Renewing your Professional License or Certifications

I am a procrastinator; I admit it. To address this, here are some things I do for renewing your professional license or certifications.

In general, I make a lot of to-do lists. I write down when I need to accomplish a task and usually schedule it a week in advance to complete it on time. This helps me stay organized and meet deadlines.

In the area of my professional license and national certifications, I pay special attention to when my nursing license and case management/patient advocate certifications need to be renewed.

Time flies, and it is easy to overlook these dates. You will usually get a notice from the Licensing agency or certification organization when it is time to renew. Still, if you miss it, you could lose your license and certification. To avoid this, I list which certifications and licenses I must renew each year and then review what they require for this cycle.

As each license and certification differs, I check with the Board of Nursing of the States, where I am licensed, to see how many credits I need and if there are specific courses I need to focus on. In my case, I am licensed in Pennsylvania and Florida. Both require 24 general credit hours, but Florida requires two credits in Human Trafficking, and Pennsylvania requires a two-hour course in Child Abuse in addition to general credits. I search for how I can get these and proceed.

I examine each of my certifications to determine the required number of credits and whether any specialty areas are required.

In my case, I have three national certifications. Each certification body has renewal information that I download and review from their website. My Patient Advocate Certification (BCPA) renews every three years, while ANCC Nursing Case Management (CMGT-BC) and Certified Rehabilitation Nurse Certification (CRRN) are renewed every five years. Each requires 80 CEs in the certification area, so if it is case management, I need to look at my credits to see that they will suffice. For my Patient Advocacy Certification (BCPA), I need 30 credits total, with six being in ethics and three being in DEI, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The rest can be in general categories.

I am fortunate to be able to attend several conferences each year and belong to my professional organizations. These offer webinars on various topics I can take during the years between certification/licensure renewals to gather the number of credits needed so I am ready for my renewal. If you don’t have this opportunity, several organizations offer CEs for nurses, social workers, and case managers. Here are a few:

Several organizations offer CEs, many for Free. Here is a link to my 2024 Professional Reading List to check them out. https://nursesadvocates.com/2024-professional-reading-list

Being Organized:

To keep me organized, I keep a sheet listing each certification, the year it needs to be renewed, and the number of credits required. I also have a paper copy of the certificate for each course/conference I take and keep these in a folder so I can find them easily.

Today, most certification bodies have portals where you can enter the title of the program, any approval numbers, and the number of credits you earned by attending. This allows the specific Licensure Board or certification body to be aware of the credits that you obtained.

Advice:

  • DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO ORGANIZE YOUR CREDITS FOR EACH CERTIFICATION.
  • Join your professional organization so you can get credits throughout the year. Many of these are free, or they will charge a minimal fee for the CE credits. Professional organizations have various learning opportunities to help you grow professionally and meet your certifications/licensure requirements.
  • As a professional, you are responsible for keeping up to date with your renewals and obtaining the correct amount of credits. Keep your name, address, and email current with all of your licenses and certifications, as this is how you are notified. They can contact you if the organization has your current email or mailing address.
  • Print/save your certificates in a folder. If you keep them in a portal, you risk losing them if the organization closes. Printing them off and keeping them in a file allows you to have your copy in a safe place.
  • If you have multiple certifications, review them yearly to ensure they meet your needs. If not, you can let them expire and not renew them.

I hope this information will help you be more organized! If you have questions, please check the licensing board or certification organization so you get the correct information to keep your professional license or certifications up to date.

Anne Llewellyn MS, BHSA, RN-BC, CCM, CRRN CMF, CMGT-BCAnne Llewellyn, MS, BHSA, RN, CRRN, CMGT-BC, BCPA, CMF, is a registered nurse with 50+ years of clinical experience. She is a nurse advocate and a digital journalist who writes for various e-newsletters on digital health, workers’ compensation, case management, and the importance of educating people to be their best healthcare advocates.

Anne has a strong following of healthcare professionals who follow her for information on events and trends impacting health and healthcare. Anne also mentors nurses and other healthcare professionals to learn about case management and patient advocacy.

Learn more about Anne and her work by visiting her website at www.nursesadvocates.com. You can also reach Anne by email at allewellyn48@gmail.com

Have a good month!