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.
