Illinois Advanced Practice Registered Nurses CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Illinois Nurses

In support of improving patient care, NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Board of Nursing accepts courses from any provider who is ANCC accredited.

Continuing Education Requirement

Attention Illinois Nurses: The IDFPR issued variances on March 16, 2022, extending your 2022 license renewal deadline and APRN prescriptive authority renewal deadline to August 31, 2022. The variance does not extend the continuing education deadline. For more information, please see variance documents: https://idfpr.illinois.gov/Forms/COVID19/SIGNED%20Variance%20Nursing%20Renewal%20Fee%20Waiver%20to%202022-08-31.pdf and https://idfpr.illinois.gov/Forms/COVID19/SIGNED%20Variance%20Nursing%20CS%20Renewal%20Fee%20Waiver%20to%202022-08-31.pdf. Notices are also posted here: https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/Nursing.asp.

The Illinois Department of Professional Regulation Board of Nursing accepts NetCE courses.

RNs, LPNs are required 20 contact hours every two years.

APRNs are required 80 contact hours every two years. Of the 80 hours, 50 hours must be in the area of practice, 20 hours in pharmacotherapeutics*, and 10 hours must be in safe opioid prescribing. Additionally, APRNs with Schedule II included in their Controlled Substances Registration must complete 3 hours annually in pharmacology*.

NEW Beginning January 1, 2023, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements for license registration or renewal must complete at least a one-hour course in training on implicit bias awareness per renewal period. A health care professional may count this one hour for completion of this course toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education.

NEW This requirement begins for LPNs renewing in 2023; RNs and APRNs renewing in 2024. Beginning January 1, 2023, a health care professional who has continuing education requirements for license registration or renewal and provides health care services to patients 26 years of age and older, is required at least 1 hour in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer disease and other dementias every renewal period. A health care professional may count this 1 hour toward meeting the minimum credit hours required for continuing education.

Beginning January 1, 2020, all licensees are required to complete 1 hour of continuing education specific to sexual harassment prevention every renewal.

Beginning January 1, 2021, all licensees who are considered mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect are required to complete training on the subject within 3 months of engagement in a professional or official capacity as a mandated reporter. RNs, LPNs, and APRNs must complete the training at least every 6 years thereafter. The training will count toward meeting a licensee's required continuing education, and is provided by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

*Any NetCE course with pharmacology hours will meet the requirement.

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All Accreditations and Approvals
License Renewal Instructions

For More Information

Please contact the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation Board of Nursing at (800) 560-6420, or visit their website at http://www.idfpr.com/profs/Nursing.asp.

Additional information regarding your continuing education requirements may be found at:
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/068/068013000A01300R.html - RNs, LPNs, and APNs.
http://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/072005700K303.05.htm - APNs with Schedule II controlled substances prescriptive or dispensing authority.

Licensees may complete the DCFS mandated reporter training online at https://www.dcfstraining.org/vtc/home/home.action.