Several years ago, finding any non-clinical continuing education was tough. Luckily, today there are quite a few continuing education unit (CEU) options out there. Whether you want to use these courses to make your transition into non-clinical work, or you want to keep your clinical license active despite leaving patient care, you have so many options!
We created this article to give you an overview of the many non-clinical CEUs and upskilling courses that exist for all your professional needs…
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Here’s what to expect:
- Non-Clinical CEU Courses from familiar online providers. They usually count for CEU credit.
- Career Guidance Courses that help you land non-clinical jobs. You may be able to get CEU credit by self submitting.
- Upskilling Platforms and Courses designed to teach specific skills for specific careers. They don’t offer CEUs.
(1) Non-Clinical CEU Courses
It’s always nice when you can learn AND earn credit toward your license renewal at the same time! We combed through the most popular online CEU platforms for therapists and found some great courses that not only teach you non-clinical skills, they often count toward license renewals!
That said, you’ll want to check courses yourself to ensure they do count for your state’s CEU requirements, as each state has its own rules for what counts.
MedBridge Non-Clinical CEU Courses
Let’s start with our top pick: MedBridge Education. While it’s not the cheapest option, MedBridge has the best selection of unlimited non-clinical CEU courses—and they’re all conveniently accessible online. MedBridge also boasts live webinars, which sometimes fulfill the live educational component that many states require for therapists and assistants. Some of the courses on the platform do not offer CEUs, but most do.
Our favorite part about MedBridge is that they offer certificate programs, which can add some extra oomph to the non-clinical resume!
Billing and Documentation Courses
These courses are great for those pursuing clinical documentation specialist and/or utilization review careers, as well as careers in compliance and operations.
- Documentation for Evaluations and Re-Evaluations
- Documentation: Everything After the Evaluation Through the Discharge
- CPT Codes Most Commonly Used by SLPs
- CPT Codes Most Commonly Used by PTs and OTs
- NCII Edits and Billing for PT & OT Services
Care Coordination and Case Management Courses
- Coordination of Care and Services in Home Health
- Care Transitions, Rehabilitation, and Readmission Reduction
- Cross-Cultural Collaboration Skills in Healthcare
- Transitions of Care: Pulmonary Disease Part 1
- Transitions of Care: Pulmonary Disease Part 2
- Overview of Care Transitions for Rehabilitation Nurses
- Transitions of Care: Reduce Hospitalizations in SNFs Part 1
- Transitions of Care: Reduce Hospitalizations in SNFs Part 2
- Prevention Readmission with Heart Failure
- Preparing Family Caregivers Part 1: Roles in Home Care & Hospice
- Preparing Family Caregivers Part 2: Education in Home Care & Hospice
Note: The below course series is geared specifically toward OTs
- Discharge Planning Part 1: Intro to OT in Acute Care
- Discharge Planning Part 2: Evaluation & Readmission Reduction
- Discharge Planning Part 3: Understanding OTs Distinct Value
Compliance, Safety, and Infection Control
- Fall & Injury Prevention: How To Manage, Engage, & Evaluate (Certificate Program)
- Healthcare Acquired Infections: Prevention Is Key (Certificate Program)
Driver Rehabilitation
Ergonomics, Orthotics, and DME
If you’re looking to get into ergonomics, orthotic consulting, or DME fitting, these courses are great!
Ethics | Diversity & Inclusion | Public Health
- Cross-Cultural Collaboration Skills in Healthcare
- Ethics in Physical Therapy
- Foundations of Implicit and Unconscious Bias
- Health Disparities as Understood Through Social Determinants of Health
Home Modifications
The home modifications niche is a great option for occupational and physical therapy professionals who have the entrepreneurial bug. MedBridge has lots of great courses that include practical knowledge on the modifications themselves, and on the business side of things.
- Home Modifications: Foundations for Practice Part 1
- Home Modifications: Foundations for Practice Part 2
- Home Modifications: Bathroom Solutions Part 1
- Home Modifications: Bathroom Solutions Part 2
- Home Modifications: Entrances
- Home Modifications: Funding
- An Occupational Therapist’s Remodeling Project
- Fall Prevention: The Role of Home Assessments and Modifications
Leadership and Management
If you want to become a clinic director, department manager, director of rehabilitation services, operations manager, regional director, or any other fancy leadership title, you’ll want to get some education under your belt. MedBridge has some great options included in your subscription that will help you be a better leader—and will look great on your resume!
- Leadership Skills for the 21st Century Work Environment (Certificate)
- Advanced Leadership Skills for the 21st Century Work Environment (Certificate)
- Interdisciplinary Professional Teamwork for Successful Outcomes
- Making a Successful Transition from Clinician to Manager
- Cross-Cultural Collaboration Skills in Healthcare
Research
Telepractice
- Telehealth (Certificate)
- Starting Out in Telepractice
- Specialty Work with Telepractice
- Virtual Pediatric Therapy
Utilization Review/QA
- Home Health QAPI Part 1: Introduction
- Home Health QAPI Part 2: Performance Improvement Project
- (also see courses listed under “billing and documentation”)
ContinuEd websites
PhysicalTherapy.com | OccupationalTherapy.com | SpeechPathology.com
If you’re looking for the cheapest and easiest way to get unlimited online CEUs, you’ll want to explore the Continued family of sites. They have one for PT, one for OT, and one for SLP. We love how easy these sites are to use and navigate, and we think it’s really cool how niche some of the topics are on each site.
The drawback with this family of sites is that there’s no crossover, so you might find a great course you like on the OT site, but you can’t take it as a PT. If you want a bare-bones option for unlimited cheap CEUs, and you don’t need quite the selection that MedBridge has, check out these options!
Browse through your own discipline to see if the non-clinical course topics interest you!
PhysicalTherapy.com
→ You can read our review of physicaltherapy.com here.
If you don’t belong to PhysicalTherapy.com, please consider using our discount code: NCPTBONUS13 to get a free bonus month!
Billing and Documentation
- Anatomy of a Therapy Claim: Best Practices and Tips
- Documentation and Billing for Aquatic Therapy
- Home Health PDGM: What Therapists Need to Know
- OASIS D: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Current and Future Status of Medicare Part A: A Review of PPS and PDPM
- Maintenance in Home Health Care
- Medicare Part B Coding and Billing: For Therapy Services in Long-Term Care
- Medicare Documentation: Describing Skill Related to Discharge Planning and Maintenance Programming
- Getting Ready for PDPM: Group and Concurrent Therapy
Ergonomics
- Ergonomics: Don’t Let Patients Get Hurt at Work, Leverage Their Position!
- Work from Wherever: Ergonomic Tips for A Safe & Healthy Workstation Set Up at Home
Ethics
- Ethics in PT: Bioethics and our Code of Ethics
- HIPAA Fundamentals for the Healthcare Provider
- Ethics in Rehab: A Clinical Perspective for Therapists
Home Modifications
Compliance, Safety, and Infection Control
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standards: What You Need to Know
- Medical Errors: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
- The Science of Fall Prevention
Telehealth
- TeleRehabilitation: Demystifying the Use of Technology to Deliver Physical Therapy
- Teletherapy for the School-Based Therapist
- How to Make Your Patient Care Virtually the Best!
- Telehealth (Digital Practice) Implementation: Considerations and Road Map
SpeechPathology.com
We find that SpeechPathology.com presents an impressive number of cheap non-clinical SLP courses, especially telehealth SLP courses. This could be due to the fact that telepractice speech pathology is one of the most commonly seen modes of telerehab so far. In any case, here are our picks for their non-clinical courses, based on a perusal of the site. Don’t miss the great selection of burnout and career courses!
If you don’t belong to SpeechPathology.com, please consider using our discount code: NCPTBONUS13 to get a free bonus month!
Burnout Prevention and Career Advice
- Burnout Among Helping Professionals: Challenging Workplaces or Sign of Depression?
- The 3 Biggest Stressors for SLPs and What to Do About Them
Compliance, Safety, and Infection Control
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standards: What You Need to Know
- Infection Control Strategies for SLPs
- Infection Control within the COVID-19 Context
Leadership, Management, and Collaboration
Telepractice/Telehealth
- Forced Into Telepractice With No Idea What To Do Next! The Ins & Outs to Becoming a Teletherapist
- Telepractice: What You Need to Know for Practical Application in Pediatrics (Part 1)
- Teletherapy for the School-Based Therapist
- Teletherapy Basics for School-Age Children
- Telepractice Tips and Tricks for School Intervention
OccupationalTherapy.com
Quite a few occupational therapists use OccupationalTherapy.com for their CEUs, and they’ve been very happy. This site has some really cool non-clinical topics worth exploring, such as gaming, 3D printing, burnout, and driver rehabilitation—as well as neat ones like mental health, ergonomics, and industrial rehab.
If you don’t belong to OccupationalTherapy.com, please consider using our discount code: NCPTBONUS13 to get a free bonus month!
Billing, Documentation, Utilization Review, and Management
Burnout Prevention and Career Growth
Driver Rehabilitation
Entrepreneurship
- The Mindset Of A Social Entrepreneur
- Starting a Private Practice – Part 1
- Starting A Private Practice: Following Your Occupational Therapy Dream – Part 2
Ergonomics
- Ergonomics in Early Childhood: Strategies for Childcare Workers
- Therapeutic Office Ergonomics for Computer Use for Intensive Rehab Patients
- Practical Application Of Ergonomic Principles: Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders In New Mothers
Home Modifications and Accessibility
Industrial Rehab
Leadership
Mental/Community Health
Telehealth/Telepractice
- What Clinicians Need To Know About Telehealth In Occupational Therapy
- Pediatric Telehealth: Essentials for Creating a Successful Telehealth Program
- Teletherapy for the School-Based Therapist
- Telehealth: Information and Tips for Your Pediatric Therapy Toolbox
3D Printing
- Introduction to Utilizing 3D Printing in Occupational Therapy
- Advanced 3D Printing Techniques: Designing, Modifying, And Improving Your 3D Prints
Monarch Continuing Education
Monarch Continuing Education (CE) is run by Carmen Recupero, PTA! We love that this continuing education company is woman-run and owned by a PTA. Plus, Monarch CE’s offerings are online, self-paced, and perfect for those pursuing non-clinical career paths in IT, sales, and leadership! Below are some of their offerings in those spaces.
- Certified Health IT Professional (CHITP)
- Certified Healthcare Technology Sales Professional (CHTSP)
- Certificate of Healthcare Industry Sales Proficiency Basics (CHISP)
- Certificate of Leadership in Healthcare Management Proficiency (CHLP)
- Certificate of CMS Fraud, Waste and Abuse Prevention Proficiency (CFWAP)
(2) Career Guidance Courses
There’s no doubt that education is changing. More and more programs—even therapy grad programs—are moving online. Here are some of the top non-clinical courses you can take to build specific careers leveraging your rehab background and education.
Non-Clinical 101
We can’t NOT start with this one 🙂 This course was created The Non-Clinical PT, and it’s designed for PT, OT, and SLP professionals who know they want to do something else—but want a roadmap, structure, and resources to help them on their journey.
From exercises to help you identify your strengths and transferable skills, to an overview of many different non-clinical healthcare fields, Non-Clinical 101 is truly the best starting point. It comes with heaps of non-clinical resume templates for various positions, and gives support for interviewing, negotiating, networking, and finding jobs.
The Non-Clinical PT’s Crash Courses
Not sure you want to commit to Non-Clinical 101 quite yet?
No worries! We have pulled out content from some of the most popular career paths covered in Non-Clinical 101 to create our Crash Course series! If you enroll in a Crash Course, you’ll automatically get a coupon for NC101, too!
- Academia/Education
- Client/Customer Success
- Clinical/Rehab Liaison
- Clinical Trainer/Specialist
- Case Management/Care Coordination
- Health & Medical Writing
- Health/Clinical Informatics
- Sales/Business Development
- Telehealth
- Utilization Review
We have been extremely impressed not just by the training and support offered on the platform, but also by the outcomes. People who use this platform land non-clinical jobs in tech. It just works! You can use our affiliate link below to sign up for Aspireship Pro and save over 50% on the already low price!
(3) Upskilling Platforms and Courses
Online upskilling courses tend to be more affordable and more accessible to many, but don’t be fooled by thinking they’re lower quality. Even most Ivy League universities have started to incorporate distance learning into their curriculums. We consider online education to be a perk of living in this modern age!
Upskilling is very important to those seeking professional growth. Whether you want to learn email marketing skills to build your own online business or you are looking for a mentorship training program to enter the world of sales, the resources listed below are some of the best we’ve found to help you carve your path.
Remember that if this all feels overwhelming and you’re not sure WHAT you want to do…never fear! That’s why we designed Non-Clinical 101, which we mentioned above 🙂
Aspireship Pro – Explore and Upskill for Tech Careers
If you want to explore the tech space without spending a fortune, we love the Aspireship Pro program. This career development platform is priced low, but it includes a buffet of options in its “foundations” coursework to explore in the tech realm. Aspireship Pro is the perfect entry-level career exploration platform because it gives both theoretical and practical training in the areas of:
- Customer/client success
- Tech/SaaS sales (SaaS stands for “software as a service,” and you can think of it is something like EMR/EHR sales)
- Software engineering
- Recruiting/talent acquisition
- Revenue operations (RevOps)
Enjoy discounted access to Aspireship Pro when you sign up to learn more!
Coursera
Coursera was one of the earliest online education platforms, and it’s cool because it has a lot of “big name” universities in its course offerings. That makes your coursework, as well as your certifications, look that much more impressive on your resume. What I love about Coursera is that you have a 7-day free trial for their courses. So, if you enroll and don’t like the content, you can always get your money back. That is PRICELESS for someone still figuring out the next step. Plus, many of these programs have professional certifications you can pursue, which, as I noted, look great on the resume!
- The Art of Sales – Mastering the Selling Process (Northwestern University)
- The Business of Health Care Specialization (University of Pennsylvania)
- Computer Science: Programming With a Purpose (Princeton University)
- Content Strategy for Professionals Specialization (Northwestern University)
- Digital Advertising Strategy Specialization (UC Boulder)
- Health Informatics Specialization (Johns Hopkins)
- IBM AI Engineering Professional Certificate
- IBM Customer Engagement Professional Certificate
- IBM Introduction to Applied Data Science Certificate
- Introduction to Web Development (UC Davis)
- Introduction to Project Management Principles and Practices Specialization (UC Irvine)
- Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Specialization (Johns Hopkins)
- Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization (you can follow up with Six Sigma Green Belt Specialization)
- Successful Negotiation – Essential Strategies and Skills (University of Michigan)
- UI/UX Design Specialization (CalArts)
General Assembly
General Assembly (GA) is a wonderful representation of the modern approach to learning. Rather than presenting traditional education (undergraduate or graduate courses), GA offers non-traditional educational programs, both in-person and online. They’re known for their immersive programs, which are best for those who know for a fact that they want to pursue a given career path. You can opt to take part-time, full-time, or online only courses. Be aware that the full-time and part-time options might be location dependent.
The top subjects offered are listed below:
- Software Engineering
- Web Development
- UX Design
- Product Management
- Data Science
- Data Analytics
Skillshare
Skillshare presents a unique setup for aspiring creatives, as well as folks pursuing roles in marketing and content creation. This platform offers a huge variety of online courses taught by all sorts of people. It’s an affordable monthly subscription platform where you can take unlimited courses for a flat rate. It’s perfect for times when you’re between roles, working a single PRN job, or simply not even remotely sure what interests you, so you want to try it all without breaking the bank. Another reason why Skillshare is great is that it has a lot of software courses. If you’d like to learn graphic design, you can sign up for Skillshare and quickly take a Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign course for a flat rate. Then you can cancel your subscription if you no longer need the platform.
I have a special link you can use to get a free month of the Premium level membership with zero commitment, so I often recommend that people sign up, try out a few courses, and simply cancel their subscription if they’re not using it (or unhappy with the courses.).
→One month of free Premium membership at Skillshare
Udemy
Udemy is great website for those in search of low-cost or introductory training on a variety of non-clinical topics, including business, development/coding, marketing, design, and so much more. The courses can be resume-boosters, or they can simply serve as introductions to all sorts of subjects that are related to healthcare, but not necessarily considered “healthcare courses.”
Udemy does offer certification programs, too, although they’re not necessarily considered as reputable as traditional programs. We recommend that you explore any of the following courses to get started. Also, there are a few wonderful courses on using MS Office, which is pretty much a must-have for any non-clinical role! Here are just a few cool courses you can find on Udemy, but you should really explore on your own!
- Complete Data Science Bootcamp
- Lean Six Sigma White Belt Beginner Training
- MS Office Suite Advanced Training Course
- Sales Skills Training: Consultative Selling Master Class
- Sales Hacking: Practical Skills
Health Writer Hub
A health writing career is a great pick for rehab professionals, but it can be competitive to break in. We strongly recommend exploring the courses at Health Writer Hub. They’re extremely well reviewed and teach you valuable skills as both a writer and a business person.
Save 20% on Breaking into Health Writing (by Health Writer Hub) – This course is fabulous, and it’s quite affordable for what you get, especially after the exclusive discount for The Non-Clinical PT readers! Learn more about the course here, but be sure to use our affiliate link to save 20%. This course is a great introduction for a new or aspiring copywriter needs to understand how to actually start writing. It covers types of writing that are out there (medical vs. marketing vs. health, etc.), and it explores what you need to make an actual plan to get there. I highly recommend this course if you’re looking for a writing career where you write content for other companies.
Click here to save 20% on Breaking into Health Writing! (by Health Writer Hub)
Medical sales
Many PT/OT/SLP professionals are too intimidated to pursue careers in sales, and that’s a shame. These jobs pay well, offer excellent advancement opportunities, and truly leverage your existing skills and experience.
The hardest part to medical sales is getting a foot in the door, which is why we recommend the Medical Sales Career Builder program by Evolve Your Success. You’ll not only learn exactly how to present yourself to land sales jobs, you’ll also learn the skills you need to succeed in such roles. AND the program comes with 1-1 mentorship, resume review services, and valuable industry connections.
Sales can feel intimidating! But confidence comes from talking the talk and knowing you’re prepared to walk the walk. It’s much easier to sell yourself in interviews when you’ve gone through formal sales training. We highly recommend upskilling and working with the sales mentors at Evolve Your Success.
Their Medical Sales Career Builder program has a 100% satisfaction rating and 90% placement record! Mention that The Non-Clinical PT sent you to get $800 off!
Free Physical Therapy CEUs
If you’re a PT, and are just looking for some free physical therapy CEUs, we’ve got a few options for you. While there’s nothing wrong with free PT CEUs, it can be painful to navigate through the sprinkling of free CEU courses out there, and the options are limited.
APTA Learning Center
The APTA Learning Center has some free courses, many of which give you PT CEUs.
It’s no-frills, but you won’t have to spend a dime! The only caveat is that you must be a member of the APTA to take full advantage.
Not a member of the APTA? Don’t worry. Check out the next option!
PhysicalTherapy.com
We mentioned PhysicalTherapy.com before, and they require you to pay for most of their courses. However, they have a nice option for getting free CEUs. If you’re a new customer, you get to pick one free course per person that qualifies for PT CEUs!
“I’m overwhelmed with no idea where to start! What do I do?”
Take a deep breath! This article is a BEHEMOTH, and we are aware that you might find it overwhelming and stress-inducing. Bear in mind that it’s hard to determine which of these are worth your time, money, and effort, unless you have a solid idea of what you want to do next. Don’t forget to explore our spotlight series and do plenty of informational interviewing when you plan your next career move. And be sure to join our networking and jobs group so you can see what else is out there!
Lastly, Non-Clinical 101 is the ultimate resource to help you figure out what the heck you want to do with your career…and it provides you with the guidance, community, and resources you need to get where you want to be!
What are your favorite non-clinical CEUs and courses? Please let us know in the comments!
Do you offer any courses on after you have taken a position as a rehab liaison. I am an OTA with 21 years of treating and now will be starting as a clinical liaison with Encompass and would like to learn as much as I can in this new position. Thank you for your assistance.
Hi Kathy! Congrats on your new role, and that’s a great question! I don’t personally offer courses, but if you visit this page, courses listed under care coordination/case management should work well to support your new work. https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/the-non-clinical-pt/
Good luck and congrats again!
Hi.
I am a PTA that transitioned to a clinical liaison role at an Acute Rehab Facility.
I took the Admission Liaison Workshop/Certification through the UDSmr website.
https://www.udsmr.org/