Arkansas Continuing Education Requirements

You are eligible to renew your certificate if you have worked as a nursing assistant performing nursing or nursing-related services for pay for at least eight consecutive hours within the immediate 24-month period prior to your current registry document expiration date.

HHAs are entry-level nurse aides in Arkansas. They do not need licensing to work until they choose to take the CNA exam.

Arkansas also allows home health aides to be certified nurse aides (CNA) with no additional training – as long as they pass the CNA competency evaluation.

RNs shall earn fifteen (15) contact hours of continuing education every two years for licensure renewal.

Active licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses must complete the continuing education requirement by one of these three methods prior to each bi-annual renewal.  

• Fifteen (15) contact hours of appropriately accredited practice-focused activities, OR
• Hold a current nationally recognized certification/recertification, OR
• Completed a minimum of one college credit hour course in nursing with a grade of C or better during licensure period.

The most common method of meeting the requirements is by obtaining contact hours. These hours can be obtained through home study, nursing journals, Internet sources, or by attending workshops.
 

APRNs shall earn fifteen (15) contact hours of continuing education every two (2) years for licensure renewal.

Active licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses must complete the continuing education requirement by one of these three methods prior to each bi-annual renewal.  

• 15 contact hours of appropriately accredited practice-focused activities, OR
• Hold a current nationally recognized certification/recertification, OR
• Completed a minimum of one college credit hour course in nursing with a grade of C or better during licensure period.

The most common method of meeting the requirements is by obtaining contact hours. These hours can be obtained through home study, nursing journals, Internet sources, or by attending workshops.

APRNs issued a certificate of prescriptive authority shall obtain a minimum of three (3) hours of prescribing education which includes information on maintaining professional boundaries and the prescribing rules, regulations, and laws that apply to APRNs in the state within two (2) years of issuance of the prescriptive authority certificate (ASBN Rules, Chapter 4, Section VIII, A.7.). In order to meet this requirement, you will need to complete two courses:

• Advanced Practice Nursing in Arkansas (2 contact hours)
• Prescription Drug Misuse and Abuse (1 contact hour)

APRNs with prescriptive authority shall complete five (5) contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics continuing education in the APRN’s area of certification each biennium prior to license renewal. 

• Two (2) of the prescribing hours must contain information related to maintaining professional boundaries and the prescribing rules, regulations, and laws that apply to APRNs in Arkansas (ASBN Rules, Chapter 4, Section III,F.7.).
• In order to meet this requirement, you will need to complete the course Advanced Practice Nursing in Arkansas (2 contact hours).

LPNs shall earn fifteen (15) contact hours of continuing education every two years for licensure renewal.

Active licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses must complete the continuing education requirement by one of these three methods prior to each bi-annual renewal.  

• Fifteen (15) contact hours of appropriately accredited practice-focused activities, OR
• Hold a current nationally recognized certification/recertification, OR
• Completed a minimum of one college credit hour course in nursing with a grade of C or better during licensure period.

The most common method of meeting the requirements is by obtaining contact hours. These hours can be obtained through home study, nursing journals, Internet sources, or by attending workshops.
 

Arkansas does not require medical assistants to have a license, certification, or registration to be able to practice this occupation.

All facilities will continue to provide ongoing in-service training on a routine basis both in groups and as necessary in specific situations on a one-to-one basis. Each nursing assistant must receive one (1) hour of in-service training per month.

Employing facilities and/or individuals shall be required to submit update information to the registry to establish ongoing eligibility for active status. The registry shall make "inactive" those individuals who cannot document having worked in an aide capacity within a 24-month period. Nursing assistants who are currently employed as a nursing assistant at the time of their renewal will be renewed for 24 months. Nursing assistants who are not currently employed will be renewed for 24 months beginning with the last day employed as a nursing assistant. A certification that has been expired for a period longer than 24 months cannot be renewed and the individual must retest to re-certify to an active status.