Hi, and welcome to another exciting and informative article from nurse code.
In today’s article, we will comprehensively discuss LPN CEU.
After reading our well-researched article, we promise that you’ll understand everything there is to know about continuing education (CE) for practical nurses in America.
We will specifically look at the following topics:
- What is LPN Continuing Education Units (CEU)?
- Why do Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) need CEUs?
- LPN continuing education requirements in different states
Introduction
The nursing practice is a fast-paced, ever-evolving field with new medical technologies, treatments, and procedures popping up every day.
To stay current and offer comprehensive nursing services, LPNs need a refresher course every once in a while.
The nursing continuing education ensures that LPN/LVNs working in healthcare facilities are always aware of the latest medical technologies and treatments.
If you’re wondering what are the required CEU for LPN across different states, then this article is for you.
Let’s start with the basics.
What is continuing education for practical nurses?
Nursing Continuing Education refers to the medical education courses and activities that LPNs undertake to develop, maintain, understand and sharpen their nursing skills, knowledge, and professional performance.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) equip practical nurses with the skills and training necessary to successfully operate in the modern nursing environment.
Why is continuing education essential to LPNs?
The advantages of Continuing Education courses for LPNs include:
- Keeps nursing education relevant
- Continuing education increases a nurse’s employability
- Satisfy licensure requirements
- Better pay
- Provide high-quality patient care
- The excellent learning curve for fresh LPNs
- Continuing Education Units are diverse enriching the LPN’s nursing knowledge
How many CE hours for LPN in different states
Different states have different CE requirements for their LPN/LVNs.
The various state board of nursing determines the number of contact hours, the scope of CE, and other CE requirements.
Below we will examine the CE requirements for different states:
Continuing education for LVN license renewal
California and Texas are the only two states that use the Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) designation, while the other 48 states use the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) designation.
The two terms can be used interchangeably and mean the same thing.
CE units for LVN in California
LVNs in California need to complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their licenses.
The California Nursing CE is developed and maintained by the State of California Board of Registered Nursing
CE requirements for LVN in Texas
Texas LVNs must complete 20 contact hours of CE or show competence in a board-approved national nursing certification in their nursing specialty every two years to qualify for license renewal.
LVNs involved in forensic evidence collection in emergency rooms need to complete a one-time two-contact hours forensic evidence CE class.
The CE must be offered by a qualified credentialing provider approved by the Texas board of nurse examiners.
LPN CEU requirements
Here are the CEU requirements for states with the LPN designation:
LPN CEU requirements for Ohio
In Ohio, LPNs need 24 contact hours of continuing education to renew their LPN licenses every two years.
The LPN licensing period runs from 1st September to 31st August, 31 of the following even year.
For example, 1st September 2020 to August, 31st 2022.
Michigan LPN CE requirements
Michigan LPNs require 25 hours of CE education at least two years before license renewal.
According to the Michigan Board of Nursing, a contact hour refers to a 50 or 60 minutes CE session at a state-approved CE accreditation provider.
Additionally, Michigan LPNs need at least one hour of pain and symptom management and a 1-time two-hour human trafficking CE training.
Florida CEU requirements for LPNs
According to the Florida Board of Nursing. LPNs in Florida need to complete 24 contact hours of CE training every two years.
The Florida LPN CE training includes;
- 2 hours of medical errors training
- 2 hours of Florida nursing laws and rules training
- 2 hours of CE training in human trafficking
- 2 hours of CE training in recognizing workplace impairments every four years
- 2 hours of domestic CE every six years
- 1 hour of HIV/AIDS training for first time LPN license renewal applicants
CE requirements for Colorado LPNs
Colorado doesn’t have an active continuing education requirement for LPNs to renew their license.
Kansas LPN CEU requirements
The Kansas state board of nursing requires LPNs under its jurisdiction to complete 30 hours of CNE training every two years.
LPNs in Kansas can take CNE training from:
- LPN CE training provider approved by the Kansas Board of Nursing
- Other state-approved nursing boards or National Nursing Credentialing organizations
- Kansas Board of Nursing approved Individual Offering Approval (IOA) ex colleges, Continuing Medical Education (CME), PALS
LPN CEU requirements in Kentucky
Kentucky LPNs must complete 14 contact hours of nursing CE annually for license renewal purposes.
The LPN license renewal period falls between November 1-October, 31.
An LPN must participate in LPN CEU training from Kentucky Board of Nursing approved CE providers.
Kentucky LPNs must take the following mandatory CE training.
- Suicide prevention – 2 contact hours (one-time requirement)
- Implicit Bias – 1.5 contact hours (one-time requirement)
- Pediatric abusive head trauma (shaken baby syndrome) – 1. 5 contact hours (one-time requirement)
- Domestic violence – 3 contact hours (one-time requirement)
To satisfy the LPN licensure requirements in Kentucky, LPNs can:
- Undertake 14 hours of LPN CE training from state-approved CE providers
- Seven contact hours approved CE training plus a six-month nursing employment evaluation
- Undertaking relevant post-licensure nursing certification training from a university, college, or vocational college
- Undertaking a national nursing-related certification training excluding standard clinical certifications like BLS, PALS, NRP, ACLS
- Publishing a peer-reviewed article in a health-related publication
- Be a project director, principal, or co-principal investigator in a nursing research project that results in tangible qualitative and quantitative benefits to the nursing profession
Maine LPN continuing education requirements
The Maine Board of Nursing doesn’t require Licensed Practical and Registered Nurses in Maine to satisfy any CEU requirements for nursing license renewal.
But the board does require Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to complete 50 contact hours of CE training every two years for license renewal.
Nevada LPN CEU requirements
The Nevada practice act requires all LPNs to undergo CE training for license renewal.
According to the Nevada State Board of Nursing, LPNs need to:
- Complete 30 hours of nurse-related CE training from state-approved nursing CE providers every two years
- Two contact hours of nursing cultural competency training every two years
- One-time 4-hour bioterrorism course
Please note that new nurses need not undergo the 30 contact hours CE training for license renewal.
LPN CEU requirements for Maryland
The Maryland Board of Nursing doesn’t require LPNs falling under its jurisdiction to complete any CEU requirements for license renewal.
Massachusetts LPN CEU requirements
Every LPN under the authority of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing needs to complete 15 contact hours of CE every two years.
The licensing period for LPNs runs from the applicant’s birth date to the next birthdate in the odd-numbered years.
For example, if the LPN is born in December, then the licensing period will be between 12/19 to 12/21.
LPNs must complete a one-time CE unit on diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
New Mexico LPN CEU requirements
The New Mexico Board of Nursing requires LPNs under its authority to complete 30 hours of state-approved CE training within two years before LPN license renewal.
An LPN who has been on active military service is not required to complete the CE requirement during license renewal.
New Mexico LPNs can satisfy CE requirements in the three following ways:
- Participate in a state-approved LPN CE provider
- Participate in formal nursing education from a local state-approved or national nursing accreditation program
- Renew or acquire a specialized nursing certificate during the licensure
LPN CE requirements for North Carolina
For renewal applications,n the North Carolina Board of Nursing requires LPN to satisfy any of the following continuing competency requirements:
- 30 hours of state-approved CE training
- 640 hours of active practice and 15 hours of CE training
- Acquire a board-approved certification/recertification from a national nursing credentialing body
- Finish a refresher course approved by the nursing board
- Two post-licensure semester hours in nursing related training
- Complete a nursing project as an investigator co-investigator plus 15 hours of CE
- Creating a nursing-related article, journal, or academic paper plus 15 contact hours of CE training
- Preparing and conducting a 5 hour and above nursing CEU presentation plus 15 contact hours of CE training
CE requirements for North Dakota LPN
North Dakota LPN requires:
- Twelve hours of CE training every two years to satisfy licensure requirements
- New graduate LPNs don’t need to undergo the 12 hours of CEU training for their first licensure renewal
- An LPN can use refresher courses for recertification and continue with CEU training for license renewal
Pennsylvania LPN CEU requirements
LPNs need to complete a 2 hour of child abuse recognition and reporting training every two years.
No further CE training is required.
Tennessee LPN CE requirements
Tennessee LPNs need to satisfy continuing competence requirements every two years.
The competence requirements include any of the two requirements below:
- 5 CE contact hours for active LPNs (Inactive LPNs need ten contact hours)
- Satisfactory employee evaluation
- Successful NCLEX retake
- Nursing credits(at least 2 hours)
- Satisfactory peer evaluation
- Nursing job reappointment or contract renewal
- Publishing a nursing-related article
- Proof of nursing student education
Alabama CE requirements for LPNs
LPNs in Alabama need to complete 24 contact hours of CE every two years to qualify for licensure renewal.
First-time license renewal requires LPNs to undertake 4 hours of CE related to Alabama Board function (regulations, practice act, professional conduct, and accountability).
CEU requirements for Arkansas LPN
Here is how to get CEU credits for LPN in Arkansas:
- 15 contact hours of CEU training in their area of practice every two years
- Have a valid national nursing certificate during the licensure
- Finish at least one college credit hour course in nursing(grade C and above) during the licensure period
Iowa LPN CEU requirements
The CEU requirement for Iowa LPNs is 36 contact hours of CE training after every three years.
LPNs who treat, counsel, or provide nursing services to dependent adults and children require two contact hours of CE training in child/dependent abuse identification and reporting.
To activate your LPN license, you need 12 contact hours of CE training and 24 hours of CE training to renew an LPN license issued less than three years before.
Minnesota CE requirements for LPNs
The Minnesota Board of Nursing requires LPNs to complete 12 hours of CEU for LPN renewal every two years.
New Jersey LPN CEU requirements
LPNs in New Jersey need to complete 30 contact hours of CEU credits for LPN license renewal every two years.
Within the 30-hour CEU training is mandatory one-hour training on prescription opioid drugs.
New LPNs need to complete one-time one-hour CE training on organ and tissue donation and recovery.
LPN CEU requirements for South Carolina
The South Caroline state board of nursing allows practical nurses to meet the CE credits for LPN in the following ways:
- 30 hours of CEU contact hours
- LPN certification/recertification
- Finishing a nursing program
- Employer certification of LPN meeting competency requirements
South Dakota LPN CEU requirements
No CE requirements for practical nurses.
LPN CE requirements for Utah
Practical nurses in Utah can satisfy the LPN continuing education credits in the following ways:
- 30 contact hours of CE training
- 15 contact hours of CE plus 200 hours of practice
- 400 hours of practice
West Virginia LPN CE requirements
How many CEU credits does LPN need for license renewal in West Virginia?
According to the West Virginia board of nursing, practical nurses.
Need to complete 24 hours of CE plus 400 clock hours of licensed LPN practice every two years.
Conclusion
LPN continuing education courses are vital in ensuring that practical nurses deliver the most relevant, current, and highest quality services to patients.
Though the LPN CE courses may differ in curriculum, all of them provide nurses with the skills, knowledge, and training to tackle the modern-day healthcare situation of the world.
We hope that our article has offered some insights into LPN/LVN continuing education requirements in different states.
Please continue reading for in-depth answers to our reader’s frequently asked questions
FAQs
Can you do CEU online?
The best way to get high-quality LPN CEU courses is online. These free and paid LPN CEU online courses must be accredited to satisfy licensure requirements. Popular paid, and free CEU for LPN online classes are ANCC accredited and satisfy the licensure requirements of different boards of nursing.
How many CEUs are for LPN in Florida?
According to the Florida Board of Nursing, practical nurses need 24 hours of LPN CEU training every two years. California LPNs must complete at least one contact hour of CEU training every month. An LPN holding a healthcare specialty certificate from the national accreditation council is exempt from CEU training.
How many CE hours are required for LPN in NC?
The North Carolina Board of nursing requires LPNs to complete 30 hours of CE training every two years.
OR:
– 15 hours of CE plus 640 hours of practice
– 15 hours of CE plus nursing project
– 15 CE hours plus publishing a nursing article
– 15 CE hours plus 5 hours CE presentation
How many CEUs does an LPN need in Ohio?
According to the Ohio Board of Nursing, each LPN must complete 24 hours of CE training every two years. LPNs with one year or less of licensing time require only 12 hours of CE training. New graduate practical nurses don’t require CE training before their first licensure renewal.
Are CEU the same as ANCC hours?
CEU for LVN/LPN refers to academic units that LVNs satisfy for licensure renewal. The ANCC hours refer to clock hours that LPNs invest in continuous education programs. One contact hour refers to one clock hour or 60 minutes. One CEU refers to 10 contact hours or 600 clock minutes.
Best free LVN continuing education courses
There are several free continuing education for LPNs online courses for LPN/LVNs
Here are some top free CE courses:
– Continuous renal replacement therapy
– Tobacco dependence treatment
– Nursing evidence-based practice
– Advancement in pacemaker technology
– Dual diagnosis: understanding co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders
How many continuing education hours for LPN in different states
How many CEU hours for LPN varies from state to state and depends on the state’s board of nursing. On average, LPN CEU requirements range between 15 to 25 CEUs every two years. Some states like South Dakota and Colorado don’t have any CE requirements.
Typical topics covered in LPN continuing education courses.
Common LPN CE course topics include:
– Direct patient care, including Infection Control, prescribing drugs, pain management, geriatric, and advanced study of patient monitoring systems
– Social, physical, and behavioral sciences ex mental health, family psychology
– Indirect patient care ex statistics, medical law, quality assurance
– Stress reduction, nutrition, burnout syndromes
LVN CEU requirements Texas
The Texas Board of nursing requires LVNs to complete 20 hours of LVN continuing education training or show competence/recertification in a board-approved national nursing specialty accreditation every two years. LPNs working in emergency rooms further need a one-time two contact hours CE training in forensics and evidence collection.
LVN CEU requirements in CA
According to the California Board of Nursing LVNs need to complete 30 hours of LVN continuing education to qualify for license renewal every two years. The elective California LVN courses include pediatric respiratory infections, pain management, psychosis, mood and anxiety, utilization management, cancer, and chemotherapy.
