Free Substance Abuse Continuing Education Units (CEU) for Nurses

Overview of Free Substance Abuse Continuing Education Units (CEU) for Nurses

No matter what type of nurse you are, you must take continuing education classes when it's time to renew your license. While some continuing education units (CEU) must be taken in person, many can be taken online. Because substance abuse is a widespread, endemic problem in current society, it could be helpful to nurses to learn more about the issue. Many businesses and organizations offer free CEUs about substance abuse in its various forms.

Harvard Medical School

Harvard Medical School offers a free continuing medical education course for nurses and other medical professionals. This eight-hour course on understanding addiction and opioid use disorder covers a variety of topics; for example, the neuroscience and epidemiology of opioid use disorder and social attitudes around it. You will need to create a free account to enroll in the course, and passing the accompanying post-test will provide you with a completion certificate and 0.8 CEU credits.

Medline University

From Medline University, this free course highlights the importance of the nurse's efforts in fighting the opioid crisis. The continuing education course covers topics such as understanding the painkiller abuse epidemic and the physiology behind it, as well as treating substance abuse and educating others. Signing up for a free account will grant you access to the free course, and upon completing the course you will be awarded 0.1 CEU credits.

National Council of State Boards of Nursing

This free course from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing is geared toward addressing addiction in your nursing colleagues. Topics covered in the video course include symptom recognition and using best practices to help your colleague through substance use disorder. In addition to video lectures, when you sign up for the free course you will have access to quizzes, an assignment book, and a post-test. If you score higher than 75% on the post-test you will receive a certificate of completion and 0.4 CEU credits.

National Institute on Drug Abuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a federal organization that researches drug use and related topics. It offers a free course about substance use in adolescents. The course consists of video lectures and supplemental resources covering topics such as prescription medication misuse, clinical assessments, conversations with patients, and follow-up practices. After taking the course, you will need a free account to take the post-test for credit. If you pass the post-test, you will be awarded 0.1 CEU credits.

Nurse.com

Nurse.com offers a variety of free nursing CEUs on substance abuse, including a course on prescription drug abuse. The course's goal is to supply nurses with the necessary information about prescription drug abuse, including strategies to assess and treat those who are abusing prescription drugs. You will need to sign up for a free account to take the audio course, and information you provide may be used for marketing purposes (you can opt out of this condition by paying a small fee). If you pass the end-of-course assessment, you will gain 0.1 CEU credits.

University of Missouri - Kansas City

The University of Missouri - Kansas City provides a free continuing education course on talking to patients about substance use. This course comprises video lectures, quizzes, interactive activities, and case scenarios oriented around the principles of SBIRT: screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for substance use. You will need to register for the course by signing up for a free account, and after completing all the requirements for the course, you will be credited for 0.35 CEUs.