, it should show up on the homepage within the My Courses box. Click on the title of the course you are ready to start or ready to continue. Navigate to the Take Course tab and select the “Take course” button. This will bring you to the course home page. Click on the welcome tab in the left tool bar and select review. This will bring you to the welcome page where you will have instructions on how to proceed through the course.
Is continuing education at SNHU like taking an online course at SNHU?
Not quite. CE opportunities are separate from SNHU online and on campus programs. That means, while these experiences may satisfy CE requirements for nurse licensure, they are not transferable to our associate, bachelor's, master's or certificate degree programs.
Non-students can register for continuing education as well as students and other friends of SNHU. You can register and take continuing education on your own schedule, whenever you'd like.
If you're interested in additional educational opportunities, check out our online courses for college credit or full online nursing programs.
What if I have other questions?
Please reach out to continuingeducation@snhu.edu for additional questions, including technical support.