Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. I took a class in ________ last month, and the person in charge told me I would have to apply for continuing education contact hours.
A1.  No accrediting body in the U.S.A. will allow their approvers to retroactively approve continuing education courses. The PROVIDER of the Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) course would have had to apply ahead of time. Participants cannot apply.

Q2.  I spent 8 hours (or 16) taking a BLS (ACLS/ PALS, others) course, and they didn’t give me a certificate for my CEUs. How do I get that?

A2.  The Board of Nursing here and in other states does not generally accept BLS, ACLS, PALS or other course of similar nature for license renewal because these courses rarely change. Yes, your facility or agency may require current certification, but continuing nursing education contact hours must be from courses that improve your nursing skills in your work setting (can’t be how to plan for retirement, and cannot be routine re-certification of skills, etc.). By the way, CEU’s is a term from the 1980’s and what is presently used is the term “contact hours.”

Q3.  The Board of Nursing told me to call you about whether the course I want to take is approved or not.

A3.  The Board of Nursing in NM will accept courses that NMNA’s approver unit has approved. They will also accept Continuing Nursing Education courses that are approved by ANCC (which we have) from other groups. They’ll also accept CNE accepted by any other Board of Nursing. You’ll often see courses advertised that were approved by another nursing organization that holds ANCC approval. That course is fine.

Q4.  Some states require you to have no more than 50% of your CNE contact hours through online or home-study courses. What are New Mexico’s requirements?

A4.  In New Mexico, the requirement is that LPNs and RNs must have 30 contact hours of CNE between the beginning date of the most current licensure and the end of the licensure period. If you are an advanced practice nurse, you must have 50 hours of CNE, 15 of which must by pharmacology courses. These courses may be taken in person, online, or via home-study work books. Make sure you have every one of your CNE contact hours adding up to the correct amount before you sign your renewal application, because when you sign it, you are attesting that you have all your CNE contact hours. If you don’t, the board may take disciplinary action against your license.

Q5.  I want to take a homeopathy CNE course. Can I count that?

A5.  If you work in a setting where you could possibly have patients/ clients who use Alternative/ Complementary therapies like homeopathy, acupuncture, herbal medicines, naturopathy, and others, then taking the course could help you and the physician, NP, or other provider to coordinate the care modalities to avoid complications. Having knowledge of the modalities would improve the quality of the care you are providing, thus the course would be appropriate. However, if you are taking the course thinking that you will become a provider of that type of care, it may not count, until you are certified or licensed for that kind of care.

Q6. I am working on my ADN (or BSN, or MSN), and have taken academic courses. Can I apply those classes to my CE, what what is the conversion?

A6.  If you have been taking nursing, pathophysiology, pharmacology, physical assessment, or Spanish for Health Care Providers in a college/ university, you may use your transcript to show you have continuing education. 1 Academic hour = 15 contact hour. Since you only need 30 contact hours (RN and LPN) every 2 years, one 3 hour course would give you 45 contact hours. If you are audited, send in a COPY of your transcript.

Q7. I have taken a BSL Instructor course. Can I count that toward my CNE requirements for relicensure?

A7.  BLS Instructor Course  On November 29, 2006, the Commission on Accreditation moved to allow ANCC contact hours to be awarded for the teaching modality content only of the classroom based BLS Instructor course.  Note that this does not include the BLS content portion of the course. In addition, accredited providers and approved providers cannot award ANCC contact hours for the course offered online or on CD ROM by AHA as these formats preclude the involvement of the accredited/approved continuing education unit in the planning or implementation of the activity.

If you have further questions, you may call NMNA: 505-471-3324 for more information.