Question

According to the Florida nurse practice act, what are the requirements related to continuing education?

Answer 1

Continuing Education Requirements

Continuing education requirements for nurses licensed in Florida are specified in Chapter 64B9-5. During each biennium (24 months) all RN’s LPN’s, ARNP’s and CNS’s licensed in the state of Florida must earn 1 contact hour for each calendar month of the licensure cycle. A contact hour is defined as 60 minutes of instruction. Contact hours can be earned in no less than one-half hour (.5) increments. Mandatory continuing education course requirements are part of the total contact hour requirement include:

• 2 contact hour course on prevention of medical errors each biennium
• 1 contact hour course on HIV/AIDS in the
• only (one-time requirement)
• 2 contact hour course on Florida Laws and Rules
• 2 contact hour course on recognizing impairment in the workplace initially and then every other biennium (every 4 years)
• 2 contact hour course on Domestic Violence every third biennium (every 6 years) in addition to the total 24 contact hour requirement for a total of 26 contact hours
• 2 contact hour course on human trafficking each biennium effective biennial renewal on or after January 1, 2019

Nurses licensed in Florida are required to maintain records of the continuing education earned each biennium. Nurses are encouraged to maintain their continuing education records using CE Broker. Nurses have the option of registering for a free account or a professional account with CE Broker. The free CE Broker account allows licensees to report continuing education course completions manually. To establish a CE Broker account or to report continuing education hours earned go to CE Broker.

A licensed nurse who is presenting a continuing education course as either the course lecturer or author of the course materials may earn up to twelve continuing education (CE) contact hours per biennium (64B9-5.006). Criteria to earn CE as an author or lecturer include:

• Earn credit for the portion of the course written or presented up to total hours awarded for that course
• Credit is awarded to the lecturer for the initial presentation only
• The program offering must conform to Board of Nursing standards for objectives, subject matter, and teaching methods
• CE credit is given for publications of CE offerings
• Credit awarded conforms to the sixty (60) minute contact hour rule