REGULATORY APPROACHES FOR ACCEPTING RN SPECIALTY CERTIFICATION AS PART OF CONTINUING EDUCATION/CONTINUED COMPETENCE Items one through seven are illustrative of regulatory approaches recognizing specialty certification to satisfy the RN re licensure requirements related to continuing education/competence. 1. Boards of nursing may choose to recognize the hours spent completing education contact hours in pursuit of the RN specialty certification, not the attainment of the certification itself. 2. Document and demonstrate the achievement, maintenance, or renewal of a board approved national nursing certification in the nurse s area of practice. (example: TX) 3. Demonstrate national certification in specialty area in last five years. (example: WY) 4. Maintenance of certification or re certification by a national certifying body recognized by the board. (example: SC) 5. National certification or re certification by a national credentialing body recognized by the board. (example: NC) 6. National certification initially earned or in effect the entire reporting period (example: WV) 7. A national certification or recertification related to the nurse's practice role (in effect during the entire period or initially earned during the period. (example: KY) Note well: Pay attention to how a board of nursing is recognizing RN specialty certification. The Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN ) recommends that each state board make individual decisions on certifications based on its examination of psychometric soundness and legal defensibility. REFERENCES GENERAL CONTINUING EDUCATION/COMPETENCE REQUIREMENTS (NO CONTENT OR COURSE REQUIREMENTS) Alabama Alaska California Delaware District of Columbia 24 contact hours every two years. 12 contact hours allowed through independent study. Two of the following three are required for license renewal: 30 contact hours OR 30 hours professional nursing activities, OR 320 hours nursing employment. Required to complete 30 hours of continuing education for license renewal. Required to complete 30 contact hours every two years. 24 contact hours every two years. Page 1 of 5
Illinois Iowa Kansas Louisiana Massachusetts Minnesota Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico North Carolina Required to complete 20 contact hours every two years. For renewal of a three-year license, the requirement is 36 contact hours. For renewal of a license issued for less than three years, the requirement is 24 contact hours. For reactivation, the requirement is 12 contact hours that are not more than 12 months old at the time the credit is submitted for reactivation. For renewal of a license that has been issued for less than three years, the requirement is 24 contact hours or 2.4 CEUs. The licensee is required to complete at least two hours of training every five years. Required to complete 30 contact hours every two years. No maximum on the number of independent study hours that can be obtained. The annual continuing education requirement is based on employment: five contact hours (full-time nursing practice), 10 contact hours (part-time nursing practice), or 15 contact hours (not employed or worked less than 160 hours). Required to complete 15 contact hours every two years. Must complete 24 contact hours every two years. Must complete a minimum of 24 contact hours during the two-year renewal period. Renewal requires 20 contact hours within the last renewal period. At least 10 of the 20 hours must be formally peer reviewed and approved continuing education. Up to four hours may be CPR or BLS courses. 30 contact hours in two years immediately preceding license application including workshops, conferences, lectures or other education offerings designed to enhance nursing knowledge, judgment, and skills. No limit on the number of contact hours that can be completed through independent study. 30 contact hours every two years. Required to complete 30 hours of approved CE within the 24 months immediately preceding expiration of license. For reinstatement or relicensure, a plan for continued competence and completion of one of the following is required: 1) National certification or re-certification by a national credentialing body recognized by the Board; 2) 30 contact hours of CE; 3) Completion of Board approved refresher course; 4) Completion of a minimum of two semester hours of postlicensure academic education related to nursing practice; 5) 15 contact hours of CE and completion of a nursing project as principal investigator or co-investigator to include statement of problem, project objectives, methods, date of completion and summary of findings; 6) 15 contact hours of CE and authoring or co-authoring a nursing related article, paper, book or book chapter; 7) 15 contact hours of CE and developing and conducting a nursing CE presentation or presentations totaling a minimum of five contact hours, including program brochure or course syllabi, objectives, date and location of presentation, and approximate number of attendees or; 8) 15 contact hours of CE and 640 hours of active practice within previous two years. Page 2 of 5
North Dakota Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina Tennessee Texas For license renewal, the nurse must meet the continued competence requirements. Included in this requirement is the completion of 12 contact hours of CE. All CE required for license renewal may be obtained online. 30 contact hours every two years. Required to complete 10 contact hours every two years. Online courses are acceptable. Demonstration of competency for renewal of an active license biennially requires documented evidence of at least one of the following requirements during the licensure period: 1. Completion of thirty contact hours from a CE provider recognized by the board; 2. Maintenance of certification or re-certification by a national certifying body recognized by the board; 3. Completion of an academic program of study in nursing or a related field recognized by the board; or 4. Verification of competency and the number of hours practiced as evidenced by employer certification on a form approved by the board. CE for re-licensure is not mandatory in Tennessee. However, mandatory continuing competency is required. In order to maintain continued competence, the board requires the nurse to have practiced in nursing in the last five (5) years and, additionally, the Board sets out standards of competence and requirements to maintain competence which includes evidence of current national certification. Required to complete 20 contact hours every two years. New rule adopted to accept specialty certification for CE requirements. Utah Renewal of a license requires one of the following every two years: 30 contact hours, OR 200 practice hours and 15 contact hours, OR 400 practice hours. Wyoming Requirement for re-licensure: 20 contact hours in the last two years OR combination of nursing practice and contact hours OR minimum 1600 hours in nursing practice in the last five years OR minimum 500 hours in nursing practice in the last two years OR passing NCLEX within the last five years OR national certification in specialty area in last five years OR completion of a refresher/orientation program in the last five years. STATES WITH CE CONTENT REQUIREMENTS FOR RNS Florida Georgia Must complete 24 hours of appropriate CE during each renewal period. NEW: Florida accepts the CE performed to obtain specialty certification to count toward that state s mandated CE requirement for RN licensure renewals. One (1) contact hour is required for each calendar month of the licensure cycle. In 2013, in part due to the publicity generated by the BCEN project within its five pilot states, the Georgia law was amended to require licensees to complete continuing competency/education requirements as a condition of licensure renewal. These requirements become effective as part of the 2016 renewal cycle (any license expiring on or after January 31, 2016). Licensees may select one of the following options to fulfill the continuing competency/education requirements. If audited, the licensee will be required to submit documentation of com- Page 3 of 5
pletion of one the following five options. Licensees, who submit a renewal application, are selected for renewal audit and do not complete the audit requirements will be considered to have submitted an incomplete renewal and the license will not be renewed. Options: (1) Completion of thirty (30) continuing education hours by a Board-approved provider; (2) Maintenance of certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board in Rule 410-12-12; (3) Completion of an approved academic program; (4) Verification of competency by approved employer; or (5) Completion of a Board-approved re-entry program or nursing education program. Kentucky Michigan Nevada New York Ohio Oregon Virginia Must have proof of earning 14 approved contact hours; OR a national certification or recertification related to the nurse's practice role (in effect during the entire period or initially earned during the period) OR completion of a nursing research project as principal investigator, co-investigator, or project director. Must be qualitative or quantitative in nature, utilize research methodology, and include a summary of the findings OR publication of a nursing related article OR a professional nursing education presentation that is developed by the presenter, presented to nurses or other health professionals, and evidenced by a program brochure, course syllabi, or a letter from the offering provider identifying the licensee s participation as the presenter of the offering OR participation as a preceptor for at least one nursing student or new employee undergoing orientation (must be for at least 120 hours, have a oneto-one relationship with student or employee, may precept more than one student during the 120 hours, and preceptorship shall be evidenced by written documentation from the educational institution or preceptor s supervisor) OR proof of earning seven approved contact hours, PLUS a nursing employment evaluation that is satisfactory for continued employment (must be signed by supervisor with the name, address, and phone number of the employer included), and cover at least six months of the earning period. Nursing courses, designated by a nursing course number, and courses in physical and social sciences such as psychology, biology, and sociology can count toward CE. Nurses must complete 25 hours of board-approved continuing education within the two years immediately preceding the expiration date of their license. For relicensure, must have completed 30 hours of nursing-related continuing education in the previous 24 months. Required to complete three contact hours infection control every four years; two contact hours child abuse (one time requirement for initial license). Programs must be from an approved provider. Relicensure requirement: 24 contact hours every two years. One-time requirement for seven hours of pain management-related CE. One hour must be a course provided by the Oregon Pain Management Commission. The remaining six hours can be nurse s choice of pain management topics. Once this requirement is fulfilled, no additional CE requirements are required for renewal. Allows specialty RN certification to count toward Virginia s RN CE requirements. Awaiting details on which certifications are accepted. Page 4 of 5
West Virginia Completion of 12 contact hours of CE required for RN relicensure. May be accomplished by: 1) Completing 12 contact hours of CE from an approved CE provider or 2) Completing six contact hours of CE from an approved CE provider which may include two contact hours of self-study and one of the following completed during the reporting period: A. National certification initially earned or in effect the entire reporting period; B. Completion of a nursing research project as principal investigator, co-investigator or project director; C. Published a nursing related article in a national nursing or healthcare journal; D. Developed and presented a professional nursing education presentation; E. Participated as a clinical preceptor for at least one student or one new employee undergoing orientation and have 120 hours of one-on-one relationship as a clinical preceptor during the reporting period; F. Evidence of satisfactory evaluation of employment that covers at least six months of the reporting period; or G. Completion of an approved nursing refresher or re-entry course. 11/18/14 Page 5 of 5