4723-14-03 Continuing education requirement for licensed nurses.

 

 

 

4723-14-03                  Continuing education requirement for licensed nurses.

 

 

 

(A)   Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, a nurse who seeks to renew an active license to practice nursing in Ohio must obtain twenty-four contact hours of continuing education during the renewal period.

 

(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 a period of time that is less than or equal to one year shall complete twelve contact hours of continuing education that meet the requirements of this chapter;

 

(3)   A nurse who has been licensed by endorsement in Ohio for more than one year shall complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education that meet the requirements of this chapter.

 

(B)   On or after September 1, 2001 for registered nurses, and on or after September 1, 2002 for licensed practical nurses, and for every renewal period thereafter, including the renewal periods set forth in paragraphs (A) and (E) of this rule, at least one of the required hours of continuing education shall be category A continuing education.

 

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

 

(D)   A nurse from another jurisdiction who applies for licensure by endorsement in Ohio shall not be required to meet the continuing education requirement to obtain licensure.

 

(E)A nurse shall attest to completion of the continuing education required by this rule on the application for renewal. The Board may, at its discretion, require the applicant for renewal to show proof of completion of continuing education. If, prior to the expiration of the renewal period a nurse fails to provide proof of completion of continuing education upon the request of the board, the license shall lapse.

 

(E)(F) To reactivate an inactive license or to reinstate a lapsed license to practice nursing in Ohio, the applicant shall complete twenty-four contact hours of continuing education during the twenty-four months immediately preceding the application.

 

(1)   If the license of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse has been inactive or  lapsed  for  less  than  five  years,  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 for five years or more than five years, the continuing education shall consist of twenty-four contact hours. The twenty-four contact hours shall be documented in a manner that allows for the identification of learning objectives that satisfy the following:

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

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

(c)   Six contact hours pertaining to pharmacology with learning objectives that include, but are not limited to, drug classifications, medication errors, and patient safety;

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

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

(3)   The continuing education required by this paragraph shall be used only for the purpose of reactivating an inactive license, or reinstating a lapsed license, and shall not be applied toward the continuing education required for renewal of a license in accordance with paragraph (A) of this rule.

(F)(G) A nurse who requests that a license to practice in Ohio be placed on inactive status shall not be 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 shall comply with paragraph (E) of this rule.

(H) A nurse seeking to reactivate or reinstate a license shall provide to the board proof of completion of continuing education consistent with the requirement of paragraph (F) of this rule. If a nurse fails to provide proof of completion of continuing education, the license shall not be reactivated or reinstated.

(G) A nurse shall verify completion of the continuing education required by this rule on

the application for renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement provided by the board. The board may, at its discretion, require the applicant to show proof of completion of continuing education. Failure to verify or provide such proof shall result in ineligibility to renew, reactivate, or reinstate a license to practice nursing in Ohio until the continuing education requirement is met.

(H) If a nurse fails to provide proof of completion of continuing education the nurse shall be ineligible to renew, reactivate, or reinstate a license to practice nursing in Ohio. The nurse shall be required to show completion of up to forty-eight contact hours of continuing education within the forty-eight months immediately preceding application for renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement.

(I)    A nurse may use a waiver to satisfy the continuing education requirement for one renewal period only, and the nurse shall notify the board in writing requesting the waiver. Once a nurse notifies the board of the intent to use the waiver, the waiver shall not be rescinded and use of the waiver shall be documented by the board on the nurse's license to practice nursing.

(J)    A nurse shall not use the waiver to satisfy the requirements of rule 4723-8-10 of the Administrative Code, or to fulfill the requirements for reactivating or reinstating a license as set forth in paragraph (E) of this rule.

(K)   A nurse who earns in excess of the number of hours required by this chapter during a single renewal period shall not apply the excess hours to satisfy future continuing education requirements.

Effective:                                                     02/01/2008

R.C. 119.032 review dates:                         10/15/2007 and 10/01/2012

CERTIFIED ELECTRONICALLY

Certification

12/26/2007

Date

Promulgated Under:                           119.03

Statutory Authority:                           4723.07

Rule Amplifies:                                  4723.24

Prior Effective Dates:                         4/1/98, 2/1/00, 2/1/01, 2/1/02, 2/1/03, 2/1/04, 2/1/07