Written by
Laurie Bjerklie
Education Lead
If you're new to the lab world, you've probably already heard the term "CE" tossed around more than a few times. Continuing education is one of those things that everyone in the lab talks about, but if you're just getting started, it's fair to have questions. What exactly is CE, why does it matter so much, and how do you keep track of it all without feeling overwhelmed?
Let’s break it down.
What Is Continuing Education, Exactly?
Continuing education (CE) is the ongoing learning laboratory professionals engage in after completing their formal education and entering the workforce. Think of it as the difference between the foundation you built in school and the maintenance you do to keep that foundation strong as the field evolves.
CE can take many forms: webinars, online courses, case studies, conference sessions, journal-based learning modules, and more. What ties them together is a simple goal — helping lab professionals stay current with new testing methods, regulatory updates, technology, and best practices long after they've earned their credentials.
For most lab staff, CE isn't optional. It's typically measured in "contact hours" or "CE credits," and different certifying and accrediting bodies set their own requirements for how many you need and how often you need them.
Why CE Matters: Certification, Licensure, and Growth
There are a few overlapping reasons CE holds so much weight in the lab world.
It keeps your certification active. Organizations like ASCP and AMT require ongoing CE to maintain certification status. Letting your hours lapse can mean losing the credential you worked hard to earn, creating unnecessary stress and extra work to get back on track.
It may be tied to state licensure. Depending on where you work, your state may have its own CE requirements for maintaining licensure as a laboratory professional, separate from your national certification.
It supports accreditation and survey readiness. Accrediting and regulatory bodies like CLIA, CAP, TJC, and COLA expect laboratories to demonstrate ongoing staff competency and training. A well-documented CE program is part of how labs show surveyors that their team isn't just qualified on paper, but actively maintaining competency, staying current with industry changes, and continuing to develop professionally.
It's genuinely good for your career. Beyond compliance, CE is one of the best tools you have for staying sharp, building expertise in new areas, and opening doors to advancement. The professionals who stand out are usually the ones who never stop learning.
How Managers Can Help Staff Stay on Track
If you're a lab manager or supervisor, you play a bigger role in your team's CE success than you might think. Creating a culture where continuing education is part of regular laboratory operations can make it much easier for staff to stay on track.
A few ways to help staff stay on top of it:
- Build CE into onboarding. New employees should understand early on what's expected of them and by when, rather than discovering requirements right before a deadline.
- Set gentle reminders. A quarterly check-in, even a quick email or a huddle mention, helps staff pace themselves rather than scrambling at year-end.
- Make time for it. If CE is expected but never fits into the workday, it becomes another task competing with an already full plate. Carving out even small blocks of protected time signals that it's a real priority.
- Celebrate progress. Recognizing staff who complete their hours early or pursue CE in a new specialty area reinforces a culture where learning is valued, not just tolerated.
Ways to Make CE Less Stressful
CE doesn't have to feel like a chore hanging over your head. A few tips that make it more manageable:
- Little and often beats last-minute cramming. Spreading CE activities throughout the year, rather than saving them all for December, keeps the workload light and manageable.
- Choose topics you're actually curious about. CE is more enjoyable and more useful when it connects to something you want to understand better, whether that's a new testing methodology or a topic outside your usual bench work.
- Use your downtime wisely. Short, focused modules can fit into slower shifts or breaks, so CE doesn't have to mean carving out a whole evening.
- Lean on your team. Some of the best CE experiences come from case study discussions or debriefs with coworkers, where you're learning together rather than alone.
Keeping Your CE Records Organized
Nothing is more stressful than realizing at renewal time that you can't find proof of the hours you completed. A little organization goes a long way:
- Keep a running log. Track the date, topic, provider, and number of hours for every CE activity as you complete it, rather than trying to reconstruct your year from memory later.
- Save your certificates. Store completion certificates in one dedicated folder, so they're easy to pull up if you're ever audited or asked to provide documentation.
- Know your renewal cycle. Different certifications and licenses run on different timelines. Mark your renewal dates somewhere visible so you're never caught off guard.
- Use a system built for it. A CE tracking platform can automatically log completed hours, store certificates, and flag upcoming deadlines, taking the guesswork out of staying compliant.
Making CE Work for You
Continuing education isn't just a box to check. When done well, it keeps you sharp and your career moving forward. And with the right systems in place, it doesn't have to feel overwhelming.
If you're looking for a simpler way to manage CE, for yourself or your whole team, the MediaLab by Vastian Compliance & CE Course Library offers a wide range of accredited courses designed specifically for laboratory professionals, along with tools to track hours, store certificates, and stay ahead of renewal deadlines. Explore the Compliance & CE Course Library to see how it can simplify CE for your lab.
This blog is part of our Lab Training 101 series. If you missed the previous installment, check out Training vs. Competency: What's the Difference? to learn how these two essential elements of laboratory development work together, what each one actually measures, and why understanding the distinction matters for compliance, inspections, and staff readiness.