Free physical therapy CEUs
Free physical therapy CEUs are a great way to continue your PT education, a required component of maintaining your PT license, as well as an excellent way to expand your skills and stay up-to-date on the latest in physical therapy practice. They are also often a requirement for keeping specialized PT certifications up-to-date.
What are CEUs?
The term “CEU” stands for continuing education unit. Every 1.0 CEU is equivalent to 10 hours of active learning or instruction. A two-day course that provides eight hours of learning each day will earn you 1.6 CEUs.
The minimum number of CEUs to maintain your licensure varies by state. You should check the state physical therapy board website where you live to find out how many hours of continuing education are required and what types of learning or instruction count toward that minimum.
Key takeaways
- Continuing education helps PTs maintain licensure while staying current on research, clinical techniques, policy changes, and emerging areas of practice.
- CEU requirements and course approval rules vary by state, so PTs should verify requirements with their state licensing board before enrolling.
- Free PT continuing education may be available through professional associations, state chapters, CE websites, medical device companies, and disease-specific organizations.
- Keep certificates and supporting CE documentation organized throughout the renewal cycle in case of a licensing audit.
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Accreditation and approval requirements for courses to meet licensing requirements also vary by state. Some states require that courses be approved by the state board, while others do not require prior approval but set out requirements that the course must adhere to to fulfill the licensing requirement.
Your state licensing board website will help you determine what steps to take to ensure that the courses you complete will count in the end. Not all free or paid courses will count toward your license renewal requirements, so take care to understand the process in your state before signing up for a course.
Benefits of physical therapy continuing education
CEU requirements can sometimes feel burdensome, but they serve an important purpose for healthcare providers. The practice of physical therapy is just that – a practice. The only way we become better physical therapists is by learning, refining our techniques, staying informed about advances in research, and remaining curious.
Continuing education courses provide succinct, evidence-based, and efficient methods of learning new or refreshing old knowledge. By enrolling in an accredited course, whether online or in-person, you can access learning from experts in the field without having to search through journals and textbooks and compile the data yourself.
They also provide a great introduction to new topics that might interest you, help you prepare for a new role in the field, and keep you updated on policy changes.
Free physical therapy CEU options
Free physical therapy CEU sources | What to look for | Potential advantage |
|---|---|---|
APTA Learning Center | Free-to-member courses | Broad range of PT-specific topics |
State PT associations | Webinars, SIG events, local programs | May address state-specific topics |
CE websites | Free introductory courses or webinars | Convenient online learning |
Medical device companies | Product- and condition-specific education | Specialized clinical topics |
Disease-specific organizations | Professional education and online courses | In-depth condition-specific learning |
While full- or multi-day in-person CEU courses used to be the primary format for continuing education, now you can access high-quality CEUs in many formats, including online courses, live webinars, hybrid courses, conferences, and still the standard in-person event.
There are certainly pros and cons to each format, but the diversity of opportunities means you should be able to access CEUs within your price range and at your convenience whenever necessary.
While many CEUs cost money, there are more free physical therapy CEUs than ever if you know where to look. For therapists who do not have access to continuing education benefits (or not enough) through their employers, free physical therapy CEUs can help you meet your licensure and certification requirements without breaking the bank.
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American Physical Therapy Association
If you are a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, you can access many free physical therapy CEUs through their online APTA Learning Center. Under the “Category” dropdown menu, select “Free to Members” to access a large catalog of free CEU courses ranging, on average, from one to three hours.
State physical therapy associations
Many state physical therapy associations offer free physical therapy CEUs through webinars or in-person events. These events are often hosted by special interest groups (SIGs) or individual districts within the association.
Many of these events are advertised through social media and email newsletters, so be sure to follow and subscribe to those in your area.
Continuing education websites
Many websites are built exclusively for therapists to access online continuing education courses and webinars. While these sites typically require a membership to access their content, some sites, such as Physicaltherapy.com and Flex CEUs, offer access to free physical therapy CEU s that about 1-2 hours before committing to a membership.
Free Resources for Therapists
Click below and help yourself to peer-created resources:
Finding hidden free physical therapy CEUs
While it may take some searching, free physical therapy CEUs can be found throughout the internet. One tip is to browse the website of medical device companies whose products you use or are interested in using.
Saebo, for example, is a medical device company that manufactures products to improve mobility and function in individuals living with orthopedic and neurologic conditions. You can access free physical therapy CEUs for physical therapists through their website.
Many disease-specific associations or society webpages also offer free online learning where you can earn CEUs. The Huntington Disease Society of America, Parkinson’s Foundation Learning Lab, and ALS Academy Online Courses are just a few examples.
Tracking your physical therapy CEUs
If you have ever been randomly selected for a CEU audit by your state board of physical therapy, you recognize how easy it is to lose track of the proof of your CEU fulfillment. Establishing a system to organize and keep track of your continuing education courses is a great way to ensure you never lose track again.
For those who still love hard copies, a dedicated file folder in your filing cabinet will do the trick. If digital copies are your preference, create a folder on your desktop or laptop.
If you want a centralized location for their CEU data, consider using a site like CEUlocker.com where you store all of the data and documents you need throughout the renewal cycle.
Regardless of which organization method you choose, the following information may be requested during an audit and should be kept somewhere easy-to-locate:
- Certificate of attendance/credit earned
- Brochure or info sheet for the credit event
- Payment receipt
- Event's hourly schedule
- List of Credit Event Objectives
- Speaker biographies/qualifications
- Test sheet or scores
Continuing education does not have to break the bank. With a little planning and research, you can fulfill your certification and license renewal requirements while saving money.
Streamline your practice with One EHR
- Scheduling
- Flexible notes
- Template library
- Billing & payments
- Insurance claims
- Client portal
- Telehealth
- E-fax
Resources for physical therapists
TheraPlatform is an all-in-one EHR, practice management, and teletherapy software with AI-powered notes built for therapists to help them save time on admin tasks. It offers a 30-day risk-free trial with no credit card required and supports different industries and sizes of practices, including physical therapists in group and solo practices.
More resources
- Therapy resources and worksheets
- Therapy private practice courses
- Ultimate teletherapy ebook
- The Ultimate Insurance Billing Guide for Therapists
- The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Private Therapy Practice
- Insurance billing 101
- Practice management tools
Free video classes
- Free on-demand insurance billing for therapist course
- Free mini video lessons to enhance your private practice
- 9 Admin tasks to automate in your private practice
FAQs about free physical therapy CEUs
How many hours is 1 CEU for physical therapists?
One CEU typically represents 10 contact hours of continuing education. However, PTs should check how their state licensing board calculates and reports continuing education requirements.
Do free PT CEUs count toward license renewal?
They may, but not every free course qualifies. Check your state board's requirements for approved providers, course content, documentation, and other criteria before enrolling.
Where can physical therapists find free CEUs?
Potential sources include APTA and state PT associations, continuing education websites, medical device companies, and organizations focused on specific diseases or conditions.
