Award-winning approver, top-notch provider.

ONA is the largest approver unit of continuing education in the country, accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. We are also a top-notch provider of educational programs, with all programs recognized by the Ohio Board of Nursing for re-licensure. In layman’s terms, our continuing education team reviews and approves educational opportunities for organizations across the world. We also produce many educational opportunities, from independent studies to in-person events. ONA members receive 3 free independent studies every 3 months with CE4Nurses and discounted pricing with live events. The contact hours accumulated through the free studies are enough for license renewal every 2 years.

Learn – Go here for educational opportunities.

Teach – Go here to get activities approved.

Provide – Go here for approved provider information.

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Learn

Online, on paper, instructor-led or at your own pace.

All of ONA’s continuing education programs are recognized by the Ohio Board of Nursing for re-licensure.

Everyone learns differently. That’s why ONA offers several ways for you to stay current:

Online, self-paced courses at www.ce4nurses.org
Live, instructor-led events throughout the year and throughout the state
Hard copy, self-paced courses published quarterly in the Ohio Nurse publication
Live and recorded instructor-led webinar series

Ohio’s CE Requirements

Q. How many contact hours do I need to get or renew a license in Ohio?

A: Each person licensed as an RN or LPN in Ohio must complete twenty-four (24) contact hours of CE during each licensure period to renew a license. A nurse who has been licensed by endorsement for less than or equal to one (1) year must complete twelve (12) contact hours. At least one (1) of the required contact hours must be Category A. The RN licensure period is from November 1 of odd numbered years through October 31 of the following odd numbered year. The LPN licensure period is from November 1 of even numbered years through October 31 of the following even numbered year.

Q. How does the Board know I met the CE requirement?

A. Licensee and certificate holders are required to indicate whether they have met the CE requirement during the time of renewal (on the renewal application). Individuals are not required to send documentation of their contact hours with their renewal application. CE4Nurses does not send your certificate to the Board, but we do keep copies on file for the period of time required by the Board. You should keep a copy of your certificates should the Board request them. Evidence of CE is required when reactivating or reinstating an inactive or lapsed license or certificate, or upon receipt of a “CE Audit” letter. In addition, when reactivating or reinstating a license or certificate, CE requirements may vary.

Q. What is an audit?

A. The Board may conduct a random audit of any licensee or certificate holder to determine compliance with CE requirements. The time period for which you are being audited will be stated in the “CE Audit” letter. If audited, an individual will be asked to send photocopies of CE certificates or school transcripts to the Board. You should keep a copy of your CE4Nurses certificate should you be audited.

Q. What records should I keep and how long should I keep them?

A. Documentation of completion of a CE activity should be supplied by the provider of that activity. If audited, you will be required to send photocopies of documents (i.e. certificate) that contain all of the following information: • name; • title of the program; • date of program completion; • name of the provider; • number of contact hours; • OBN Approver number or the name of the authorized provider or the name of the approval body. All records should be kept for 6 years.

Q. How do I know if a particular educational activity is acceptable to the Board as recognized CE?

A. Any of the following options may be used by a licensee or certificate holder to satisfy the CE requirements:

A CE activity that has been approved by an OBN Approver or by a board or agency regulating the licensee or certificate holder in another jurisdiction. An OBN Approver is an organization that has been authorized by the Board to approve continuing education activities offered by a provider or to approve a Provider Unit. An acceptable CE certificate will include a statement with the OBN Approver’s name and number.

The Ohio Nurses Association OBN Approver Number is OBN-001-91. CE4Nurses is operated by the Ohio Nurses Association.

Q: I have questions about CE requirements in Ohio.

A: You can contact the Ohio Nurses Association at 614-237-5414 and ask to speak with the Continuing Education Department, or you can contact the Ohio Board of Nursing.

Q: You didn’t answer my question.

A: Contact Us, we’ll answer it!

CE Activity Approval

Get your continuing nursing education activity approved by the Ohio Nurses Association.

Offer quality continuing education programming by getting your activity approved by ONA. We are an approver of continuing nursing education, accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Our experienced staff will make sure that you have all of the necessary components to make your CE program a success.

Click here to watch a 20-minute training video on how to use the ONA Online CE Application Manager.

Rules for Applying

Complete application and payment must be submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the activity.
Applications may NOT be sent via US Mail or via email.
Applications will not be processed until application fee is received.
During processing, we will contact the applicant via email if we require additional information.
You may check on the status of your application in the Online CE Application Manager, however, we will also email you when your application completed our review process to let you know if it has been approved or not. Please check the status in CE Application Manager before you contact us unless your event is less than 2 weeks away and you haven’t heard from us.
Commercial entities are not eligible to apply for approval of activities or as a provider unit. A commercial entity is defined as an organization that produces, distributes, markets or re-sells products used by or on patients.

Before You Begin

Review and familiarize yourself with the CE process by viewing the 20-minute training video. It explains, in detail, how to fill out an application.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Helpful Resources

Guidelines for Pharmacotherapeutic hours for APRNs

Helpful information If application includes APRN Pharmacotherapeutics

2015 Conflict of Interest Form

The conflict of interest form is needed if the content of the activity includes products consumed by or used on patients. This is necessary even if discussing generic drugs.
If you have questions as to whether conflict of interest forms are necessary, please contact the Direct of Continuing Education.

Commercial Support Agreement

If Commercial Support is provided by a commercial entity for your activity please complete and upload this form to your application.

Application Fees for Individual Activities

0.5 – 1.0 Contact Hours – $60

1.1 – 4.0 Contact Hours – $100

4.1 – 8.0 Contact Hours – $200

8.1 – 16.0 Contact Hours – $300

16.1 – 20.0 Contact Hours – $350

20.1 and above $400

Expedited Application – $150.00 (less than the six-week requirement)

After Approval

Once your program has been presented, you must complete the Post Activity Survey within 30 days of the end of the event.

The Ohio Nurses Association is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. (OBN-001-91)

ONA Online CE Application Manager

Need Assistance?

Contact:
Kelli Schweitzer, MSN, RN-BC
ONA CE Director
614-448-1026
kschweitzer@ohnurses.org

Sandy Swearingen
CE Specialist
614-448-1030
sswearingen@ohnurses.org

Support available during ONA’s regular business hours.

Approved Provider Unit Information

If your organization presents 15 or more CE activities every 3 years, you may be eligible to become an Approved Provider Unit. An approved provider unit has the authority to plan, implement, and evaluate its own continuing education activities during the three-year period of provider unit approval.

Who Can Be A Provider Unit?

In order to be eligible, your organization must:

Have a clearly defined unit or department administratively and operationally responsible for continuing nursing education.
Have Nurse Planner(s) who meet(s) qualifications
1. Minimum of BSN
2. Have an active RN license
3. Knowledge of adult learning, ANCC Accreditation criteria, and OBN rules.
During that time, at least three separate activities must have been planned, approved by ONA, implemented, and evaluated with direct involvement of a qualified nurse planner. Jointly provided activities are not acceptable.
Target Audience:
1. If your provider unit is based in Ohio, more than 50% of your target audience is nurses within the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
2. If your provider unit is based outside of Ohio, more than 50% of your target audience is nurses within the geographic range of your provider unit. Check out the hhs regions map for the identification of your region plus the states contiguous to your region.
Not be a commercial entity that produces, markets, re-sells or distributes a product used on or by patients.

Intent to Apply or Re-apply as a Provider Unit

Please use this form to indicate your intent to apply (or re-apply) as a provider unit for continuing nursing education through the Ohio Nurses Association. This will enable us to verify your eligibility. Once you receive confirmation that you are eligible to apply as a provider unit, you may submit your provider application.

Intent to Apply/ReApply as an Approved Provider Unit