It’s crucial to know what you need to renew your nursing license.
In Texas, it’s easy to get things confused. There are requirements that you must fulfill biennially. But some are needed every year or every 6 years. And then some are one-time requirements only.
To add to that, reading and understanding these requirements is a bit mind-boggling.
Don’t fret.
We’re here to simplify the nursing CE requirements in Texas for YOU.
We’ll tell you everything you need to know, from how many CE hours are required to the one-time requirements.
So let’s dive in!
Texas Nursing CE Requirements
There’s no denying it — nurses in Texas have a lot of CE requirements. Here’s a quick rundown of those requirements:
| Type | Requirement |
| CNA(Certified Nursing Assistant) | No CE Required! 24 hours of in-service education is required every 2 years |
| LPN(Licensed Practical Nurse) | Biennial Requirement: 20 CE hours inclusive of: If in Geriatric care — must include 2 hours in Geriatrics If providing direct patient care — must take a course on human trafficking One-Time Requirement: If working in an emergency room setting — must include 2 hours on Forensic Evidence Collection Every 6 years: 2 hours on nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics |
| RN(Registered Nurse) | Biennial Requirement: 20 CE hours inclusive of: If in Geriatric care — must include 2 hours in Geriatrics If providing direct patient care — must take a course on human trafficking One-Time Requirement: If working in an emergency room setting — must include 2 hours on Forensic Evidence Collection Every 6 years: 2 hours on nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics |
| APRN(Advanced Practical Registered Nurse) | Biennial Requirement: 20 CE hours inclusive of: If in Geriatric care — must include 2 hours in Geriatrics If providing direct patient care — must take a course on human trafficking If with prescriptive authority — additional 5 hours on pharmacotherapeutics One-Time Requirement: If working in an emergency room setting — must include 2 hours on Forensic Evidence Collection If receiving instruction from the Prescription Monitoring Program — 2 hour course on prescribing and monitoring controlled substances Yearly Requirement: If prescribing opioids — at least 1 contact hour on pain management that meets the requirements of the Texas Pharmacy Board (for renewals scheduled between September 1, 2019, and August 31, 2023, only) If you entered a prescriptive authority agreement authorizing the prescription of opioids — 2 hours regarding safe and effective pain management Every 6 years: 2 hours on nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics |
As you can see, that’s a lot, even for an overview.
Now, let’s take the time to talk about each one in detail.
Texas CNA Continuing Education Requirements
Certified Nursing Assistants in Texas don’t have CE requirements for their renewal. In fact, you won’t even find an expiration date in your license.
That said, it doesn’t mean you don’t have to do anything anymore. You must verify your employment with the Nurse Aide Registry every 2 years to keep your license current.
To qualify, you need to complete 24 hours of in-service education every 24 months.
Click here for a list of facilities approved by the Nurse Aide Registry.
Out of the 24 hours, you can only earn 12 from healthcare entities outside those identified by NAR.
If you can’t prove employment when 2 years pass, you’ll lose your active status. It means you need to reinstate your license, which requires retaking the certification exam.
Texas LPN Continuing Education Requirements
As mentioned above, the renewal requirements for Licensed Practical Nurses can be confusing. Although your license expires every 2 years, you have CE hours to fulfill biennially, every six years, and some are one-time requirements only.
Let’s go through it one by one.
- You need 20 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
If you provide direct patient care, your renewal requirements should include a course on human trafficking. If you work with elderly patients, 2 out of the 20 hours must be on Geriatrics.
If you don’t fall under those 2 groups, the CE courses are ALL electives.
- Every 6 years or 3 renewal cycles, you need to undergo 2 hours of continuing education related to nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics.
All these are regularly recurring requirements.
- If you work in an emergency room setting, you must take a one-time CE course on forensic evidence collection. It should be at least 2 hours long.
Once you’ve completed this, there’s no need to retake it.
It may seem like a lot, but it isn’t. Remember, all these are still part of your 20 hours.
Texas RN Continuing Education Requirements
Like other states, the requirements for Registered Nurses are similar to LPNs.
That means you also need to earn a total of 20 CE hours every 2 years. And, depending on several factors, you may have some mandatory courses to complete.
Let’s look at the mandatory courses:
- If you’re an RN that provides direct patient care, you need to study a course on human trafficking biennially.
- If you’re an RN that works with older patients, you need 2 CE hours focusing on Geriatrics every 2 years.
- If you work in an emergency room setting, you need to study 2 CE hours on forensic evidence collection. However, this only needs to be taken ONCE.
- For all RNs, you need to complete 2 CE hours on nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics every 6 years or every 3rd renewal cycle.
Texas APRN Continuing Education Requirements
Of all the nurses in Texas, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses have the most confusing requirements. It’s best to take time to go through this section to ensure you don’t miss out on anything.
Let’s start with your biennial requirements.
- 20 hours of continuing education. The courses are all electives, except:
- If you work with older patients, you need to take 2 CE hours on Geriatrics
- If you provide direct patient care, you’re required to take a course on human trafficking
- If you have prescriptive authority, you need to include 5 CE hours on pharmacotherapeutics. Remember, this is on top of your 20 hours.
Every 3rd renewal cycle, or every 6 years, everyone holding an APRN license is required to study 2 hours (out of the 20) on nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics.
Now, let’s move on to the one-time requirements.
- If you work in an emergency room setting, you need to complete 2 hours of forensic evidence collection
- If you are authorized to receive information from the Prescription Monitoring Program, you need to study 2 hours on approved procedures for prescribing and monitoring controlled substances. Note: APRNs licensed after September 1, 2020, must complete it within one year from when they get their license.
So we’ve covered biennial, one-time, and every six-year requirements.
We’re down to one last set — annual requirements.
An important thing to keep in mind is that these annual requirements are only for APRNs who prescribe opioids.
- If you regularly prescribe opioids, you need 1 hour of pain management that meets the standards provided by the Texas Pharmacy Board. These must cover the following:
- Best practices
- Alternative treatment options
- Multi-modal approaches
- If you entered a prescriptive authority agreement to prescribe opioids, you need to complete 2 CE hours on safe and effective pain management concerning prescribing opioids and other controlled substances.
Remember, these are annual requirements. So when the time comes to renew your nursing license every 2 years, you should have already completed 2 hours on pain management and 4 hours on safe and effective pain management for prescribing opioids and other controlled substances.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make the nursing CE requirements in Texas even clearer, let’s go through some of the most frequently asked questions and answer them.
When does my nursing license expire in Texas?
Nurses in Texas must renew their licenses every 2 years. Remember that it expires on the last day of your birth month.
CNA licenses do not indicate an expiration date, but you still have to verify your employment with the Nurse Aide Registry every 24 months to maintain an active status.
How do I renew my nursing license in Texas?
May 29, 2020, was the last day when paper applications were accepted. These days, licensees need to go through the Texas Nurse Portal. You can renew your license as early as 60 days before its expiry date.
Where can CNAs get in-service education?
You can get a comprehensive list of approved in-service education programs from the Nurse Aide Registry. However, you can get 12 out of the required 24 hours from a healthcare entity other than those in this list.
Conclusion
Phew!
That was a lot!
But with our simplified explanation of all the nursing CE requirements in Texas, you should know what you need to renew your license.
So if your expiration date is approaching soon, you should get started on these requirements.
Good luck!
Last updated: April 1, 2023 (Requirements taken from Texas BON website)