RN CE's count as LVN/LPN CE's (continuing education units) for License Renewal

[RadioNurse]

There may be some LPNs/LVNs out there concerned about CE's and license renewal. I wanted to be 100% certain that if I took a RN CE it would count as LVN CE. The last thing you would want is a problem with your CE's when renewal time rolls around. So I contacted the state board of nursing, in my case it's California. It took a month for them to respond to my email but they did eventually. The response from the board of nursing in California was this:

"As long as the courses within your scope of practice, you can use them (RN CE's)."

They then copy pasted article 7 in California which goes into greater detail. I included it below if anyone cares to read. Hope this helps a few people out there!

Article 7. Continuing Education (LVN) (PT)

2540.1. Hour Requirements. (a) Each licensee renewing a license under Section 2892 of the Code shall submit proof of having completed, during the preceding two years, thirty (30) hours of continuing educationacceptable to the Board. (b) This section shall not apply to the first license renewal following the initial issuance of a license.

2540.2. Continuing Education Courses. (a) The Board will accept each hour of theory or course-related clinical experience as one (1) hour of continuing education. (b) Continuing education courses approved by nursing licensing agencies of this or of other states, or nursing organizations of this or other states, or courses considered comparable by the Board will be accepted. © Courses which are prerequisite to or part of a registered nursing program, or college/university courses related to the licensed vocational nurse scope of practice will be accepted.

2540.5. Course Completion Certificates and Reporting. (a) At the completion of the course the provider shall issue a certificate to each licensee. (b) The licensee shall record on the license renewal form the date each course was completed, provider/course number, course title, and total hours of the course. © Licensees are required to maintain a record of continuing education courses taken during the last four (4) years.

To know what your Scope of Practice is, go to the homepage:

www.bvnpt.ca.gov

Look under the column that says FOR CONSUMERS�

Click on Laws & Regulations�

Click on Vocational Nursing -- Title 16, California Code of Regulations or Psychiatric Technician -- Title 16, California Code of Regulations�

For LVN's it is on page 33. For PT's it is on page 26.

Examples for using CEU's and annotating it on your renewal form:

[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD]Completion Date

[/TD]

[TD]Provider NO.

[/TD]

[TD]Course Name

[/TD]

[TD]Contact Hours

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]10-28-2011

[/TD]

[TD]CEP 1234/ V _ _ _ __

[/TD]

[TD]Wound Care

[/TD]

[TD]30

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

The CEP number comes from the Board of Registered Nursing and the V� number comes from the BVNPT.