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RN CEU Requirements Different in Every State
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October 28th, 2011
By Jennifer Olin, BSN, RN .jpg)
One of the requirements for being a licensed professional nurse in many states is the completion of a certain number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every couple of years. Like nursing licenses, there is no uniformity across the states for how many credits you need or how often or what kind. Listed below, you will find the current requirements for CEUs for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These are always open to change, and I have supplied the website address for each state's board of nursing or licensing as well, so you can double check what you need when that time comes around.
ALABAMA
- Twenty-four contact hours every two years; 12 contact hours allowed through independent study, such as programs in a nursing journals, online, the development and oral presentation of a paper before a professional or lay group, etc.
Contact – Alabama Board of Nursing http://www.abn.state.al.us/
ALASKA
Complete two of the following:
- Thirty contact hours of continuing education prescribed under 12 AAC 44.610.
- Thirty hours of participation in professional activities prescribed under 12 AAC 44.620.
- Three-hundred-and-twenty 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.
RNs who receive their original license on or after Dec. 1 of odd-numbered years are not required to provide proof of continuing competency for their first renewal.
Contact – Alaska Board of Nursing http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/occ/pnur.htm
ARIZONA
No CEUs required.
Contact – Alaska Board of Nursing http://www.azbn.gov
ARKANSAS
Complete one of the following during each renewal period:
- Fifteen practice-focused contact hours from a provider recognized by the ASBN Certification or recertification during the renewal period by a certifying body recognized by the ASBN
- An academic course in nursing or related field
- Provide other evidence as requested by the board
Contact – Arkansas State Board of Nursing www.arsbn.org
CALIFORNIA
- Thirty contact hours every two years
Contact –California Board of Nursing www.rn.ca.gov
COLORADO
No CEUs required
Contact – Colorado Board of Nursing http://www.dora.state.co.us/Nursing
CONNECTICUT
No CEUs required
Contact – Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3143&q=388910&dphNav_GID=1830
DELAWARE
- Thirty contact hours every two years
- License Renewal:
- One thousand hours in the past five years or 400 hours in the past two years
- Refresher course in the past two years
Contact – Delaware Board of Nursing http://www.dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
- Twenty-four contact hours every two years
Contact – District of Columbia Board of Nursing http://www.dchealth.dc.gov
FLORIDA
- Twenty-four hours every two years
- Must include two hours on prevention of medical errors
- One-time, one hour CE on HIV/AIDS prior to the first renewal
- Two hours every third renewal on domestic violence
Contact – Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/index.html
GEORGIA
No CEUs required
Contact – Georgia Board of Nursing http://sos.georgia.gov/plb/rn
HAWAII
No CEUs required
Contact – Hawaii Board of Nursing http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/boards/nursing
IDAHO
No CEUs Required
Contact – Idaho Board of Nursing http://ibn.idaho.gov/IBNPortal/
ILLINOIS
- Twenty hours every two years
Contact - Illinois Board of Nursing http://www.idfpr.com/profs/info/Nursing.asp
INDIANA
No CEUs Required
Contact – Indiana State Board of Nursing http://www.in.gov/pla/nursing.htm
IOWA
- Thirty-six contact hours or 3.6 CEUs (for renewal of a three-year license)
- Twenty-four contact hours or 2.4 CEUs (for renewal of a license that has been issued for less than three years; applies to the first renewal after any one of the following: initial Iowa licensure by examination; initial Iowa licensure by endorsement from another state; reactivation from an inactive status
- Twelve contact hours that are not more than 12 months old (for reactivation from an inactive status)
- One-time, two-hour course on abuse identification and reporting
Contact - Iowa Board of Nursing http://nursing.iowa.gov/
KANSAS
- Thirty contact hours every two years
Contact – Kansas State Board of Nursing http://www.ksbn.org/
KENTUCKY
- Fourteen contact hours every two years
Contact – Kentucky Board of Nursing http://www.kbn.ky.gov/board
LOUISIANA
- Full-time (minimum 1,600 hours) practitioners, five contact hours annually
- Part-time (160-1,599 hours) practitioners, 10 contact hours annually
- Unemployed/Inactive, 15 contact hours annually
- License reinstatement, 15 contact hours annually
- None required for first year of licensure
Contact – Louisiana State Board of Nursing http://www.lsbn.state.la.us/
MAINE
No CEUs required
Contact – Maine State Board of Nursing http://www.state.me.us/boardofnursing/
MARYLAND
No CEUs required
Contact –Maryland Board of Nursing http://www.mbon.org/main.php
MASSACHUSETTS
- Fifteen contact hours every two years
Contact – Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing www.state.ma.us/reg/boards/rn
MICHIGAN
- Twenty-five hours, including at least one hour in pain and symptom management, in every license cycle
Contact – Michigan Board of Nursing www.michigan.gov/nursing
MINNESOTA
- Twenty-four contact hours every two years obtained in one of three ways: obtain a current nursing specialty certificate; participate in CE activities; participate in certain professional activities
Contact – Minnesota Board of Nursing http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/home.do?agency=NursingBoard
MISSISSIPPI
No CEUs required
Contact – Mississippi Board of Nursing http://www.msbn.state.ms.us/
MISSOURI
No CEUs required
Contact – Missouri State Board of Nursing http://pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp
MONTANA
No CEUs required
Contact – Montana State Board of Nursing http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/board_page.as
NEBRASKA
- Twenty contact hours every two years. Those hours: must be related to the practice of nursing; at least 10 of the 20 hours must be formally peer reviewed and approved continuing education; and up to four hours may be CPR or BLS courses
Contact – Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/crl/nursing/Rn-Lpn/rn-lpn.htm
NEVADA
- Thirty contact hours every two years
Contact – Nevada State Board of Nursing http://nevadanursingboard.org/
http://www.nursingboard.state.nv.us/
NEW HAMPSHIRE
- Thirty hours in two years following licensure
Contact – New Hampshire Board of Nursing http://www.nh.gov/nursing/index.html
NEW JERSEY
- Thirty hours every two years
Contact – New Jersey Board of Nursing http://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/nursing/
NEW MEXICO
- Thirty hours every two years
Contact – New Mexico Board of Nursing http://www.bon.state.nm.us/
NEW YORK
- Three contact hours infection control every four years
- Two contact hours child abuse (one time)
Contact – New York Division of Professional Licensing Services http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/
NORTH CAROLINA
Completion of one of the following:
- National certification or re-certification by a national credentialing body
- Thirty contact hours CEUs
- Completion of a board approved refresher course
- Completion of a minimum of two semester hours of post-licensure academic education related to nursing practice
- Fifteen contact hours of continued education and completion of a nursing project as principal investigator or co-investigator
- Fifteen contact hours of continued education and authoring or co-authoring a nursing related article, paper, book or book chapter
- Fifteen contact hours of continued education and developing and conducting a nursing continuing education presentation or presentations totaling a minimum of five contact hours
- Fifteen contact hours of continued education and 640 hours of active practice within previous two years
Contact – North Carolina Board of Nursing http://www.ncbon.com
NORTH DAKOTA
- Twelve contact hours every two years
Contact – North Dakota Board of Nursing https://www.ndbon.org/
OHIO
- Twenty-four contact hours every licensure period, including a minimum of one contact hour related to the Law (ORC 4723) and the Rules (OAC 4723 1-23) governing nursing practice in Ohio
Contact – Ohio Board of Nursing http://www.nursing.ohio.gov/
OKLAHOMA
No CEUs required
Contact – Oklahoma Board of Nursing http://www.state.ok.us/nursing/
OREGON
- One-time, seven-hour course on pain management
Contact – Oregon State Board of Nursing http://www.oregon.gov/OSBN/
PENNSYLVANIA
- Thirty hours every two years
Contact – Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing http://www.dos.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/bureau_of_professional___occupational_affairs/12483
RHODE ISLAND
- Ten hours every two years
Contact – Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education http://www.health.ri.gov/for/nurses/
SOUTH CAROLINA
Complete at least one of the following during the licensure period:
- Thirty contact hours
- Maintenance of certification or re-certification by a national certifying body
- Completion of an academic program of study in nursing or a related field
- Verification of competency and the number of hours practiced as evidenced by employer certification
Contact – South Carolina Board of Nursing http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Nursing/
SOUTH DAKOTA
No CEUs required
Contact – South Dakota Board of Nursing http://doh.sd.gov/boards/nursing/
TENNESSEE
- Two of 15 items from established list with each renewal period
Contact – Tennessee State Board of Nursing http://health.state.tn.us/boards/Nursing/index.htm
TEXAS
- Twenty contact hours
Contact – Texas Board of Nurse Examiners http://www.bne.state.tx.us/
UTAH
Must complete one of the following every two years:
- Fifteen contact hours and 200 hours of practice
- Thirty contact hours
Contact – Utah State Board of Nursing http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/nursing.html
VERMONT
No CEUs required
Contact – Vermont Board of Nursing http://vtprofessionals.org/opr1/nurses/
VIRGINIA
No CEUs required
Contact – Virginia Board of Nursing http://www.dhp.state.va.us/nursing/default.htm
WASHINGTON
No CEUs required
Contact – Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/professions/Nursing/
WEST VIRGINIA
- Thirty contact hours every two years
- One-time, two contact hours on end-of-life care including pain management
Contact – West Virginia Board of Nursing http://www.wvrnboard.com/default.asp
WISCONSIN
No CEUs required
Contact – Wisconsin Board of Nursing http://drl.wi.gov/board_detail.asp?boardid=42&locid=0
WYOMING
CE Requirements
One of the following:
- Twenty contact hours
- Five-hundred practice hours every two years-1,600 practice hours every five years
- Refresher program
Contact – Wyoming State Board of Nursing https://nursing-online.state.wy.us/
