CEUs and Texas

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Good afternoon fellow SNs! I have a question about the 20 contact hours for license renewal.. We are supposed to earn CEUs in our specialty.. what if you changed specialties during the two year period from last renewal?

I have 19.2 CEUs, all but 5 hours of those are in school nursing. The 5 hours that aren't school nursing is a CEU class I took for wound care while working in hospice. These 5 hours still count, right? Of course I'll be doing another hour to reach the 20+ hours required.. I'm just hoping I don't have to replace those 5 hours as well... Wound care really kind of applies across specialties, right? ;)

OldDude

1 Article; 4,787 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

I haven't heard of that requirement.

Specializes in School Nursing.
I haven't heard of that requirement.

Of having 20 CEUs at renewal?

Specializes in School Nursing.

[h=2]CNE Requirement[/h] "One method to demonstrate compliance with the continuing competency requirements is to complete 20 contact hours of CNE in the nurse's area of practice every two years coinciding with the nurse's license renewal [Board Rule 216.3(a)]. A contact hour is defined as 60 minutes of a clock hour [Board Rule 216.1(11)]. The CNE hours must be earned within the two-year period immediately preceding the license renewal, beginning with the first day after the renewal month until the last day of the subsequent renewal. For example, if a nurse is required to renew the nursing license in December 2015 (his/her birth month), then the CNE hours must be earned between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. Additional hours earned may not be carried over to the next renewal period."

Texas Board of Nursing - Education - Continuing Nursing Education & Competency

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the requirement?

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP

1,774 Posts

Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Old Dude.. Have you not been getting your CEUs?

My state renews yearly and we must get 5 CEUs (if you work full time) up to 15 a year. The state doesn't care what the subject is. They just specify who can accredit the provider.

OldDude

1 Article; 4,787 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
CNE Requirement

"One method to demonstrate compliance with the continuing competency requirements is to complete 20 contact hours of CNE in the nurse's area of practice every two years coinciding with the nurse's license renewal [Board Rule 216.3(a)]. A contact hour is defined as 60 minutes of a clock hour [Board Rule 216.1(11)]. The CNE hours must be earned within the two-year period immediately preceding the license renewal, beginning with the first day after the renewal month until the last day of the subsequent renewal. For example, if a nurse is required to renew the nursing license in December 2015 (his/her birth month), then the CNE hours must be earned between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. Additional hours earned may not be carried over to the next renewal period."

Texas Board of Nursing - Education - Continuing Nursing Education & Competency

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the requirement?

I was are of the 20 hours but not the CEs in any particular specialty...Area of Practice is the terminology and it is a pretty broad definition that doesn't identify it as specialty specific.

Area of Practice--Any activity, assignment, or task in which the nurse utilized nursing knowledge, judgment, or skills during the licensure renewal cycle. If a nurse does not have a current area of practice, the nurse may refer to his or her last area of practice or most recent area of practice.

Specializes in School Nursing.
I was are of the 20 hours but not the CEs in any particular specialty...Area of Practice is the terminology and it is a pretty broad definition that doesn't identify it as specialty specific.

Area of Practice--Any activity, assignment, or task in which the nurse utilized nursing knowledge, judgment, or skills during the licensure renewal cycle. If a nurse does not have a current area of practice, the nurse may refer to his or her last area of practice or most recent area of practice.

Okay- I like your interpretation of the requirement better. That means my wound care CEUs should count. :)

OldDude

1 Article; 4,787 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
Old Dude.. Have you not been getting your CEUs?

My state renews yearly and we must get 5 CEUs (if you work full time) up to 15 a year. The state doesn't care what the subject is. They just specify who can accredit the provider.

I've been getting the hours, just not in a specific area of CE, like pediatrics or school nursing.

Specializes in Ambulatory Care-Family Medicine.

I'm in Texas. As long as you hit 20 hours the area of speciality doesn't matter unless you are Advanced Practice, which since you are a school nurse I'm assuming you're not a NP.

Side note, in school nursing you probably do some basic wound care anyway so you could still count it that way too ;)

Windchaser22

408 Posts

Specializes in School nurse.
I'm in Texas. As long as you hit 20 hours the area of speciality doesn't matter unless you are Advanced Practice, which since you are a school nurse I'm assuming you're not a NP.

Side note, in school nursing you probably do some basic wound care anyway so you could still count it that way too ;)

we have several NPs in our local districts. Just saying.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN

2,776 Posts

Specializes in school nurse.

It would be very easy to get 5 hours to replace the ones in question if you need to. There are lots of free online contact hours relating to seizures, asthma and diabetes, for example. Also, a lot are available in mental health issues. They are definitely applicable to school nurse practice.

NICUmiiki, DNP, NP

1,774 Posts

Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.
I've been getting the hours, just not in a specific area of CE, like pediatrics or school nursing.

Gotcha!

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