22 Tex. Admin. Code § 216.3 – Requirements

Twenty contact hours of continuing education within the two years immediately preceding renewal of registration are required.

(1) Type I. Ten contact hours shall be obtained by participation in programs approved by a credentialing agency recognized by the board. The program shall meet all criteria listed in §216.4 of this title (relating to Criteria for Acceptable Continuing Education Activity). In addition, there shall be a nurse on the planning committee and target audience shall include nurses. For RN or LVN/RN target groups, a RN shall be on the planning committee to ensure that program objectives and content are commensurate with recognized standards for RN continuing education courses. The board recognizes agencies/organizations to approve providers and/or programs for Type I credit. A list of these agencies/organizations may be obtained from the board's office.
(2) Type II. The remaining 10 contact hours shall be obtained by participation in additional Type I programs or by participation in activities listed in §216.4 of this title.
(3) Requirements for the Advanced Practice Nurse. The licensee authorized by the Board as an advanced practice nurse (APN) is required to obtain 20 contact hours of continuing education within the previous two years of licensure.
1. (A) The required hours are not in addition to the requirements of paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) of this section.
2. (B) The 20 contact hours of continuing education must be appropriate to the advanced specialty area and role recognized by the Board.
3. (C) The APN who holds limited prescriptive authority must complete, in addition to the required contact hours in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, at least 5 contact hours of continuing education in pharmacotherapeutics.
4. (D) Category I Continuing Medical Education (CME) contact hours will meet requirements for Type I contact hours as described in this chapter.
(4) For the biennium beginning 6/1/2002 and ending 6/1/2004, every license holder who renews a license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of Texas shall complete not less than two hours of continuing education relating to Hepatitis C. This requirement may be met through completion of either Type I or Type II approved continuing education activities, as set forth in Rule §216.4 of this title.
1. (A) The minimum 2 hours of continuing education requirement for Hepatitis C shall include information relevant to the prevention, assessment, and treatment of Hepatitis C.
2. (B) The required hours are not in addition to the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section.
(5) For either two year renewal cycle preceding September 1, 2007, a license holder who renews a license to practice as a Nurse or Advanced Practice Nurse shall have completed not less than two contact hours of continuing education in bioterrorism as part of the total hours of continuing education required to be completed under (1) and (2).
1. (A) The minimum two contact hours required continuing education in bioterrorism shall include information relevant to preparing for, reporting medical events resulting from, and responding to the consequences of an incident of bioterrorism.
2. (B) The bioterrorism continuing education program will be acceptable to the board for Type I or Type II credit if it meets the following criteria:
  1. (i) the bioterrorism course must include information relating to preparing for an incidence of bioterrorism including the clues to bioterrorism attack and the signs, symptoms, and modes of transmission of high-priority agents of bioterrorism;
  2. (ii) the bioterrorism course must include information relating to the reporting of an incidence of bioterrorism including the ways in which to contact the proper authorities and correctly document the incidence of bioterrorism;
  3. (iii) the bioterrorism course must include information relating to the implementation of decontamination procedures, the identification of treatment locations and treatment personnel, the acquisition of treatment-related supplies, the awareness of any facility-organized response plans, and the development of a patient care plan to address the situation; and
  4. (iv) the bioterrorism course is designed for and targeted to Registered Nurses and Licensed Vocational Nurses.
3. (C) A license holder who does not comply with the continuing education requirement imposed under this paragraph is subject only to required completion of the continuing education requirement in a period set by the board of 30 days or less or an administrative penalty imposed under Subchapter K of the Nursing Practice Act, or both.
4. (D) A license holder who does not comply with the sanctions imposed under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph is subject to any sanction imposed under §301.453 of the Nursing Practice Act.
(6) Forensic Evidence Collection.
1. (A) Each nurse licensed in Texas and employed in an emergency room setting on or after September 1, 2006 shall complete a minimum of two hours of continuing education relating to forensic evidence collection, as required by Texas Occupations Code §301.306 and this rule by:
  1. (i) September 1, 2008 for nurses to whom this requirement applies who are employed in an ER setting on or before September 1, 2006, or
  2. (ii) within two years of the initial date of employment in an emergency room setting. This requirement may be met through completion of either Type I or Type II approved continuing education activities, as set forth in §216.4 of this title.
2. (B) This requirement shall apply to nurses who work in an emergency room (ER) setting that is:
  1. (i) the nurse's home unit;
  2. (ii) an ER unit to which the nurse "floats" or schedules shifts; or
  3. (iii) a nurse employed under contractual, temporary, per diem, agency, traveling, or other employment relationship whose duties include working in an ER.
3. (C) A licensed nurse in Texas who would otherwise be exempt from CE requirements during the nurse's initial licensure or first renewal periods under §216.8(b) or (c) of this title shall comply with the requirements of this section. This is a one-time requirement for each nurse employed in an emergency room setting. In compliance with §216.7(b) of this title, each licensee is responsible for maintaining records of CE attendance. Validation of course completion in Forensic Evidence Collection should be retained by the nurse indefinitely, even if a nurse changes employment.
4. (D) The minimum 2 hours of continuing education requirement shall include information relevant to forensic evidence collection and age or population-specific nursing interventions that may be required by other laws and/or are necessary in order to assure evidence collection that meets requirements under Texas Government Code §420.031 regarding use of a service-approved evidence collection kit and protocol. Content may also include but is not limited to documentation, history-taking skills, use of sexual assault kit, survivor symptoms, and emotional and psychological support interventions for victims.
5. (E) The required hours are included in the requirements of paragraphs (1) - (3) of this section relating to continuing education requirements for nurses.
(7) Continuing Education Requirements for Retired Nurses Providing Only Voluntary Charity Care.
1. (A) In compliance with Texas Occupations Code §112.051, the Board shall adopt rules providing for reduced fees and continuing education requirements for retired health care practitioners whose only practice is voluntary charity care.
2. (B) A nurse who is 65 years old or older and who holds or is seeking to hold a valid volunteer retired (VR) nurse authorization:
  1. (i) Must have completed at least 10 hours of either Type 1 or Type 2 continuing education as defined in this chapter during the previous biennium, unless the nurse also holds valid recognition as an advanced practice nurse or is a Volunteer Retired Registered Nurse (VR-RN) with advanced practice authorization in a given role and specialty in the State of Texas.
  2. (ii) Must have completed at least 20 hours of either Type I or Type 2 CE as defined in this chapter if authorized by the Board in a specific advanced practice role and specialty. The 20 hours of CE must meet the same criteria as APN CE defined under paragraph (3) of this section. An APN authorized as a VR-RN with APN authorization may NOT hold prescriptive authority. This does not preclude a registered nurse from placing his/her APN authorization on inactive status and applying for authorization only as a VR-RN.
  3. (iii) Is exempt from fulfilling targeted CE requirements except as required for volunteer retired advanced practice nurses.

Source Note:The provisions of this §216.3 adopted to be effective September 1, 1999, 24 TexReg 4000; amended to be effective March 13, 2002, 27 TexReg 1734; amended to be effective January 7, 2004, 29 TexReg 99; amended to be effective April 11, 2005, 30 TexReg 2065; amended to be effective February 19, 2006, 31 TexReg 848.