Rhode Island Advanced Practice Registered Nurse CEUs

• Rhode Island APRN Standard Renewal Requirements: Rhode Island APRNs must renew their licenses every two years by March 1. They are required to complete 10 contact hours of approved continuing education, which must include 2 hours on

  substance abuse
  . APRNs must maintain national certification as part of renewal and are subject to a one-time 1-hour
  Alzheimer’s disease
  education requirement. Those authorized to prescribe must provide evidence of 30 hours of pharmacology CE every 6 years. No in-person CE hour minimum is specified. Details are provided by the
  Rhode Island Department of Health Board of Nursing
  .

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• First-time renewal: All newly licensed APRNs must meet the full CE requirements, including substance abuse and national certification; no exemptions are listed (

  Rhode Island Department of Health
  ).

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• Certification alternative: National APRN certification must be maintained and does not substitute any continuing education hour requirements.

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• Other Certifications that nurses hold that needs to be renewed: APRNs must maintain additional specialty or population-focused certifications as required by their certifying bodies or employers, independently of state license renewal.