MLA CE and Illinois CNE Approval

Before You Begin Your Application

Be prepared to submit this key information:

• Application type (new or renewal)
• Course owner (Individual instructor, NNLM, Caucus)
• Instructor name, title, email address, phone number, and biography
• Course title
• MLA CE Credits
• Course format & delivery type
• Full course description & teaser
• Learning outcomes
• Audience
• Timed agenda
• Primary MLA Competency
• Specialization consideration

MLA CE and Illinois CNE Approval Application Process

To have your course considered for MLA CE and/or Illinois approval:

1. Login and pay the fee to Submit a Course for CE or Illinois CNE Credit Approval.
   Note: The instructor must complete the application, not a sponsoring organization (e.g., an MLA Chapter or a local consortium). If you are not an MLA member, please create a guest account on MLANET.
2. After payment, you will receive an email with a link to the application form.
3. After submission, we will review your course and send confirmation of approval within four weeks. 
4. When your course is approved, we will list it in the MEDLIB-ED Unscheduled Courses catalog. 
5. Schedule your course on MEDLIB-ED

Instructions for Requesting Illinois CNE Approval

Courses approved for Illinois CNE must also be approved for MLA CE. The CE and CNE Approval Form allows you to apply for both approvals. 

MLA has reviewed the nursing continuing educations requirements for all states to identify those we believe accept Illinois CNE. We urge you to confirm our interpretation of statutes by checking the nursing education requirements in your state, professional organization, or certifying body before assuming that offering Illinois CNE course will serve your purpose. 

MLA is an Illinois Continuing Nursing Education Sponsor for courses for Advanced Practice Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Licensed Practical Nurses (License No. 236.000169). As a sponsor, we are obligated to meet and follow specific standards and guidelines. 

Guidance on Courses Appropriate for Illinois CNE

We award CNE only to educational offerings for Advanced Practice Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Licensed Practical Nurses that meet State of Illinois criteria for CE course content: 

1. Contribute to the advancement, extension, and enhancement of the professional skills and scientific knowledge in the practice of nursing; 
2. Foster the enhancement of general or specialized nursing practice and values; 
3. Be developed and presented by persons with education and/or experience in the subject matter of the program; 
4. Specify the course objectives, course content and teaching methods to be used; and 
5. Specify the number of CE hours that may be applied to fulfilling the Illinois CE requirements for license renewal. 

Courses submitted for CNE approval will be evaluated to determine if they meet these five criteria. Offerings in one or more of these categories may be appropriate for CNE: 

1. Offerings approved for the MLA Consumer Health Information Specialization (CHIS) 
2. Offerings that primarily serve these MLA competencies: 
   • Research & Evidence-Based Practice 
   • Leadership & Management 
   • Instruction & Instructional Design 
   • Information Management (in the areas of copyright, scholarly communication, data management) 
3. Offerings submitted by nurses 
4. Offerings with content that addresses nurses (e.g., a research course that examines a research article in the field of nursing) 

Please see State Continuing Education Requirements for information on states that accept Illinois CNE. 

Obligations of MLA Subcontractors for Illinois CNE 

If your offering is approved for Illinois CNE, you are, thereby, an MLA Subcontractor, and you agree to: 

• Allow only individuals indicated in your application (and for whom you have submitted a CV) to teach the course. Substitutes must be approved by MLA in advance of offering a course. Please submit a note and the CV of the substitute to the MLA Professional Development Department at least two weeks prior to employing a substitute. 
• Call yourself an Illinois CNE “Presenter” in all advertisements and promotional materials. You may not imply in any document or communication that you are licensed as a CNE Sponsor. 
• Include the following in all advertisements and promotional materials: 
  Illinois CE Sponsor
  Medical Library Association
  233 S Wacker Dr, Ste 4400
  Chicago, IL 60606
  License No. 236.000169
• If you wish to offer your course more than one time during the time your course is approved for CNE, contact the MLA Professional Development Department before each time you re-offer the course, so that you and MLA together can review your course evaluations and revise the course outcomes, content, and teaching methods accordingly. 

Renew Your MLA CE or Illinois CNE Approval

1. Review your current course listing on MEDLIB-ED. Note the changes you will want to make to your renewal application. 
2. Login and pay the fee Submit a Course for CE or Illinois CNE Credit Approval. Please note: An instructor, not a sponsoring organization (e.g., an MLA chapter or a local consortium) must complete the application. 
3. After payment, you will receive an email with a link to the submission form.  
4. Make sure to select “Renewal” application type on the form. 
5. When your course is approved for renewal, we will list it in the MEDLIB-ED Unscheduled Courses catalog. 

Special Requirements for Renewing Illinois CNE Approval

If you taught the course for which you are seeking renewal approval during the original period of approval and did not contact the MLA Professional Development Department to review your course evaluations,you must contact the department before you submit your request for renewal so that you and MLA together can review your course evaluations and revise the course outcomes, content, and teaching methods accordingly. MLA will not renew any course for Illinois CNE approval without this review. 

Schedule Your Course 

Scheduling your course on MEDLIB-ED allows attendees to find your course in MEDLIB-ED, complete an evaluation, and download an MLA CE or Illinois CNE certificate. It also entitles you to receive an evaluation report. MEDLIB-ED is the sole source of MLA CE certificates and MLA-issued CNE cerificates. 

You can schedule your course when you apply for MLA CE or MLA CE and CNE Credit approval or at any time prior to offering your course. 

To schedule your course, please complete Schedule a Course on MEDLIB-ED. The course instructor or the sponsoring organization (e.g., an MLA chapter or local consortium) can schedule a course. Sponsoring organizations must make arrangements with the course instructor before scheduling a course. 

1. Login and pay the fee Schedule a Course on MEDLIB-ED.  
2. After payment, you will receive an email with a link to the submission form. You will be asked to: 
   • provide course details (course title, location to be held, etc.) 
   • provide instructor information (name and contact information) 
   • agree to the terms and conditions 
3. Within two weeks after we receive your payment, your course will be listed as scheduled in appropriate catalogs. You will receive an email once approved. 
4. The instructor for the course will receive enrollment codes and instructions that allow course attendees to evaluate the course and receive MLA CE certificates and credits.

Course Approval and Scheduling Fees	Member	Nonmember
Course Approval or Renewal for 1 year – individual instructor	$111	$148
Course Scheduling Fee – includes certificates for 25 individuals	$51	$68