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Requirements for Maintaining LPN License

LPN License

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) have specific requirements for maintaining their license depending on the state(s) they practice in. These requirements can include continuing education (CE), practice hours, and/or professional development. 

Currently, there are no state-mandated requirements in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Missouri, or Montana. States with contact hour requirements need biennial completion. Licensed LPNs in California, Hawaii, Kansas, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, Guam, Utah, and Georgia complete 30 contact hours. Hawaii needs additional board-approved refresher training or two post-licensure semester credits. Nevada mandates additional bioterrorism training. South Carolina LPNs can substitute 30 hours with recertification, academics, or employer-verified competency. Utah LPNs can substitute with 200 practice hours and 15 contact hours or 400 practice hours only. 1.2

Alabama requires 12 independent study hours out of a total of 24 contact hours. Ohio requires 24 contact hours, including one hour for Chapters 4723,1-23 from the nursing practice code. Delaware requires 24 hours. West Virginia LPNs complete 400 clock hours, 24 contact hours, and two hours of end-of-life and pain management CE. Each month of licensing, Florida LPNs complete one contact hour, including two on Medical Error Prevention, out of their 24-hour requirement. Two domestic violence contact hours are required every third renewal, and HIV/AIDS CE is a one-time 1-hour requirement. Illinois mandates 20 contact hours and 1 hour of CE for sexual harassment prevention. Nebraska requires 20 contact hours, 10 of which must be peer-reviewed. Emergency department LPNs need a 1-time, 2-hour CE for forensic evidence collection. Texas LPNs need 20 contact hours. Wyoming offers 20 contact hours or 15 nursing practice hours; 1600 nursing practice hours in the last 5 years or 500 in the last 2 years; or an NCLEX national specialty certification or refresher/orientation. 1,2

The District of Columbia’s 18-hour CE requirement can include transcript-verified course completion, board-approved and verified teaching/course development hours, or verified book, chapter, or peer-reviewed journal contributions. Virginia licensees have the same options with an optional 18VAC90-19-10 course. Arkansas requires 15 contact hours; however, national certification or academic courses are acceptable. Kentucky LPNs need 14 contact hours in competency training and Massachusetts LPNs need 15 contact hours. Minnesota and North Dakota require 12, with the latter accepting online schooling. 10 contact hours are required in Rhode Island. 1,2

Alaska mandates continuous education under Article 12 AAC 44.610, professional activities prescribed under Article 12 AAC 44.620, and 320 work hours. Specialist certification, 100 hours of practice simulation, E-learning, 1 semester credit, 15 CE contact hours, or a board-approved refresher can renew Idaho LPN licenses. Iowa LPNs renew every third or second year, needing 36 and 24 contact hours, respectively. Iowa LPNs treating adult dependents or children must take two hours of abuse training every five years. Louisiana requires 5 contact hours for those in full-time nursing practice, 10 if part-time, or 15 if unemployed or working less than 160 hours. Michigan LPNs must complete 25 hours CE, including one hour in pain management. Oklahoma LPNs must verify 520 hours of employment annually, 24 hours of CE in their second year, nursing specialty certification, a board-approved refresher course, or 6-semester credits at the current license level or above. Washington LPNs must report 531 active practice and 45 CE clock hours every three years.

State requirements for maintaining an LPN license vary widely, with some needing only active clinical practice above a certain threshold while others are much more specific. Special situations may also apply – for example, NYC requires 3 infection control contact hours quadrennially. Maintaining skills and knowledge is essential to providing high quality care. Ideally, requirements for maintaining an LPN license should be evidence-based and tailored to performance gaps seen in practice; some places are indeed updating their criteria. Beyond clinical skills, important competencies for LPNs include ethics, responsibility, communication, and teamwork abilities. LPNs must be culturally competent and have good communication and leadership abilities to collaborate with their coworkers and handle various patients. 1,3

References

  1. “Nursing Continuing Education Requirements by State, RN CE – AAACEUs.”AAACEUs, www.aaaceus.com/state_nursing_requirements.asp.
  2. Bindon, Susan L. “Professional Development Strategies to Enhance Nurses’ Knowledge and Maintain Safe Practice.” AORN Journal, vol. 106, no. 2, Wiley, July 2017, pp. 99110. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.06.002.
  3. Balmer, Jann. “The Transformation of Continuing Medical Education (CME) in the United States.” Advances in Medical Education and Practice, Informa UK Limited, Sept. 2013, p. 171. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.2147/amep.s35087.