Nursing Continuing Education Courses

Board of Nursing Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours): 24

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours): 24, plus

1. Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNP) and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) with prescriptive authority shall earn six contact hours of pharmacology content specific to prescriptive practice in the approved area for collaborative practice.
2. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) shall earn six contact hours of pharmacology.
3. A registered nurse or licensed practical nurse licensed by examination during the earning period shall, for the first license renewal, earn four (4) contact hours of Board provided continuing education related to Board functions, the Nurse Practice Act, regulations, professional conduct, and accountability and one contact hour for each calendar month remaining in the earning period up to a maximum of 24 contact hours including the mandatory class.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• Registered and practical nurse licensees must complete two of the following methods for maintaining continuing competency (Article 6 of 12 AAC).
  • 30 contact hours of continuing education prescribed under 12 AAC 44.610
  • 30 hours of participation in professional activities prescribed under 12 AAC 44.620
  • 320 hours of employment prescribed under 12 AAC 44.630
• In lieu of meeting the above requirements, licensees may qualify for alternative methods of continuing competency pursuant 12 AAC 44.640.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification

State Website | Term: 4 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours): 0

Renewal applicants must meet one of the following practice requirements:

1. Practiced as a nurse for 960 hours or more in the past 5 years OR
2. Graduated from a nursing program and obtained a degree within past 5 years OR
3. Completed an Arizona Board approved refresher course in the past 5 years OR
4. Obtained an advanced nursing degree in the past 5 years (i.e. LPN to RN, RN to BSN, masters, or doctorate).

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

Active LPNs, RNs and APNs must complete the continuing education requirement by one of these methods:

• 15 contact hours of appropriately accredited practice-focused activities, OR
• Hold a current nationally recognized certification /recertification, OR
• Completed a minimum of 1 college credit hour course in nursing with a grade of C or better during licensure period.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• 30 hours of continuing education for license renewal. The continuing education course(s) must be taken through a continuing education provider recognized by the Board of Registered Nursing.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• Continuing education is not required (over the 30 hours required for RN renewal) for renewal of advanced practice certificates. The board accepts ANCC accredited activities and AMA PRA Category 1™ activities.

Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• 30 contact hours (RNs) / 24 contact hours (LPNs)
  • 3 of the contact hours must be in the area of substance abuse PLUS
  • and have practiced nursing at least 1000 hours in the past 5 years or 400 hours in the past 2 years

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• IF national certification for your specialty is available, THEN you must be certified and meet 1 of these requirements:
  • Practice of 1500 hours over the past 5 years in the specialty for which you are applying, or
  • Practice of 600 hours over the past 2 years in the specialty for which you are applying, or
  • Graduation from the specialty program within the past 2 years.
• IF national certificate is unavailable, THEN you must meet 1 of these requirements:
  • Practice of 1000 hours over the past 2 years in the specialty for which you are applying, or
  • Completion of a period of at least 1000 hours of supervised practice.
• In addition, APNs who have prescriptive authority must attest to completing 10 hours of continuing education (CE) in pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics in the past 2 years.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• The completion of 24 contact hours of continuing education in the licensee’s current area of practice is required.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• The completion of 24 contact hours of continuing education is required. Fifteen of the 24 contact hours must include a pharmacology component. Nine of the 24 contact hours must be relevant to the practice of your APRN specialty.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• A nurse who is certified by a health care specialty program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification is exempt from continuing education requirements.
• Otherwise, Completion of 18 hours of General CE, 2 hours Prevention of Medical Errors, 2 hours Florida Laws & Rules, 2 Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace, 2 hours Human Trafficking, 2 hours Domestic Violence, 1 hour HIV/AIDS

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• A nurse who is certified by a health care specialty program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification is exempt from continuing education requirements.
• Otherwise, Completion of 18 hours of General CE, 2 hours Prevention of Medical Errors, 2 hours Florida Laws & Rules, 2 Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace, 2 hours Human Trafficking, 3 hours Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Subsatances, 2 hours Domestic Violence, 1 hour HIV/AIDS

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• Effective January 2016, 1 of these 5 options must be completed for license renewal: 30 hours of continuing education; Maintenance of certification or recertification; Completion of accredited academic program in nursing; Verification of competency by healthcare facility; Completion of board approved reentry program or graduation from nursing education program.
• Effective March 2017, LPNs will be required to complete 20 hours of continuing education.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

1. National Certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• Complete one of the learning activity options listed below to meet the continuing competency requirement. You must complete at least one (1) of the learning activity options listed.

1. Continuing Education (CE): thirty (30) hours
2. LEARNING ACTIVITY: A refresher course shall consist of at least sixty (60) hours of didactic and sixty (60) hours of clinical practice by an approved provider and designed for the practical nurse or registered nurse who is returning to practice after more than five years of absence from nursing practice.
3. LEARNING ACTIVITY: Completion of a minimum of two semester credits of post-licensure academic education related to nursing practice from an accredited nursing program
   Act as a preceptor for at least one nursing student or employee transitioning into new clinical practice areas for at least one hundred twenty (120) hours, in a one-to-one relationship as part of an organized preceptorship program
4. Role must be principal or co-principal investigator for a nursing research study or lead or co-lead for an EBP project completed within the biennium
5. Authored or coauthored a peer reviewed published nursing or health-related article, book or book chapter that was published within the biennium
6. Developing and Conducting a Nursing Education Presentation or Presentations Totaling a Minimum of Five (5) Contact Hours of Actual Instruction that Qualifies as Continuing Education
7. Completion of a board-recognized nurse residency program.
8. Similar Type of Learning Activity Option Recognized by the Board – The Board recommends preapproval for any learning activity option that does not fall under any of the previously mentioned activities

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification
• Thirty (30) contact hours, of which eight (8) hours are in pharmacology related to your clinical practice specialty area and approved by a board-recognized certifying body

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• Thirty (30) contact hours

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• Advanced practice nurses with prescriptive authority must obtain at least 30 hours of continuing education, at least 8 hours of which must be in pharmacology.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• For renewal of a three year license, the requirement is 36 contact hours or 3.6 CEUs. For renewal of a license that has been issued for less than three years, the requirement is 24 contact hours or 2.4 CEUs. A license issued for less than three years is granted for two years, plus the number of months to the birth month. Thereafter, the license must be renewed every three years. A licensee (ARNP, RN, LPN) who regularly examines, attends, counsels or treats children or adults in Iowa is required to complete training related to the identification and reporting of child/dependent adult abuse. The licensee is required to complete at least two hours of training every five years.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• An advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) holding current certification in his/her specialty is deemed to be in compliance with Iowa continuing education (CE) requirements. There are no extra CE credits required for the RN renewal and ARNP registration. The ARNP is required to meet the CE requirements that are recognized by the credentialing body that offers certification in the nurse’s specialty area of practice. Current certification is required to be maintained.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• 30 contact hours of approved CNE during the most recent licensing period.
• NOT required to complete 30 CNE contact hours if license expires within 30 months following initial licensure examination or for renewal of license that expires within the first 9 months following licensure reinstatement or endorsement.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• Same as for RN; education must be related to the practice specialty.

State Website | Term: 1 year

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• 14 contact hours/year OR national certification (see state site for additional substitutions for CE hours).

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• 14 contact hours/year OR national certification. 5 credits must be in the area of pharmacology
• APRNs with a CAPA-CS are required to earn one and a half (1.5) approved CE contact hours on the use of KASPER, pain management, or addiction disorders.

State Website | Term: 1 year

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• Practiced nursing 1600 hours (or more): Minimum of 5 contact hours
• Practiced nursing at least 160 hours, but less than 1600 hours: Minimum of 10 contact hours
• Practiced nursing less than 160 hours: Minimum of 15 contact hours

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• APRN whose role and population focus does not provide for certification/recertification (commensurate requirements) shall submit proof of the following:
  • a minimum of 300 practice hours in advanced practice registered nursing as defined in R.S. 37:913.3.a. within a twelve (12) month period [verified by clinical manager] – and –
  • a minimum of 2 college credit hours per year of relevance to the advanced practice role;
• or:
  • a minimum of 30 continuing education (C.E.) nursing contact [credit] hours approved by the Board each year. Continuing Medical Education Units (CME)s may be approved by the board to meet this requirement.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• An APRN seeking renewal of license(s) to practice must have completed during the 2-year period a minimum of 75 CEUs in nursing, medicine, or allied health in the area of practice for which the individual has been licensed as an APRN.

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• 15 contact hours/every two years

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• at least 25 hours of continuing education, with at least two (2) hours in pain and symptom management

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• 24 contact hours of continuing education during a 24 month period of registration (for RNs).‚ LPN must participate in 12 contact hours.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National certification

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National certification
• All APRNs must have 40 continuing education units with two of these CEUs related to the prescribing of controlled substances.

State Website | Term: 2 years

Registered Nurses (Number of contact hours)

• None

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
(Number of contact hours)

• National Certification