renew RN license

[angelhu]

if my California RN license expired on 10/31/15, can I use the CEUs prior to 10/31/13 (say, January 2013)? I usually had more CEUs than I needed so I've never encounter this problem before in my nursing career. I guess I've been having trouble understanding it on BRN...Thanks.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

Registered nurses, in the State of California, are required by law (Section 1451, Article 5, of the California Code of Regulations) to complete thirty (30) hours of continuing education (CE) every two years (in addition to paying the renewal fee), to maintain an active license. Continuing education courses must have been completed during the preceding renewal period (when renewing), or during the preceding two years (when renewing a delinquent or lapsed license, or going from an inactive to active license). Courses must be taken through a continuing education provider recognized by the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

The way I read the above stuff, I would say that you likely cannot. I do know that for my California Paramedic license, if I have CE that I didn't use/count for renewal in the 60 days prior to license expiration, I can use that toward my next renewal cycle. You'd have to contact the BRN for their current policy regarding CE that wasn't used for renewal of a previous license that was taken very late in the cycle, like in the last 60 days.

I found the above quote here: ​Board of Registered Nursing - Continuing Education for License Renewal

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

If your previous CA RN licensure renewal was due on 10/31/2013, any CEUs utilized for the 10/2015 renewal would need to have been earned after 10/31/2013.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

If your previous CA RN licensure renewal was due on 10/31/2013, any CEUs utilized for the 10/2015 renewal would need to have been earned after 10/31/2013.

That's how I read the quoted statement too. The EMSA's rules are also very specific... even though it's a different agency and it has different rules, it's an excellent reminder to know the specific rules for renewing your license as required by your issuing agency.

Personally speaking, I very much prefer to use CE that was obtained during the effective dates of a renewal cycle. This way my license expires on a certain date, my CE for the next cycle begins the first day my new license is effective, and I'll never be late and never wonder if my CE can be counted toward renewal, at least as far as dates are concerned.