Frequently Asked Questions

Licensed Practical Nurses, Registered Nurses, and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses are required to complete 24 hours of appropriate CE during each renewal period, including two (2) hours relating to prevention of medical errors, two (2) hours in Laws and Rules in Nursing, (2) hours in Human Trafficking, and (2) hours in Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace every other biennium (every 4 years). In addition to these 24 hours of general CE, every third renewal two (2) hours of domestic violence CE must be completed for a total of 26 hours. APRN must also complete (3) hours in Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances. See Sections 456.013, 456.031, and 456.033, Florida Statutes, and Rule 64B9-5, Florida Administrative Code (FAC) for more information about continuing education requirements.

A nurse who is certified by a health care specialty program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification is exempt from continuing education requirements. This exemption includes general and mandatory nursing continuing education with the exception of Human Trafficking and Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances.

Nurses who hold both a RN and APRN license may use the same credit hours toward both licenses but must make sure to report them under both licenses for CE compliance.

Hours earned after the completion of a Basic Life Support (BLS) course or an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) recertification course can’t be applied towards the 24 hour continuing education requirement for purposes of licensure renewal.

The Florida Board of Nursing adopted the position of the ANCC, effective as of June 1, 2011.

The following courses ceased to offer continuing education renewal credit as of June 1, 2011:

• CPR/AED certification and re-certification courses, Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and re-certification courses, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) re-certification courses
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) re-certification courses, and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) re-certification courses

Continuing education renewal credit will still be permitted for the following:

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification courses, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification courses, and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) certification courses

The ANCC disseminated the rationale in August 2009:

• BLS is no longer an augment to the nurse’s basic knowledge. Therefore it doesn’t meet the definition of continuing nursing education. Universities now require the student to be certified in BLS before ever entering the academic program. BLS is not an augmentation of knowledge; it is a basic preparation for training.

The advanced life support activities meet the definition of CNE because they are not included in the nurse’s basic training and therefore augment that training.

Yes, a new CE requirement was added during the 2017 legislative session.

s.464.013(6)(C), F.S. now includes a new CE requirement for all Florida nursing professionals.

The Board shall require each person licensed or certified under this chapter to complete a 2 hour CE course on human trafficking, as defined in s.787.06(2).

All nursing professionals must complete this course every biennium beginning January 1, 2019. The first licensees who will need to fulfill this CE requirement are those renewing April 30, 2019.

The course must consists of data and information on all of the following:
• The types of human trafficking
• Factors that place a person at greater risk of being a victim of human trafficking
• Public and private social services available for rescue, food, clothing and shelter referrals
• Hotlines for reporting human trafficking which are maintained by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center and the United States Department of Homeland Security
• Validated assessment tools for identifying a human trafficking victim and general indicators that a person may be a victim of human trafficking
• Procedures for sharing information related to human trafficking with a patient
• Referral options for legal and social services

Yes, all nurses are required to complete this mandatory course for
licensure bienniums ending after January 1, 2019,
including those nurses who qualify
for the CE exemption.