Continuing Nursing Education
CNE Requirement for Renewal of Kansas Licensure:
- Definition of CNE: K.S.A 65-1117 (a) Continuing nursing education means learning experiences intended to build upon the educational and experiential bases of the registered professional and licensed practical nurse for the enhancement of practice, education, administration, research or theory development to the end of improving the health of the public.
- LMHT CNE renewal requirements:
- 30 contact hours of approved CNE during the most recent licensing period.
- Exception: You are NOT required to complete 30 CNE contact hours if license expires within 30 months following initial licensure examination or for renewal of license that expires within the first 9 months following licensure reinstatement or endorsement.
- LPN and RN CNE renewal requirements:
- 30 contact hours of approved CNE during the most recent licensing period.
- Exception: You are NOT required to complete 30 CNE contact hours if license expires within 30 months following initial licensure examination or for renewal of license that expires within the first 9 months following licensure reinstatement or endorsement.
- Advanced Practice CNE renewal requirements:
- 30 contact hours of approved CNE related to the advanced practice registered nurse role during the most recent prior license period.
Abbreviations:
- CNE = Continuing Nursing Education
- Appropriate phrase in relation to continuing nursing education
- 1 CNE contact hour = 50 minute of learning
- CE = Continuing Education
- May be used to reference general continuing education for many different professions, rather than specific to nursing
- CEU = Continuing Education Units
- May be used to reference general continuing education for many different professions, rather than specific to nursing
- 1 CEU = 10 contact hours, however calculation is not standardized across all professions
- CME = Continuing Medical Education
- Not an acceptable for any licensure requirement in KS, unless approved through the IOA process
The Kansas State Board of Nursing will accept CNE hours from:
- Any provider approved by other State Boards of Nursing
- Any provider approved by National Nursing Credentialing Associations
- Any provider approved by Kansas State Board of Nursing.
- Single offering providers have an SP#
- Long term providers have an LT#
- An approved Individual Offering Approval (IOA)
- Must be approved prior to license renewal
- Examples of offerings that MUST be submitted via the IOA Form include, but are not limited to:
- College courses
- Offerings completed by non-approved providers
- Continuing Medical Education (CME)
- ACLS, PALS, & etc. Not provided by an approved provider.
A Note About College Courses as CNEs:
College courses are not approved for CNE contact hours without submission of an Individual Offering Approval (IOA) form, prior to renewal or reinstatement of license. Even with the submission of an IOA, not all college courses are eligible for CNE contact hours.
College courses acceptable for CNE with an IOA may include any of the following: any college courses in science, psychology, sociology, or statistics that are prerequisites for a nursing degree.
Contact hours shall not be recognized by the board for any of the following: an incomplete or failed college course or any college course in literature and composition, public speaking, basic math, algebra, humanities, or other general education requirements unless the course meets the definition of CNE.
For courses that do get approval via IOA, 1 college credit hour = 15 CNE contact hours
Required documents if audited:
- Certificate/Transcript of Attendance or Completion that includes:
- Name of CNE offering
- Provider name or name of the accrediting organization
- Provider number or number of the accrediting organization, if applicable
- Offering date
- Number of contact hours awarded
- Licensee name
- License number
- Approved Individual Offering Application (IOA)
- Advanced Practice Nurses Approved offering certificates and learning objectives if the certificate does not denote the education is approved for advanced practice nurses.
