The Continuing Education Portfolio program is now managed in two sections, both are described below.

Section A: Formal Activities 

Educational activities related to nursing/healthcare.

1. If your education includes two or more from the Formal list below, you may consider it Formal Education:
   1. ends with an exam or quiz
   2. includes assignment(s), presentation(s), learning package(s), or project(s)
   3. demonstration of competence/competency
   4. interactive group work
   5. results in a credential
   6. can be passed or failed
2. Completion of a Professional Growth Plan (16 reportable hours) is considered Formal Education
3. Cultural Learning Opportunities:
   • Attendance at events that enhance knowledge about other cultures
   • Time spent learning from a culturally significant teacher or leader like an elder, knowledge keeper, or healer
   • Learning a language other than English or your first learned language
   • Learning related to Truth and Reconciliation, Indigenous History, Indigenous Communities, and Indigenous approaches to health and healing systems.

Section B: Informal Activities 

Informal Activities include the following:

1. CPR, TLR, WHMIS, PART, GPA, WAVE recertification(s)
2. preceptorship (8 reportable hours per week of preceptorship)
3. nursing/healthcare committees
4. any other educational activity related to nursing/healthcare not meeting the criteria for formal activities in Section A

We have developed an easy to use CEP Placement diagram, see below.

Click on the image to view the full size PDF.

Click on the chart below to determine the amount of CEP hours required when holding a practicing license and how to categorize education from Formal or Informal Activities.

View the Adding CEP Hours to Your Member Profile for instructions on how to add and update your annual CEP requirements to your Member Profile.

The number of hours required for continuing education is based upon how long you maintained a practicing license during the licensure year. An LPN returning to practicing status (ex. Non-Practicing to Practicing) or the initiation of a license midyear (ex. out of province applicant) will need to obtain CEP hours according to the prorated schedule below:

• 7-12 months licensed
  • 24 hours of continuing education
  • 8 hours must be accumulated in Section A 
• 3 – 7 months licensed
  • 12 hours of continuing education
  • 4 hours must be accumulated in Section A 
• Less than 3 months licensed
  • 6 hours of continuing education
  • 2 hours must be accumulated in Section A

The following information can be found in the Legislative Interpretation Continuing Education Portfolio (CEP) Program

Claimable hours are typically based upon the length of time required to complete the education, except for courses completed at a formal educational institution such as the University of Saskatchewan or Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

• Completion of standard university or college course credits are assigned 15 hours per course credit. Example: 3 credits = 45 CEP hours.

• Saskatchewan Polytechnic courses generally have assigned hours to each course when a course credit is not assigned.
• The SALPN recognizes that individuals may learn at different speeds and as such, LPNs are expected to claim the actual hours spent learning. LPNs should exercise their best judgment and claim a reasonable number of hours for their CEP.
  For example:
  • Pressure Ulcers Treatment Online Course: average completion time is 8 hours, but LPNs have stated it may take upward of 20 hours to complete. This would be an acceptable difference in claimed hours.
  • Saskatchewan Polytechnic IV Therapy Course: 15-course hours as per course outline. It would be unreasonable to claim 100 hours.

Earn CEP hours by undertaking learning that will aid your practice as an LPN.

For a list of some available CEP opportunities, please click here.

If LPNs obtain more than the annual CEP requirement, they may “carry-over” hours with a maximum of 8 hours into the next licensure year.  All “carry-over” hours will be applied to the section they were obtained in (Section A or B).

If audited for CEP hours, LPNs must submit CEP documentation as proof of completion for all CEP they submitted at renewal. The audit would also need to include documentation for any carry-over hours used and submitted from the previous year.

Audit Example:

A look at two years of submitting CEP at renewal season with the standard 24 hour CEP requirement:

• 32 hours submitted at renewal in 2017 (8 more than required) = 8 carry-over hours for 2018
• 48 hours submitted at renewal in 2018 including the 8 hours of carry-over from 2017 (24 more than required)
• This means documentation for the 40 CEP hours obtained in 2018 and documentation for the 8 CEP hours carried over from 2017 is needed for an audit.

CEP hours are obtained by LPNs from December 2nd to December 1st annually.

For Example:  

2018 CEP Hours – From December 2nd, 2017 to December 1st, 2018.
2019 CEP Hours – From December 2nd, 2018 to December 1st, 2019.

Because CEP hours are due at the time of licensure renewal, all LPNS must ensure they have the necessary hours in place by the time they renew.

LPNs should keep careful record of their CEP hours on their SALPN Member Portal. Uploading your CEP information and proof of completion on an ongoing basis will ensure safe keeping and ease of renewal as the information will be housed indefinitely in the SALPN database.  The SALPN Annual Licensure Audit randomly selects members to provide details about the CEP hours they obtained in the previous licensure year (or more if claiming carry-over), so it is important to always know where to locate the required information.

Yes, you can obtain hours while holding a non-practicing certificate.  If you return to practicing in the same year, you will be eligible to use those hours towards your minimum requirement.