Looking for the nursing CE requirements in North Carolina?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
Here, we’re going to list all the requirements needed to renew your NC nursing license, from CNAs to LPNs, RNs, and APRNs. This way, you can start getting ready for the renewal cycle.
Let’s begin!
North Carolina Nursing CE Requirements
Here is a summary of the nursing CE requirements in North Carolina for a quick read!
| CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) | No CEs required! Must have qualified work experience for at least 8 hours for 24 months within the registry listing period Your CNA listing in North Carolina expires on the last day of the 24th month of the start of your initial listing. |
| LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) | 30 CE hours every 2 years OR 15 contact hours PLUS one of the following: Authoring or co-authoring a nursing article, book, chapter, or paper Completing a nursing project Conducting nursing continuing education presentation for a minimum of 5 contact hours 640 hours of active practice Your NC LPN license should be renewed at least 90 days before the expiration date. |
| RN (Registered Nurse) | 30 CE hours every 2 years OR 15 contact hours PLUS one of the following: Authoring or co-authoring a nursing article, book, chapter, or paper Completing a nursing project Conducting nursing continuing education presentation for a minimum of 5 contact hours 640 hours of active practice Your NC RN license should be renewed at least 90 days before the expiration date. |
| APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) | For APRN-CNSs and APRN-CNRAs 30 CE hours every 2 years For APRN-NPs 50 CE hours every year Must maintain national certification For APRNs who are authorized to prescribe control substances: 1 contact hour on controlled substance prescribing practices, controlled substances prescribing for chronic pain management, and signs of abuse or misuse of controlled substances |
Now, let’s get into detail.
North Carolina CNA Continuing Education Requirements
Good news for CNAs! You are not required to take any nursing continuing education.
To renew your license, you only need to have at least 8 hours of paid work experience. This should be as a nurse aide under the supervision of an RN during the 24 months renewal period.
If qualified, the registry will mail the renewal form 3 months before your listing expires. Take note that W-2 forms are NOT accepted.
The report of work experience should be signed by an RN who supervised the CNA or any other RNs who have access to employment records.
Need to verify your CNA listing status?
Head over to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website.
North Carolina LPN Continuing Education Requirements
LPNs in North Carolina have several options to renew their license during a 24-month renewal period.
To be eligible for license renewal, you must meet one of the following requirements:
- 30 contact hours of continuing education
- 15 contact hours of continuing education plus 640 hours of active practice
- 15 contact hours of continuing education plus completion of a nursing project as principal investigator or co-investigator
- 15 contact hours of continuing education plus authoring or co-authoring a nursing-related article, book, paper, or book chapter
- 15 contact hours of continuing education plus conducting or developing a nursing continuing education presentation with a minimum of 5 contact hours
- Complete a Board-approved refresher course
- A minimum of 2 semester hours of nursing-related post-license academic education
- Certification or recertification by a Board-recognized National Credentialing Body
Your NC LPN license should be renewed before the last day of your birth month in the second year.
If you fail to renew, your license will be INACTIVE starting at 12:01 am after your expiration due date.
North Carolina RN Continuing Education Requirements
RNs should meet the minimum requirements within the 2-year period to be eligible for license renewal.
The CE requirements for RNs is to complete 30 contact hours of continuing education.
However, just like LPNs, RNs have other options to meet the requirements. You can also complete one of the following:
- 15 contact hours of continuing education AND 640 hours of active practice
- 15 contact hours of continuing education AND completion of a nursing project as principal investigator or co-investigator
- 15 contact hours of continuing education AND authoring or co-authoring a nursing-related article, book, paper, or book chapter
- 15 contact hours of continuing education AND conducting or developing a nursing continuing education presentation with a minimum of 5 contact hours
- Complete a Board-approved refresher course
- A minimum of 2 semester hours of nursing-related post-license academic education
- Certification or recertification by a Board-recognized National Credentialing Body
Your RN license expires after 24 months on the last day of your birth month. The license should be renewed at least 90 days before the expiration date.
North Carolina APRN Continuing Education Requirements
For APRNs in North Carolina, the board has different requirements for each type.
APRN-CNSs and APRN-CRNAs are required to complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years OR complete 15 CE hours AND one of the following:
- 640 hours of active practice
- Completion of a nursing project as principal investigator or co-investigator
- Authoring or co-authoring a nursing-related article, book, paper, or book chapter
- Conducting or developing a nursing continuing education presentation with a minimum of 5 contact hours
- Complete a Board-approved refresher course
- A minimum of two semester hours of nursing-related post-license academic education
- Certification or recertification by a Board-recognized National Credentialing Body.
On the other hand, APRN-NPs should maintain their national certification and are required to complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every year.
For APRNs that are authorized to prescribe controlled substances, they are required to complete 1 contact hour of continuing education on controlled substance prescribing practices, controlled substances prescribing for chronic pain management, and signs of abuse or misuse of controlled substances
You should renew your North Carolina APRN license 90 days before the expiration date.
FAQs
How do I submit evidence of Continuing Competence to the Board for the audit?
You can email, fax, or mail your audit information.
Fax: 919-781-9461
Email: tammy@ncbon.com
Mail: Attn: Continuing Competence
PO Box 2129
Raleigh, NC 27602
Where can I check the status of my license renewal in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Board of Nursing or NCBON no longer provides mail notifications or wallet-size licenses once it has been renewed or reinstated. Instead, you can verify your license with this link.
Is North Carolina part of the compact nursing states?
Yes, North Carolina is a member of the eNLC.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several requirement options to choose from for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs to qualify for license renewal in North Carolina.
It’s up to you to decide which way you want to go.
Of course, if you ask us, the simplest way to complete your requirements is to complete the 30 contact hours of continuing education.
So now that you know what the requirements are, you should start working towards it so you can renew your license on time.
We hope that this article has been a great help!
Last updated: March 31, 2023 (Requirements taken from North Carolina BON website)