Navigating Continuing Education for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) play a vital role in healthcare, providing advanced assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to patients. To ensure they remain competent and up-to-date with the latest advancements in their field, APRNs are required to participate in continuing education (CE). These requirements vary by state and certification, so it's crucial for APRNs to understand the specific regulations that apply to them.

The Role of Continuing Education

Continuing education courses for Advanced Practice Nurses focus on nursing activities applied within an advanced practice care setting. General advanced practice nursing activities ranging from performing assessments and diagnosing patient conditions to prescribing and dispensing medications are covered with additional emphasis on the higher level of authority and decision-making granted to the unique advanced practice nurse role.

These courses aim to educate nursing professionals in various healthcare settings on relevant topics, such as the laws and regulations of the Nurse Practice Act in their respective states, cardiovascular health, nutrition practices for cardiovascular health, management of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, insulin pumps and glucose management, hospice and palliative care, pharmacological treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE), commonly used antipsychotic medications, pharmacological options for critical care patients, pharmacological treatment plans for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and antihypertensive medications.

General Requirements

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) requires all re-certification candidates to complete 75 continuing education hours, plus one or more of the ANCC renewal categories in the candidate’s certification specialty. All advanced practice registered nurses (nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists) must complete 25 contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics as a portion of the 75 required hours.

State-Specific Requirements

Continuing education requirements for APRNs vary significantly from state to state. Here's an overview of the requirements in several states:

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California

In the State of California, Registered nurses are required by law (California Code of Regulations, Section 1451, Article 5) to complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years, in addition to paying the renewal fee, to maintain an active license. Continuing education courses must have been completed during the preceding renewal period (when renewing), or during the preceding two years (when renewing a delinquent or lapsed license, or going from an inactive to active license). RNs are advised to use the BreEZe License Verification system to check the current status of the provider's CEP number to ensure it is still active. The content of all courses of continuing education must be relevant to the practice of nursing. Learning experiences are expected to enhance the knowledge of the registered nurse at a level above that required for licensure. Courses related to the scientific knowledge for the practice of nursing include basic and advanced courses in the physical, social, and behavioral sciences, as well as advanced nursing in general or specialty areas. Content which includes the application of scientific knowledge to patient care in addition to advanced nursing courses may include courses in related areas. Courses taken for college or university credit can be used for RN continuing education. The course(s) must be of an advanced level (above the knowledge required for licensure). Courses approved by appropriate state, regional and national health professional associations as well as other professional health and licensing boards in and out of California can be acceptable, so long as the content meets the Board's requirements as specified in Title 16, California Code of Regulations, Section 1456. All RNs are subject to random audits of CE compliance. If you obtained your initial RN license by passing the national licensing examination within the past two years and this is your first renewal, you are exempt from the CE requirement, with the exception of the Implicit Bias requirement. In accordance with AB 1407 (Burke, Chapter 445, Statutes of 2021), starting January 1, 2023 a licensee still within the first 2 years of holding their license, immediately following their initial licensure, must complete one hour of direct participation in an implicit bias course offered by a continuing education provider that has been approved by the Board of Registered Nursing.

Florida

In Florida, specific continuing education requirements are mandated for nurses, including APRNs, to ensure they stay updated with current practices and regulations. A certain number of general hours must be approved by a state or national organization empowered to accredit nursing continuing education. Additionally, there are mandatory courses such as Prevention of Medical Errors, Florida Laws & Rules, Recognition of Impairment in the Workplace, Human Trafficking, Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances, Domestic Violence, and HIV/AIDS. These courses must be board approved, with the exception of Human Trafficking, which must meet criteria outlined in S. 464.013, F.S. The number of required hours varies for each category, with specific intervals for certain topics like Domestic Violence and Recognition of Impairment in the Workplace. Licensees are required to complete the Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances course every renewal/biennium. Notably, Section 381.026(4) Florida Statutes provides provisions for exemption from one two-year reporting cycle of continuing medical education credits and license fees for primary care physicians who post a schedule of medical charges, although this waiver does not include the unlicensed activity fee, background check fee, or dispensing fee. Furthermore, a $24.00 background screening fee and a $5.00 fee to combat unlicensed activity are assessed upon initial licensure and at each renewal, in accordance with sections 456.0391(4)(b) and 456.065(3), Florida Statutes, respectively.

Minnesota

In Minnesota, APRNs can be licensed by the board of nursing and certified by a national nurse certification organization to practice as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Certified Nurse Practitioner (CNP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), or Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). The APRN must be certified as one of the four APRN roles and one of the six population foci. CNP and CNS beginning practice after July 1, 2014, must practice for at least 2,080 hours within the context of a collaborative management setting in a hospital or integrated clinical setting where APRNs and physicians work together. Collaborative management means a mutually agreed upon plan for the overall working relationship between a CNP or CNS and one or more Minnesota licensed physician or APRN that designates the scope of collaboration needed to manage the care of patients. The CNP, CNS, and one of the collaborating physicians or APRN must have experience in providing care to patients with the same or similar medical problems. There are no additional continuing educational requirements for the APRN license renewal. Current certification in the role and population for which the individual is licensed must be on file with the Board. Current APRN certification on file at the Board will meet the 24 contact hours of continuing education during a 24-month period of registration requirement for the RN license.

Mississippi

Applicants for Mississippi Board of Nursing (Board) APRN certification must be currently licensed as a Registered Nurse in Mississippi, or hold an active unrestricted Registered Nurse multi-state Compact license. If your primary state of residence is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC), you will need to provide proof of multi-state licensure in that Compact state in order to be granted APRN privilege in Mississippi. APRN guidelines are outlined in §73-15-20 of the Mississippi Nursing Practice Law and 30 Mississippi Administrative Code Part 2840. Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QA/QI) Plan: A formal quality assurance/ quality improvement plan to be utilized by the advanced practice registered nurse, as required by Miss. Code Ann. The Board of Nursing does not dictate specifics of the APRN’s QA/QI plan. The APRN is responsible for maintaining documentation of current national certification as an APRN in a designated area of practice by a national certification organization recognized by the Board. In the case of a lapse in national certification, the APRN must notify the Mississippi Board of Nursing. The APRN must stop practicing immediately until such time as the national certification is renewed.

Texas

Texas APRNs must complete twenty (20) hours of continuing education every two years. All nurses who provide direct care to patients must complete a human trafficking course. All nurses must complete at least 2 contact hours of CE relating to nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics before the end of every third two-year licensing period. Nurses whose practice includes older or geriatric populations must complete 2 contact hours relating to older adult or geriatric populations. Any nurse who is employed in an emergency room (ER) setting, including any nurse who could float to an ER or have shifts scheduled in an ER, as well as any nurse employed under contractual, temporary, per diem, agency, traveling, or another employment relationship whose duties include working in an ER must complete at least 2 contact hours of CE relevant to forensic evidence collection and age- or population-specific nursing interventions that may be required by other laws and/or are necessary in order to assure evidence collection that meets requirements under the Government Code §420.031 regarding use of an Attorney General-approved evidence collection kit and protocol. APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete 5 contact hours related to pharmacotherapeutics. These hours are in addition to the 20 contact hours required. APRNs with prescriptive authority must also complete 4 contact hours pertaining to Pain Management and Prescription of Opioids. Texas licenses expire every two years at the end of your birth month.

Louisiana

Louisiana APRNs must maintain national certification. APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete six (6) continuing education hours in pharmacotherapeutics annually, twelve (12) hours every two years. APRNs that prescribe controlled substances are required to complete three (3) hours of continuing education regarding the prescription of controlled substances; this is a one-time requirement. Louisiana nursing licenses are renewed October 1st through December 31st.

Meeting CE Requirements

Several options are available for APRNs to fulfill their continuing education requirements. These include:

Online Courses: Many organizations, such as Nurse.com and NurseCE4Less, offer a wide range of online courses that meet state and national CE requirements. Nurse.com gift cards can be redeemed on their CE library of more than 750 online courses or on an annual Unlimited CE subscription, giving nurses access to the CME they need for state license renewal requirements, professional development and enhanced patient care. Please note that gift cards cannot be redeemed on Focused CE courses.
Conferences and Seminars: Attending professional conferences and seminars can provide valuable learning opportunities and allow APRNs to network with colleagues.
College Courses: College courses can count as CEUs for nurses, but specific conditions must be met. College courses can be accepted if they are relevant to nursing practice and offered by an accredited institution. College courses usually translate into CEUs through contact hours. For instance, one CEU is equivalent to 10 contact hours of participation in an accredited program. It's essential for nurses to verify with their state licensing board to ensure that the specific college courses they plan to take will be recognized as CEUs.
Specialty Certifications: 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.

Resources for APRNs

State Boards of Nursing: Each state's board of nursing provides detailed information on continuing education requirements for APRNs.
Professional Organizations: Organizations such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) offer resources and support for APRNs, including information on continuing education.
CE Tracking Tools: Online platforms like CE Broker can help APRNs track their CE credits and ensure they meet all requirements. A free account lets you manage your nurse life in one place. We’ll track your licenses and credentials, remind you when CE is due, and keep your resume and job profile in one place. Search and save jobs, access career resources, take free CE courses, enter monthly giveaways, get exclusive discounts from top brands, and connect with peers in our supportive community.

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