Nursing CE Requirements in Hawaii – Everything You Should Know

Have trouble finding what you need to renew your nursing license in Hawaii? 

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. 

We made sure to list down everything you should know in order to submit your CE requirements in Hawaii. 

So, close the other 20 tabs you have opened in your browser and keep on reading! 

Hawaii Nursing CE Requirements

Don’t have time to go through the whole article? 

Here’s a streamlined overview of the nursing CE requirements for each field. Take a look:

Now that that’s out of the way. Let’s take a closer look at each nursing practice and its CE requirements below. 

Hawaii CNA Continuing Education Requirements

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in Hawaii do not need to comply with any CE requirements to renew their nursing license.

However, they need to have worked for pay for at least 8 hours of nursing or nursing-related services in the last 2 years. 

Special requirements:

If you worked as a CNA in a non-Medicaid/Medicare-approved facility, but in a licensed healthcare setting, you have to include a training completion certificate and pass a 24-hour competency training course or 24 hours of CE training. 

Hawaii LPN Continuing Education Requirements

As for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) in Hawaii, they must complete at least 1 of the following learning activity options to qualify for renewal. 

Please note that only one activity option may be completed in one biennium. You are also not allowed to combine any of the learning activities mentioned. 

Your requirement options are:

• Complete no less than 30 hours of CE courses

• Complete 2-semester credits minimum of post-licensure academic education related to your nursing practice

• Take a refresher course of at least 60 hours of didactic practice and 60 hours of clinical practice

• Complete a board-recognized nurse residency program

• Author or co-author a peer-reviewed published nursing or health-related article, book, or book chapter within the biennium

• Act as a principal or co-principal for a nursing research study

• Act as a preceptor for at least 1 nursing student or employee transitioning into a new clinical practice area for at least 120 hours, in a one-to-one relationship

• Lead or co-lead an EBP project completed within the 2-year license renewal cycle

• Develop and present a nursing education presentation totaling a minimum of 5 contact hours of organized instruction that qualifies as CE within the 2-year license renewal cycle

• A similar type of learning activity option; provided that the type of activity shall be recognized by the Board.

Hawaii RN Continuing Education Requirements

Registered Nurses (RNs) in Hawaii have the same requirements as LPNs. 

Instead of a few requirements, you can just choose 1 requirement out of the available 10. Here are the options:

• Complete 30 hours of CE courses approved by the Board

• Complete 2-semester credits minimum of post-licensure academic education related to your nursing practice

• Take a refresher course. Should have 60 hours of didactic practice and 60 hours of clinical practice

• Complete a nurse residency program recognized by the Board

• Author or co-author a peer-reviewed published nursing or health-related article, book, or book chapter within the biennium

• Act as a principal or co-principal for a nursing research study

• Act as a preceptor for at least 1 nursing student or employee transitioning into a new clinical practice area for at least 120 hours, in a one-to-one relationship

• Lead or co-lead an EBP project completed within the 2-year license renewal cycle

• Develop and present a nursing education presentation totaling a minimum of 5 contact hours of organized instruction that qualifies as CE within the 2-year license renewal cycle

• A similar type of learning activity option; provided that the type of activity shall be recognized by the Board.

IMPORTANT: You can only do 1 activity per renewal. You can’t do a little of this and a little of that. 

Hawaii APRN Continuing Education Requirements 

What if you’re an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Hawaii? 

Well, if you are nationally certified, then you don’t need to worry about continuing education requirements.

You are exempted from them as long as you can show proof of a current national certificate in your specific APRN practice area. This does not apply to those with prescriptive authority though (which we will discuss below).

However, if you are NOT nationally certified, then you must fulfill the CE requirements similar to LPNs and RNs, which are:

• Study 30 hours of CE courses

• Study 2-semester credits minimum of post-licensure academic education related to your nursing practice

• Study a refresher course of at least 60 hours of didactic practice and 60 hours of clinical practice

• Take a board-recognized nurse residency program

• Write or co-write a peer-reviewed published nursing or health-related article, book, or book chapter

• Act as a principal or co-principal for a nursing research study

• Act as a preceptor for at least 1 nursing student or employee transitioning into a new clinical practice area for at least 120 hours

• Lead or co-lead an EBP project completed within the renewal cycle

• Develop and present a nursing education presentation totaling a minimum of 5 contact hours of organized instruction that qualifies as CE within the renewal cycle

• A similar learning activity; provided that the activity is recognized by the Board.

You can only complete 1 option per renewal. So you can’t do a little of the CE courses and a little of the activity or training. 

If you are an APRN with prescriptive authority, then you must show proof of:

• Current national certification in your specialty area

• 30 contact hours of CE with 8 hours dedicated to pharmacology related to your clinical practice and is approved by a board-recognized certifying organization.

FAQs 

To help you along, here are some FAQs that may clear some confusion about your nursing CE requirements in Hawaii.

How much does it cost to renew a nursing license in Hawaii?

For the renewal fee alone, LPNs and RNs need to pay $176. That doesn’t include the fees you will pay for, say, your continuing education. So it might cost around $300-500 for the overall expenses. 

When does my nursing license expire in Hawaii?

Whether you are an LPN, RN, or APRN, your will expire on June 30, every odd-numbered year. So your upcoming renewal should be before June 30, 2023. 

Is NetCE accredited in Hawaii?

Yes!

If you want to fulfill some education requirements, then you can find courses that NetCE offers. This is because it is accredited by the Hawaii State Board of Nursing. 

Conclusion

There you have it!

Those were all the requirements you will need to renew your nursing license in Hawaii. 

Sure, for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs, there is a lot of options to take in. Don’t rush it. 

Take your time to decide which renewal path you want to take. 

Good luck!

Last updated: April 4, 2023 (Requirements taken from Hawaii BON website)