Washington Advanced Practice Registered Nurses CE Requirements, Accreditations & Approvals

Washington 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 Washington State Board of Nursing (formerly Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission) accepts courses from any provider who is ANCC accredited.

Continuing Education Requirement

The Washington State Board of Nursing (formerly Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission) accepts NetCE courses.

RNs and LPNs are required 8 contact hours every year. There is a one-time requirement of 6 hours of suicide prevention training at initial licensure.

ARNPs are required to maintain national certification and complete 30 contact hours in area of specialty, every two years. Licensees authorized to prescribe are required an additional 15 hours in pharmacotherapeutics. Licensees authorized to prescribe opioids must complete a one-time requirement of 4 hours regarding best practices in the prescribing of opioids. There is a one-time requirement of 6 hours of suicide prevention training, certified registered nurse anesthetists are excluded from this requirement.

ARNP pain management specialists functioning as a consultant for the prescribing of chronic opioid therapy who do not hold a pain management credential from a WA NCQAC-approved (WABON effective 7/24/2023) certifying or credentialing entity may complete at least 18 hours of continuing education in pain management, every 2 years. (Please see WAC 246-840-493 for additional requirements.)

Beginning with DEA initial registrations or renewals starting June 27, 2023, all DEA-registered practitioners (with the exception of DVM-only license holders) are required 8 hours on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, including the appropriate clinical use of all FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of a substance use disorder, one-time only.

Authorizing practitioners under the Medical Cannabis Program should take at least 3 hours of continuing education related to medical cannabis, including the proper use of cannabis, pharmacology and effects of cannabis, methods of administration, and potential side effects or risks.

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All Accreditations and Approvals
License Renewal Instructions

For More Information

Please contact the Washington State Board of Nursing (formerly Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission) at (360) 236-4703, or visit their website at https://nursing.wa.gov/.

Additional information regarding your continuing education requirements may be found at:
https://nursing.wa.gov/licensing/maintain-license/continuing-competency - RNs, LPNs, and ARNPs.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=246-840-493 - ARNP pain management specialists.
https://nursing.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2022-05/ContinuingCompetency_06112021.pdf - CE FAQs eff. June 12, 2021.