Regardless of whether you’re a CNA, an LPN, an RN, or an APRN, all nurses in Nebraska need to undergo a renewal process.
The requirements can be confusing, especially since different nurse types have varying prerequisites.
To help you out, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about Nursing CE requirements in Nebraska.
So let’s get started!
Nebraska Nursing CE Requirements
For those of you who can’t read through the entire article, check out this summary table to get all the important details you need about Nebraska Nursing CE requirements.
| Type | Requirement |
| CNA(Certified Nurse Assistant) | No CE Required! Must have worked as a nurse aid within the last 24 months |
| LPN(Licensed Practical Nurse) | 20 CE hours every 2 years * Only 4 hours can be from CPR or BLS * 10 hours must be peer-reviewed 500 practice hours every 5 years |
| RN(Registered Nurse) | 20 CE hours every 2 years * Only 4 hours can be from CPR or BLS * 10 hours must be peer-reviewed offerings 500 practice hours every 5 years |
| APRN(Advanced Practical Registered Nurse) | For APRN-CNS 40 CE hours every 2 years For APRN-NP If licensed for more than 2 years but less than 5 40 CE hours every 2 years * 10 hours must be in pharmacology If licensed for more than 5 years 40 CE hours every 2 years * 10 hours in must be pharmacology At least 2,080 practice hours as an APRN |
Let’s take a closer look at the various requirements.
Nebraska CNA Continuing Education Requirements
In Nebraska, there’s no formal process for renewing your CNA certification. In turn, Certified Nurse Assistants in Nebraska don’t have any CE requirements.
However, it doesn’t mean that your certification will never lapse. To keep it active, you need to have worked as a nurse aid within the last 24 months.
Unlike other states, there is no required number of hours. Even if it was for one day, it still counts.
Keep in mind that your work needs to be a paid position.
If more than 2 years have passed since you last worked as a nurse aid, you will have to undergo the certification exam again.
Nebraska LPN Continuing Education Requirements
Renewing your LPN license means meeting specific requirements for CE and practice hours.
You need to earn a total of 20 CE hours every 2 years to proceed with your LPN license renewal. You can complete this through continuing education or in-service education.
The great news is that Nebraska doesn’t have a preferred delivery format for continuing education. So, you can do it through home study or completely online. However, at least 10 contact hours should be peer reviewed offerings.
Now, it’s also important to remember that, out of the 20 CE hours, only 4 can be from a course on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CRP) or Basic Life Support (BLS).Â
You also need to have worked as a Licensed Practical Nurse for at least 500 hours in the last 5 years. It may sound like a lot, but that only translates to 63 days.
Note: LPN licenses expire every October 31st in odd-numbered years, so make sure you complete your renewal requirements before then.
Nebraska RN Continuing Education Requirements
In Nebraska, RNs also need 20 CE hours every 24 months.
It’s your choice whether to earn this through continuing education or in-service education. What’s more, you’re free to take these through home study or online education. Just make sure at least 10 contact hours of these offerings are peer reviewed.
Attending a course on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CRP) or Basic Life Support (BLS) can count towards your required CE hours. However, it caps at 4 hours.
Even if the program runs for more hours, anything over 4 is unaccredited.
As for practice hours, you need at least 500 hours as a Registered Nurse in the last 5 years.
Different from LPNs, your RN license expires every October 31st in even-numbered years. It’s crucial to take note of these so that you don’t accidentally miss your deadline (or end up trying to fulfill all your requirements at the last minute).
Nebraska APRN Continuing Education Requirements
All APRNs in Nebraska must have an active RN license or NLC multistate license.
That said, there are other prerequisites for APRN licenses, but these may vary depending on the type of license you hold.
For APRN-CNS
Clinical Nurse Specialists need to complete 40 CE hours as part of their renewal requirements.
The other prerequisite is practice hours.
If you’re a CNS, you need 2,080 practice hours within the last 5 years. If you supervised students in the clinical area as faculty in a graduate-level CNS program, these count towards your renewal requirements.
For APRN-CRNA
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists are the only APRN nurses that don’t have CE and practice hour requirements. The only thing you must do is to have a current national certification.
For APRN-CNM
CNMs currently don’t have CE requirements in Nebraska. If you want to renew your license, you’ll need to focus on practice hours.
You need to have worked as an APRN-CNM for at least 850 hours in the last 24 months OR 2,080 practice hours in 5 years.
If you graduated within the last 2 years, you don’t need to provide evidence of competence.
For APRN-NP
Similar to CRNAs, Nurse Practitioners must have current national certifications. On top of that, they also need to complete CE requirements and practice hours.
Your license renewal requirements vary depending on how long you’ve had your license.
Keep the following things in mind:
| How Long You’ve had Your License | What You Need to Renew It |
| Less than 2 years | No renewal requirements |
| More than 2 years but less than 5 | 40 CE hours (10 of which must be on pharmacology) |
| More than 5 years | 40 CE hours (10 of which must be on pharmacology) 2,080 practice hours in the last 5 years (500 of these should have been in a clinical setting wherein a direct nurse-patient relationship existed) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do I need to renew my nursing license in Nebraska?
All nurses in Nebraska need to renew their licenses every 2 years.
If you’re a Registered Nurse (RN) or an Advanced Practical Registered Nurse (APRN), your license expires on October 31st, even-numbered year.
However, if you’re a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), you’ll need to ensure you’ve completed all your renewal requirements before October 31st, odd-numbered years.
What’s the process of renewing my nursing license in Nebraska?
The renewal process for nurses in Nebraska is straightforward. It only involves 3 steps:
- Submit your renewal application. If you’re doing it on paper, you’ll have to send it in. You can also complete the process online.
- Complete the continuing education and practice requirements for your nurse type.
- Pay the renewal fee.
How many types of APRN licenses are there in Nebraska?
There are 4 types of APRN licenses in the state, namely:
- Certified Nurse Practitioners (APRN-CNP)
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (APRN-CRNA)
- Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (APRN-CNS)
- Certified Nurse Midwife (APRN-CNM)
As their names imply, you need to have current national certification for your specialty to renew your nursing license. Other renewal requirements, such as CE or practice hours, are detailed in our APRN section.
What is a compact state? Is Nebraska one of them?
Nebraska is a compact state, which means it’s part of the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC).
So, if you carry a multistate license, you can practice in other states that are part of the program. You can also give telenursing services to patients in other compact states.
These can help you earn practice hours and simultaneously provide healthcare to more people.
Conclusion
There you have it — all the information about nursing CE requirements in Nebraska.
Regardless of whether you’re a CNA, an LPN, an RN, or an APRN, you can use the information on this page to ensure you’ve got everything in order.
Should you need more information, you can also visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services‘ website.
We hope this article has been a great help!