CEU FAQs

Are you excited? I know I am. It’s time for another episode of As the Continuing Education World Turns!

Here are a couple frequently asked questions I get a lot from all of you who have CEUs on your mind.

Q: What’s the Importance of Continuing Education?
A: Continuing education has wonderful benefits for those professions and licenses that require them. CEUs, which have a variety of different names (Continuing Education Units, Continuing Education Credits, Professional Development Points, Contact Hours, Continuing Competency Requirements), play a vital role in guaranteeing  that licensed professionals remain knowledgeable and current with trainings, trends, and best practices in their fields. CEUs allow licensed individuals to refresh and renew exciting perspectives on previously learned information. CEU training programs can also address new and innovative practices that are on the cutting edge.

Q: Why Are There So Many Different Regulations?
A: There are many organizations that provide training that does not meet the standards or criteria required to receive credit from many governing boards of licensed professionals.

This issue has caused the governing boards of many professions to create strict guidelines and regulations to ensure that only acceptable training is used for continuing education. They require that training organizations provide evidence showing the validity to each profession, and the ability to maintain proper records and training requirements. There has been a consorted effort made across the board to ensure that any training program, from creation to post-evaluation, is designed to develop each participant professionally.

There have also been many organizations created, by specific profession, that have developed national standards to ensure that there is uniformity across the board. IACET (International Association for Continuing Education and Training) created the most widely accepted standard for continuing education across a majority of professions. IACET actually coined the phrase CEU. How cool is that?

Bonus Fun Fact!
The University of Wisconsin-Madison was the first academic institution to have Continuing Education Programs.

More Info for Professionals in Education, Nursing, Behavioral Health, Social Work, Etc.
Please take a moment to review our CEU page for current approvals for Nonviolent Crisis Intervention^® training. Also check out the list of current approvals for Dementia Care Specialists’ Dementia Capable Care training.

Remember, no matter where you are or what you do, it benefits you, your organization, and the people in your care when you continue your education. CEU later!