Continuing Nursing Education

UF Health Shands is approved with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by Montana Nurses Association, an accredited approver with distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

UF Health Shands is a CE Provider recognized by the Florida Board of Nursing (FBN# 50-1790). As a CE Provider, we plan and provide nursing contact hour programs for UF Health Shands nurses. We are able to work with groups outside of UF Health Shands to joint provide CE activities that will mutually benefit UF Health Shands nurses and a partner organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we submit a CME application for nursing credit/contact hours?

No, the process for nursing contact hours is different and we cannot use a CME application.

Our program is already planned and our committee is now asking about nursing contact hours, how do we get them?

UF Health Shands Nursing Education is not a CE Approver. We cannot award contact hours if we are not involved in the program planning. Program planning means that a nurse educator from the UF Health Shands Nursing Education Department attends your planning committee meetings and is involved in the decisions related to planning the event, such as the needs assessment, date, location, topic and speaker selection, advertising, etc.

In this question, the program is already planned, so UF Health Shands would not be able to provide the contact hours. You would need to apply to a nursing contact hour approver body (such as the Georgia Nurses Association).

We have not planned our event yet and we want to award nursing contact hours. What do I need to know?

UF Health Shands Nursing Education may be able to work with you to jointly provide the program.

Joint providing means that two or more organizations work together to plan, implement, and evaluate continuing nursing education activities. There should be a common professional practice gap identified, and there should be evidence to support the fact that the desired outcome will benefit learners from both groups. Since joint providing means that the organizations are working together to offer the continuing nursing education, all marketing materials must prominently state that UF Health Shands is a joint provider of the event.

If you want to work with us to jointly provide a CNE program, your first step should be to contact us at (352) 265-0194. We will discuss the event with you and determine if joint providing is possible. We will then identify a nurse to serve on the planning committee for the event. Our nurse planner must assure that all nursing accreditation program criteria are met. He/she must be involved in decisions related to planning the event such as identifying practice gaps, planning the event date and location, selecting topics and speaker, obtaining/reviewing conflict of interest forms, reviewing program advertising, determining evaluation methods, etc.

Other important information about our CNE programs

  • When describing our Nursing CE activities, we do not make references to an “application”, nor is an “application submitted”. There is no mention of “credit pending,” we simply say “contact hours are awarded.”
  • The term “CEU” is incorrect – we use the words CE or Contact hours to describe the credit.
  • Presenters are asked for references for the program content and these should generally be less than 5 years old.
  • Presenters cannot use slides from drug/product companies. No commercial interest company/product logos can be on slides. They also cannot promote their books or devices. Generic product and drug names should be used unless multiple product names are part of a list.
  • Commercial supporters (drug/product company reps) cannot be on the planning committee. If they are speakers, they cannot present their ‘product’ information since this is a conflict of interest and has a risk for bias.
  • If there are vendors, they must exhibit in a location that is separate from the presentation space.

Is there a fee for joint providing?

Yes. We charge a nominal fee to cover our time investment related to documentation, record-keeping and reporting to CE Broker.

How do we contact you?

For more information. Please contact Jean Bulmer, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, Administrative Director, Nursing Education, 352-265-0194 or bulmej@shands.ufl.edu