The months leading to your license renewal can be one of the busiest periods in your life.
More than your everyday responsibilities, you must fulfill your nursing CE requirements.
But with everything that’s going on in your life, you might not be able to keep track of what your requirements are.
Don’t worry.
We’re here to help.
Today, we’re going to give you a simplified, all-in-one guide to nursing CE requirements in Utah. We’ll talk about the requirements for each nurse type, so there’s something for you here.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Utah Nursing CE Requirements
Time may not be a resource you have. If you’re in a rush, get the information you need from the table below.
It summarizes the nursing CE requirements and other prerequisites in Utah.
| Type | Requirement |
| CNA(Certified Nurse Aide) | No CE Required! Must have worked as a CNA for at least 200 hours in the last 24 months |
| CMA(Certified Medication Aide) | 8 CE hours every 2 years related to medications or medication administration Must complete at least one of the following online suicide prevention trainings (these qualify for CE credit): Suicide Prevention (0.5 credit) Supporting Patients (0.5 credit) Collaborative Safety Planning (0.5 credit) CALM-Utah (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) (1 credit) |
| LPN(Licensed Practical Nurse) | 30 CE hours every 2 years OR 15 CE hours AND 200 hours of practice OR 400 hours of practice CE must include one of the Utah-specified suicidal training programs |
| RN(Registered Nurse) | 30 CE hours every 2 years OR 15 CE hours AND 200 hours of practice OR 400 hours of practice CE must include one of the Utah-specified suicidal training programs |
| APRN(Advanced Practical Registered Nurse) | Maintain national certification Be certified in a specialty area OR 400 practice hours If licensed prior to July 1, 1992 — 30 CE hours every 2 years CE must include one of the Utah-specified suicidal training programs If with prescriptive authority — 4 CE hours every 2 years 3.5 hours on prescribing controlled substances 30 minutes should be from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing online tutorial |
Now let’s go through all these in more detail.
Utah CNA and CMA Continuing Education Requirements
The renewal requirements for Certified Nurse Aides and Certified Medication Aide have significant differences.
Let’s break it down.
You don’t need continuing education if you’re a CNA. You can focus your energy on practice hours.
That said, you’re required to have worked as a CNA for at least 200 hours within the last 24 months. Remember that you must receive compensation. Volunteer hours don’t count towards your renewal.
In comparison, CMAs don’t need to fulfill practice hours. However, they need to complete 8 hours of continuing education. These should be on medication or medication administering.
CMAs must also complete at least one of the following online suicide prevention trainings:
Suicide Prevention (0.5 credit)
Supporting Patients (0.5 credit)
Collaborative Safety Planning (0.5 credit)
CALM-Utah (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) (1 credit)
These can count towards the 8 contact hours of CE.
Utah LPN Continuing Education Requirements
For LPNs, you can either go with practice hours, continuing education, or a combination of both!
- Option 1 is to complete 30 CE hours within 2 years. These are mostly electives, which means you can choose courses most relevant to your present situation. You do, however, need to complete a suicide training program specific to Utah
- Option 2 is to focus on practice hours. You can skip the CE requirements if you’ve worked as an LPN in Utah for at least 400 hours in the last 24 months.
- Option 3 allows you to go both routes. You can fulfill your renewal requirements by working as an LPN for 200 hours and earning 15 hours of continuing education.
Utah RN Continuing Education Requirements
In Utah, Registered Nurses have the same requirements as LPNs.
Having multiple options for your renewal is always an advantage. It offers flexibility, which comes in handy if you have a busy schedule.
- If you’d rather study, then you need to complete 30 hours of continuing education during the renewal cycle. Remember, one program should be on suicidal training in Utah.
- If you’d rather put all your focus on your work, then you can complete 400 hours of practice in your field.
- If you want a bit of both, then you can study 15 CE hours and get 200 practice hours.
Utah APRN Continuing Education Requirements
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses don’t have as many options when it comes to fulfilling renewal requirements.
A non-negotiable prerequisite is maintaining a national certification. You must carry one, and it must be current.
In addition, you must be certified in a specialty area OR you should have 400 practice hours as an APRN in the past 24 months.
Now, here’s where it gets a bit tricky.
If you received your license before July 1, 1992, you also need to complete 30 hours of continuing education, one of which should be a Utah-specific suicidal training program.
If you have prescribing authority, you have an additional requirement. This is to earn 4 hours of continuing education.
Take note that 3.5 hours should be about prescribing controlled substances. The remaining half-hour must be from the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing online tutorial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got some questions? We answer the most common ones here.
What’s the difference between a CMA and a CNA?
The Nurse Practice Act Amendment defines a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) as someone who is limited to practice nursing under the supervision of a licensed nurse. Their tasks typically revolve around routine patient care requiring minimal specialized knowledge, judgment, or skill.
Certified Medication Aide (CMA) has a similar definition. However, part of their tasks is providing direct personal assistance to patients and administering routine medication.
Another difference is that CMAs have CE requirements for their license renewal while CNAs need practice hours.
Where can CNAs work?
Most Certified Nursing Assistants work in residential care facilities. Their second-biggest employer is hospitals, whether state, local or private.
Only around 3% of CNAs work at in-home health services. An even smaller percentage — only 2% — are in employment services.
In Utah, CNAs can also work in hospices. A licensed nurse must oversee their tasks while they’re there.
Can you renew your nursing license online in Utah?
Yes, you can complete your renewal application online. You can do this through Utah’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing’s portal.
Their site provides you with pertinent information, such as when your license expires and necessary fees.
It also has a section that details the renewal requirements of each license type. The “Renew Online” button will not appear unless you confirm that you’ve completed these.
Which suicide training programs can I attend?
The Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing offers 4 options. These allow you to earn contact hours that count towards your renewal requirements.
- Suicide Prevention (0.5 credit)
- Supporting Patients (0.5 credit)
- Collaborative Safety Planning (0.5 credit)
- CALM (Counselling on Access to Lethal Means)-Utah (one credit)
In Conclusion
As you can see, Utah offers options for renewing nurses. This way, they can pick the most convenient for them and their schedules.
So whether you’re an LPN, RN, or APRN, you should pick which way you want to go and start working towards it.
And with this all-in-one guide to nursing CE requirements in Utah, we’re confident that you’ll be able to fulfill your renewal requirements with no problems.
Good luck!
Last updated: April 1, 2023 (Requirements taken from Utah BON website)