Nursing CE providers compared: how to choose the right one for your renewal

The nursing CE market has expanded significantly over the past decade. There are now dozens of platforms offering contact hours, from large clearinghouses to specialty-specific associations to free options funded by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Most nurses find a platform and stick with it without ever comparing what they’re paying per contact hour or whether there’s a better fit for their specialty, employer, or renewal timeline.

This guide is for nurses making an active decision: your renewal is coming up, you have requirements to meet, and you want to know which platform is actually worth using — given your state, your specialty, your employer’s rules, and your budget.

Quick-scan: major CE platforms compared

Pricing reflects 2025 rates and may vary by membership status, state, or employer contract. Always verify current pricing directly with the provider.

The four decisions that determine which provider is right for you

Before browsing platforms, work through four questions. The answers filter your options faster than any comparison table.

1. Is the provider approved in your state?

This is the question most nurses skip, and it causes problems at renewal time. State boards of nursing approve CE providers — or specify the accreditation bodies they accept. Most accept ANCC-approved providers. Some states have their own approved provider lists that diverge from ANCC.

California (BRN): Requires CE from ANCC-approved providers or providers approved specifically by the California Board of Registered Nursing. The BRN maintains its own approved provider list. Not all nationally recognized platforms appear on it.

Florida (FLBN): Requires CE from providers approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, the Florida Board of Medicine, or national accreditors including ANCC and ACCME. CE Broker is the mandatory tracking system for Florida nurses.

New York (NYSED): Accepts CE from ANCC-approved providers. Continuing competency requirements are minimal (infection control focused), but nurses pursuing specialty certification renewals need ANCC-accredited CE.

Texas (BON): Accepts CE from providers approved by ANCC, AONE, ACNM, and others. The Texas BON website lists approved accrediting organizations.

If your state isn’t on this short list: look up your state board of nursing (find them via ncsbn.org or your state’s government site) and search for “approved CE providers” or “continuing education requirements.” The board will list either specific providers or the accrediting organizations they accept.

Rule of thumb: ANCC-approved providers are accepted in almost all states. If you are uncertain, choose an ANCC-accredited provider and you will almost never have a problem.

2. Does your employer specify an approved platform?

Many hospitals and health systems have institutional contracts with CE platforms — often Nurse.com (Relias), HealthStream, or a similar enterprise system. If your employer has a contracted platform, there are two advantages: (1) CE taken through that platform may be pre-approved for employer reimbursement, and (2) the completed CE is automatically tracked in your employer’s HR system.

Ask your nurse educator, unit manager, or HR department whether the institution has a contracted CE platform before purchasing any outside subscription. If they do, use it first for employer-reimbursed CE, then supplement with lower-cost platforms for remaining hours.

3. Does the platform offer content relevant to your specialty?

Generic CE — infection control, HIPAA, professional development — satisfies the volume requirement. But some states and many certifications require CE in your clinical specialty area. If you hold a CCRN, your renewal requires CCRN-relevant CE, and the AACN’s own CE library is the most direct way to ensure that. AWHONN CE is the best match for L&D and women’s health nurses renewing their NCC certifications.

Specialty-aligned CE also has a practical value beyond compliance: it is more useful to your clinical practice, and it counts toward specialty certification renewal requirements simultaneously in many cases.

4. What is your renewal timeline?

The timeline pressure changes the cost-benefit calculation.

If you have 12+ months until renewal, a flat-rate annual subscription (Nurse.com at $99–$199/yr, for example) is a good investment — you can complete CE incrementally and access specialty content at no marginal cost per course.

If you need to complete all CE in the next 4–6 weeks, a subscription is less compelling. Paying per-course from Lippincott NursingCenter or Medscape Nursing (free) may be more efficient. Medscape Nursing alone can cover most or all of a typical state’s CE requirement at zero cost.

Provider profiles: what each platform is best for

Nurse.com (Relias)

The largest nursing CE platform in the US by volume, Nurse.com was acquired by Relias in 2019. It offers a broad generalist library covering clinical competencies, leadership, and professional development. An annual subscription ($99 for basic, $199+ for unlimited access) gives you unlimited contact hours with no per-course fees, which makes it excellent value for nurses who need 20–30 contact hours per renewal cycle.

Best for: Nurses who need a high volume of general CE at low per-hour cost. Hospital-employed nurses whose employers use Relias for institutional compliance training.

Limitation: Content depth in clinical specialties is variable. For nurses needing specialty-relevant CE (critical care, L&D, oncology), supplementing with the relevant specialty organization’s own CE library is advisable.

Lippincott NursingCenter

NursingCenter is the CE arm of Wolters Kluwer’s nursing journal portfolio (AJN, Nursing, Nursing2025, and others). CE is earned by reading a clinical article and passing a posttest — the same format as traditional journal CE. Content tends to be evidence-based and clinically substantive. Cost per test is low ($1.75–$4 depending on the article), and some articles are free.

Best for: Nurses who want clinically rigorous CE tied to peer-reviewed journal content. Good for nurses who already read clinical journals and want their reading to count toward CE.

Limitation: The read-and-test format takes longer per contact hour than some nurses prefer. Not the fastest path to meeting a volume requirement.

Medscape Nursing

Medscape offers free CE to registered users — no subscription required. Content comes from medical and nursing continuing education activities jointly accredited by ACCME, ANCC, and AAFP. The nursing-specific section covers clinical topics ranging from pharmacology to disease management. Medscape is particularly strong for pharmacology CE, which is a requirement in several states.

Best for: Nurses who want free CE that counts for state renewal. Nurses in states that accept ACCME-accredited providers. PMHNPs and NPs who want to keep current on pharmacology and clinical guidelines.

Limitation: ACCME accreditation is accepted by most but not all state boards. Verify your state accepts ACCME before relying solely on Medscape for your renewal hours. Content is sometimes more physician-oriented in framing than some nurses prefer.

ANCC Learning Center

The American Nurses Credentialing Center operates its own CE platform, primarily targeting advanced practice nurses and nurse leaders. Courses are designed around ANCC certification domains, which makes them directly relevant for nurses renewing ANCC certifications (CNS, APRN, informatics, nurse executive, and others). Per-course cost is higher ($15–$30), but quality is consistently strong.

Best for: NPs and advanced practice nurses renewing ANCC certifications. Nurse executives and clinical nurse specialists pursuing leadership CE.

Limitation: Cost per contact hour is high relative to alternatives. Not efficient for nurses who simply need volume-based CE for state renewal without a certification renewal overlay.

CE Broker

CE Broker is a tracking platform, not a CE provider — but it deserves prominent mention because it is the mandatory tracking and reporting system for nursing licenses in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, and several other states. In those states, CE providers must report completed CE directly to CE Broker, and nurses must maintain an active CE Broker account to verify compliance at renewal.

CE Broker also aggregates CE content from approved providers, letting nurses complete and track CE in one place. For states where CE Broker reporting is required, there is no meaningful alternative.

Best for: Any nurse licensed in Florida, Georgia, or Tennessee — mandatory, not optional. Nurses in other states benefit from CE Broker’s tracking and compliance audit features.

AACN (critical care)

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses maintains one of the deepest specialty-specific CE libraries in nursing. CCRN and PCCN holders use AACN CE to meet their renewal requirements (100 CERPs over 3 years for CCRN renewal). Content covers hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical ventilation, critical care pharmacology, sepsis, and post-ICU care in detail that generalist platforms cannot match. AACN membership ($105/yr) provides access to the full CE library; non-members pay per course.

Best for: ICU, CVICU, CTICU, and step-down nurses. CCRN holders who need specialty CE for certification renewal. Travel nurses in critical care settings.

AWHONN

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses offers CE specifically for L&D, postpartum, NICU, and women’s health nurses. Content aligns with NCC (National Certification Corporation) certification domains for RNC-OB, RNC-MNN, and related credentials. Membership is $125/yr; CE access comes with membership.

Best for: L&D and postpartum RNs renewing NCC certifications. Women’s health NPs who want CE aligned with their clinical population.

Accreditation bodies explained: which matters for which state

The three accreditation frameworks you will encounter most:

ANCC vs. ACCME for nurses: ANCC-accredited CE is specifically designed for nursing practice and counts universally for nursing license renewal. ACCME accredits physician CME; nursing CE from ACCME-accredited providers is typically offered as “joint provider” activities — co-accredited by both ACCME and ANCC or a nursing-specific body. Medscape Nursing operates this way. The key check: the CE certificate should explicitly state nursing contact hours awarded — not just CME credits.

Employer-approved vs. self-sourced CE

When your employer specifies a platform

If your employer uses Relias, HealthStream, or another enterprise CE system for mandatory in-service training, your completion records are automatically tracked in their HR system. This satisfies any employer-specific CE requirements and often qualifies for institutional CE reimbursement. Complete your employer-mandated CE first — it may cover 5–15 contact hours per year, significantly reducing what you need to source independently.

When your employer doesn’t specify

The most common situation for nurses in private practice, community health, or smaller facilities. In this case, choose based on state approval, specialty relevance, and cost:

• If your state requires ANCC-approved CE: Nurse.com, Lippincott NursingCenter, AACN, AWHONN all qualify
• If your state accepts ACCME: add Medscape Nursing to your free CE sources
• If you need specialty CE for certification renewal: go directly to the relevant specialty organization (AACN for critical care, AWHONN for OB/maternal health, ONS for oncology)

For nurses renewing a nursing license or navigating nursing license renewal for the first time, verifying your state’s specific CE requirements before selecting a provider is the essential first step.

Free CE that counts for license renewal

Meaningful CE does not require a paid subscription. These sources offer legitimate, accredited contact hours at no cost:

Medscape Nursing: The most substantial free CE resource available. Hundreds of activities covering clinical pharmacology, disease management, and nursing practice. ACCME-accredited with ANCC joint-provider designation on many activities. Requires free registration.

CDC continuing education: The Centers for Disease Control offers free CE on public health topics including infection control, immunization, and outbreak response through CDC TRAIN (train.org). ANCC-approved. Content is narrower than generalist platforms but directly relevant for nurses working in public health or infection control roles.

FDA continuing education: FDA offers free online CE activities through the FDA Drug Safety newsletter and educational initiatives, focused on medication safety, pharmacovigilance, and drug approval topics. Useful for nurses in quality, informatics, or advanced practice roles.

State nursing association CE: Many state nursing associations offer members free or reduced-cost CE at annual conferences and through member portals. If you are a member of your state nurses association, check for CE benefits — they are commonly underused.

Specialty organization member CE: AACN, AWHONN, ANA, and other associations offer free or deeply discounted CE as membership benefits. For nurses who would pay for specialty CE anyway, the membership cost often pays for itself in CE savings within one renewal cycle.

Specialty CE deep-dive

Critical care: AACN is the primary source. CCRN renewal requires 100 CERPs (CE recognition points) over 3 years plus 432 clinical practice hours or retaking the exam. AACN’s own CE counts directly toward CERPs. No other platform guarantees that same direct alignment with CCRN renewal.

Oncology nursing: The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) offers CE specifically for oncology nurses, including content on chemotherapy administration, oncologic emergencies, and palliative care. ONS certification (OCN, AOCNS, CPON) renewal requires ONS-eligible CE. The ONS learning library (ons.org) is the first stop for oncology nurses.

Psychiatric nursing: The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) offers CE aligned with ANCC’s PMHN-BC certification renewal. For PMHNPs, ANCC’s own learning center provides CE directly relevant to advanced practice psychiatric certification. Medscape Nursing is a strong free supplement for pharmacology CE, which is particularly relevant for psychiatric prescribers.

Perioperative nursing: AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) offers CE through AORN Edge (aorn.org/education). CNOR certification renewal requires AORN-eligible CE. The AORN library is the most targeted option for OR nurses.

For a full overview of nursing CE requirements by state and the differences between contact hours and CEUs, see our nursing continuing education guide. For nurses managing multiple credentials, our nursing certifications guide covers renewal requirements across the most common specialty certifications.

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How to decide

The comparison table at the top of this guide lists the main providers, but the practical decision comes down to four filters applied in order:

1. State approval first. If your state requires CE Broker reporting, start there. If your state has a specific approved provider list (California BRN, Florida FLBN), verify your chosen provider appears on it. ANCC-approved providers pass this filter in almost every state.

2. Specialty alignment second. If you hold a specialty certification (CCRN, OCN, RNC-OB, PMHN-BC), use your certifying organization’s CE library for at least some of your renewal hours to ensure alignment with the specific renewal criteria.

3. Employer contracts third. Check whether your employer has a contracted platform before paying out of pocket. Many nurses pay for outside CE when their employer’s system would have covered the same hours at no cost.

4. Cost and format last. Once you know what’s approved and relevant, optimize for cost. Medscape Nursing for free general CE, Nurse.com for volume at low per-hour cost, specialty organization CE for credential-aligned hours. If you prefer reading to watching videos, Lippincott NursingCenter’s journal-based CE suits that workflow. If you prefer video, Osmosis or AACN’s simulation-based content may be more engaging.

For nurses who are unsure about their state’s specific requirements, our nursing license renewal guide and nursing license overview walk through the state-by-state landscape. For nurses working toward additional credentials, our nursing certifications guide covers what CE counts toward which specialty certification renewal.