4723-14-03. Continuing education requirement for licensed practical and registered nurses

(A) A nurse applying to renew an active license to practice nursing as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse in Ohio must complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education during the renewal period, unless an exception applies, and at least one of the required hours needs to be in category A continuing education.

(1) For the period immediately following licensure by examination, a nurse who holds an active license to practice nursing in Ohio is not required to complete any contact hours of continuing education for the first license renewal;

(2) A nurse who has been licensed by endorsement in Ohio for one year or less must complete twelve contact hours of continuing education;

(3) A nurse who has been licensed by endorsement in Ohio for more than one year must complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education.

(B) A licensed practical nurse who has an active license as a registered nurse in Ohio is not required to meet the continuing education requirement for renewal of the license to practice as a practical nurse.

(C) A nurse from another jurisdiction who applies for licensure by endorsement to practice as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse in Ohio is required to complete two contact hours of category A continuing education in order to be eligible for licensure.

(D) In order to renew, applicants must attest to completion of the continuing education required by this rule on the application for renewal. The board may require a renewal applicant to show proof of completion of continuing education. If the board requests proof of continuing education and the applicant fails to provide proof to the board before the end of the renewal period, the license shall lapse.

(E) To reactivate an inactive license or to reinstate a lapsed license to practice as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse, the applicant must complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education during the twenty-four month period immediately before the application date.

(1) If the license of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse has been inactive or lapsed in Ohio less than two years, or the applicant holds a current, valid license in another jurisdiction, the continuing education shall be twenty-four contact hours of continuing education that includes one hour of category A.

(2) If the license of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse has been inactive or lapsed in Ohio for two years or more, and the applicant does not hold a current, valid license in another jurisdiction, the continuing education must consist of twenty-four contact hours. The twenty-four contact hours must include all of the following:

(a) Two contact hours of category A with learning outcomes that address scopes of practice for registered and licensed practical nurses, standards of safe practice, and nursing delegation;

(b) Six contact hours with learning outcomes that address application of the nursing process and critical thinking, clinical reasoning, or nursing judgment related to patient care;

(c) Six contact hours in pharmacology with learning outcomes that include drug classifications, medication errors, and patient safety;

(d) Two contact hours that include learning outcomes related to clinical or organizational ethical principles in health care; and

(e) Eight contact hours that include learning outcomes related to an area relevant to the nurse's practice.

(F) A licensed practical nurse or registered nurse who requests that a license to practice be placed on inactive status is not required to meet the continuing education requirement for the period during which the license is on inactive status. To return to active status, the nurse must meet the continuing education requirements in paragraph (E) of this rule and provide proof to the board that those requirements were met.

(G) A licensed practical nurse or registered nurse may use a waiver to satisfy the continuing education requirement for one renewal period only if the nurse notifies the board in writing requesting the waiver. Once a nurse notifies the board of the intent to use the waiver, the board will not accept a withdrawal of the request.

(H) A licensed practical nurse or registered nurse cannot use the waiver to satisfy the requirements of rule 4723-8-10 or 4723-14-07 of the Administrative Code, or to meet the requirements for reactivating or reinstating a license.

(I) A licensed practical nurse or registered nurse who earns more than the number of hours required by this chapter during a single renewal period cannot apply the extra hours to meet future renewal period continuing education requirements.

(J) One contact hour of education, that is directly related to recognition and handling of human trafficking victims, may qualify as part of the hours of continuing education required by paragraph (A), paragraph (E) or paragraph (K) of this rule for purposes of license or certificate renewal, reactivation or reinstatement.

(K) An individual holding a volunteer's certificate issued by the board according to section 4723.26 of the Revised Code must:

(1) To renew the certificate, complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education in the twenty-four month period immediately before the renewal application date, that meets the requirements of Chapter 4723-14 of the Administrative Code, and includes:

(a) Two contact hours of category A with learning outcomes that address standards of safe practice and nursing delegation;

(b) One contact hour that includes content in patient abuse, patient rights, and professional boundaries;

(c) Two contact hours that include content in the scope of practice of the licensed practical nurse and the registered nurse;

(d) Two contact hours in nursing documentation;

(e) Three contact hours in principles of pain management;

(f) One contact hour that addresses the application of the nursing process and critical thinking related to patient care;

(g) One contact hour that includes content in maintaining patient confidentiality;

(h) Four contact hours in patient assessment and wound care;

(i) Four contact hours in medication administration and preventing medication errors; and

(j) Four contact hours relevant to the nurse's practice setting.

(2) To reactive an inactive certificate or reinstate a lapsed certificate, the applicant must complete the continuing education requirements specified in paragraph (K)(1) of this rule.

(L) For purposes of complying with the twenty-four hours of continuing education required by section 4723.24 of the Revised Code, a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse may satisfy up to eight hours by providing health care services as a volunteer if the following requirements are met:

(1) The licensee provides the health care services to an indigent and uninsured person as defined in section 2305.234 of the Revised Code;

(2) For registered nurses, the health care services provided are the practice of nursing as a registered nurse as defined in division (B) of section 4723.01 of the Revised Code;

(3) For licensed practical nurses, the health care services provided are the practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse as defined in division (F) of section 4723.01 of the Revised Code;

(4) The health care services provided are provided as a volunteer, as that term is defined in section 2305.234 of the Revised Code;

(5) The licensee satisfies the requirements of section 2305.234 of the Revised Code to qualify for the immunity from liability granted under that section;

(6) One hour of continuing education may be awarded for each sixty minutes documented as spent providing health care services as a volunteer;

(7) The licensed practical nurse or registered nurse obtains, and maintains for a period of six years following the date the health care services are provided, a signed statement from a person at the health care facility or location where the health care services were performed indicating:

(a) The date and time period the licensee performed the health care services;

(b) That the recipient of the health care services was indigent and uninsured as defined in section 2305.234 of the Revised Code; and

(c) That the licensee provided the health care services as a volunteer as defined in section 2305.234 of the Revised Code.

Effective: 1/1/2018
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 10/12/2017 and 10/11/2022
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4723.07
Rule Amplifies: 4723.24, 4723.26
Prior Effective Dates: 04/01/1998, 02/01/2000, 02/01/2001, 02/01/2002, 02/01/2003, 02/01/2004, 02/01/2007, 02/01/2008, 02/01/2013, 02/01/2014, 02/01/2015, 02/01/2016, 04/01/2017