4723-8-10. Continuing education requirements

(A) Each advanced practice registered nurse who obtains continuing nursing education in the nurse's area of practice for the purpose of obtaining or maintaining a national certification may use those continuing education hours to satisfy the continuing education requirements for renewal of a license to practice as a registered nurse and advanced practice registered nurse set forth in this rule, section 4723.24 of the Revised Code and Chapter 4723-14 of the Administrative Code, if the continuing education meets the requirements of Chapter 4723-14 of the Administrative Code.

(B) An advanced practice registered nurse who holds an active license shall complete continuing nursing education as follows in order to renew the license:

(1) Twenty-four contact hours of continuing nursing education;

(2) For advanced practice registered nurses designated as a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife or certified nurse practitioner, at least twelve hours of the education must be in advanced pharmacology and must have been provided by an accredited institution recognized by the board, including any provider referenced in paragraph (E) of rule 4723-9-01 of the Administrative Code;

(3) For the first period of renewal immediately following the initial issuance of the advanced practice registered nurse license by the board, a licensee is not required to complete any contact hours of continuing education;

(4) For purposes of fulfilling the twenty-four hours of continuing education required for renewal, an advanced practice registered nurse may satisfy up to eight hours by providing health care services as a volunteer if the following requirements are met:

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

(b) The health care provided is advanced practice registered nursing, as defined in division (P) of section 4723.01 of the Revised Code and is within the designated specialty scope of practice of the advanced practice registered nurse providing the services as set forth in section 4723.43 of the Revised Code;

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

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

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

(f) The advanced practice 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:

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

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

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

(C) An advanced practice registered nurse who earns more than the number of hours required by this rule during a single renewal period cannot apply the extra hours to meet future renewal period continuing education requirements.

(D) The waiver option discussed in rule 4723-14-03 of the Administrative Code, for purposes of registered nurse or licensed practical nurse continuing nursing education, does not apply to the advanced practice registered nurse continuing education requirements set forth in this rule.

(E) A clinical nurse specialist, originally issued a certificate of authority on or before December 31, 2000 in accordance with division (C) of section 4723.41 of the Revised Code, as that division existed prior to March 20, 2013, who is not certified by a national nursing certifying organization approved by the board shall obtain twelve contact hours of continuing nursing education in addition to the twenty-four hours required every two years for renewal of a license to practice nursing as a registered nurse and the twenty-four hours required for renewal of a license to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse. For the purposes of complying with this rule:

(1) The additional hours shall be in programs that are targeted to advanced practice registered nurses in the nurse's area of practice or in relevant programs from other health care disciplines;

(2) The continuing education activity must meet the requirements of Chapter 4723-14 of the Administrative Code; and

(3) The clinical nurse specialist cannot use the waiver option contained in rule 4723-14-03 of the Administrative Code for the additional twelve contact hours of continuing nursing education required by this paragraph.

Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 10/15/2020 and 10/15/2025
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4723.07, 4745.04
Rule Amplifies: 4723.41, 4723.24, 4723.42
Prior Effective Dates: 04/01/1997, 04/01/1998, 04/01/1999, 02/01/2006, 02/01/2011, 11/05/2012, 02/01/2014, 01/01/2018

Prior History: (Effective: 1/1/2018
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 10/15/2020
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4723.07, 4745.04
Rule Amplifies: 4723.41, 4723.24, 4723.42
Prior Effective Dates: 04/01/1997, 04/01/1998, 04/01/1999, 02/01/2006, 02/01/2011, 11/05/2012, 02/01/2014)