To continue practicing your nursing profession, you are responsible for your certification or license renewal.
If the renewal period is approaching soon, you better start completing your requirements.
But what exactly are the nursing CE requirements in Ohio?
We got you covered.
Here, we’re going to give you all the prerequisites for CNAs, LPNS, RNs, and even APRNs.
So let’s begin!
Ohio Nursing CE Requirements
Don’t have time to read the entire article? Here’s a summary you can check out:
| CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) | CNAs are NOT required to complete any continuing education. CNAs should have at least 7.5 consecutive hours of paid work within 24 months. OR A minimum of 8 hours of paid work in a 48-hour period within 24 months. |
| LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) | 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years that includes: 1 contact hour of Category A or the laws and rules of the Ohio Nurse Practice Act For LPNs licensed by reciprocity for less than or at least a year, 12 contact hours of continuing education is required. The renewal period starts on September 1 to August 31 every even-numbered year. |
| RN (Registered Nurse) | 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years that includes: 1 contact hour in Category A or the laws and rules of the Ohio Nurse Practice Act For RNs licensed by reciprocity for less than or at least a year, 12 contact hours of continuing education is required The renewal period starts on July 1 to October 31 in odd-numbered years. |
| APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) | 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years that includes: 12 contact hours in advanced pharmacology The renewal period starts on July 1 to October 31 in odd-numbered years. |
If you want more information, continue reading!
Ohio CNA Continuing Education Requirements
CNA certification should be renewed every 2 years.
Now, weeks before the expiration date of your license, you will receive paperwork to help you complete the process.
Although CNAs are NOT required to complete continuing education in Ohio, you must meet the minimum requirement within the 24 months renewal period:
- Complete at least 7.5 consecutive hours of paid work as a CNA under the supervision of a licensed nurse; OR
- Complete a minimum of 8 hours of paid work in a 48-hour period under the supervision of a licensed nurse
Not able to fulfill this requirement? Your certification will lapse and you will need to reinstate your CNA certification.
To do this, you must pass the competency evaluation examination once again.
Ohio LPN Continuing Education Requirements
LPNs need to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years. At least 1 contact hour should be related to the Category A or nurse practice codes and rules of Ohio.
A qualified Category A course should be given by the Ohio Board of Nursing or offered by an approved provider.
As for when you can start working on your requirements, the renewal period for LPNs starts on September 1 and ends on August 31, every even-numbered year.
You can renew and verify your LPN license on the Ohio eLicense website.
Ohio RN Continuing Education Requirements
Just like LPNs, 24 contact hours of continuing education should be completed within the renewal period.
And, yes, at least 1 contact hour should be about Category A, also known as the Ohio nurse practice laws and rules.
Remember that all continuing education to be taken should be approved by the Ohio Board of Nursing.
Unlike LPNs, however, the renewal period differs. It starts on July 1 and ends on October 31, every odd-numbered year.
For online license renewals, you can visit the Ohio eLicense website.
Ohio APRN Continuing Education Requirements
APRNs in Ohio are required to complete 24 contact hours of nursing education every 2 years.
For APRN-CNS, APRN-CNP, and APRN-CNM, 12 of those contact hours should be on advanced pharmacology.
Take note that the 24 contact hours required to renew your APRN license are in addition to the continuing education requirements to renew the RN license.
And, since you need an active RN license to hold an APRN license, that means you need to complete 48 CE hours in total.
To make it less hassle, APRNs’ renewal period is the same as RNs’. This is — starts on July 1 and ends on October 31, on an odd-numbered year.
FAQs
Got some questions? We’re going to answer the most frequently asked questions in this section.
What is accepted for nursing continuing education in Ohio?
The following events or activities meet the Board requirements for nursing continuing education:
- An academic credit for completing a course taken through an approved or accredited educational institution
- Inter-professional continuing education that is designed for a target audience made up of two or more professions
- An activity approved by the OBN or provided by an accredited provider unit
- An activity approved by an agency or board regulating the certificate holder or licensee in another jurisdiction
- An independent and self-paced learning activity for which contact hours may be awarded including a mechanism for evaluation of learning and a feedback to the learner
What does NOT count as CE in Ohio?
The following does not meet the OBN requirements for CE:
- A personal development activity
- Participating in clinical research or practice that is NOT part of a CE event or activity
- Repetition of educational activity with identical course content within a single reporting period
- Community service
- Being a member of a professional organization
- Self-directed learning like reading journal articles that are not approved as an independent study by an accredited provider
- Board-ordered CE
How long should I keep my CE records in Ohio?
The board requires license or certificate holders in Ohio to keep all CE documentation for at least 6 years. This is in case you are chosen for an audit.
Conclusion
That’s everything you need to know about the nursing CE requirements in Ohio.
As you can see, LPNs, RNs, and APRNs, all need 24 hours of continuing education. So it’s best to prepare before the renewal period opens.
Best of luck!
Last updated: April 1, 2023 (Requirements taken from Ohio BON website)