Tennessee Continuing Education Requirements

Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses Continued Competency:

Maintain evidence of two items from the following list: 

1. Copy of a satisfactory employer evaluation
2. Letter from a peer providing a satisfactory evaluation of your nursing performance
3. Letter from a patient or family member giving evidence of a satisfactory nurse/patient relationship
4. Copy of a contract of renewal or re-appointment to a nursing position
5. Written self-evaluation based on the standards of competence listed in the rules
6. Evidence of current national certification
7. A document that identifies two nursing goals and how you met these goals
8. A letter from the agency where you volunteered as a nurse  
9. Documentation from a school of nursing stating that you participated in the education of nursing students (RNs only)
10. Certificate/evidence of five contact hours of continuing education (for RNs/LPNs who are not practicing, ten contact hours will fulfill the competency requirement)
11. Copy of a published article relevant to nursing written by the licensee  
12. Letter of satisfactory completion of a nursing refresher course
13. Letter of satisfactory completion of a comprehensive nursing orientation program
14. Official transcript (may be student issued) demonstrating two hours of nursing credit
15. Evidence of successfully retaken NCLEX 

Each licensee must maintain evidence of compliance for four years from when the requirements are completed.  This documentation must be produced for inspection and verification within thirty days of a written request by the board.

APRN With Certificate of Fitness (CF) 

1. Current national certification (NOT state license; example: from ANCC, AANP, NBCRNA)
2. ONE item from the Registered Nurse proof of competence below (in addition to national certification)
3. TWO contact hours of continuing education designed specifically to address controlled substance prescribing practices including the Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines
4. Copy of current Collaborative Request/APRN Supervisory Request (formerly Notice and Formulary) if prescribing

APRN Without Certificate of Fitness (CF) 

1. Current national certification (NOT state license; example: from ANCC, AANP, NBCRNA)
2. ONE item from the Registered Nurse proof of competence below (in addition to national certification) 

Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses continued competency: Maintain evidence of two items from the following list: 
 

1. Copy of a satisfactory employer evaluation
2. Letter from a peer providing a satisfactory evaluation of your nursing performance
3. Letter from a patient or family member giving evidence of a satisfactory nurse/patient relationship
4. Copy of a contract of renewal or re-appointment to a nursing position
5. Written self-evaluation based on the standards of competence listed in the rules
6. Evidence of current national certification
7. A document that identifies two nursing goals and how you met these goals
8. A letter from the agency where you volunteered as a nurse  
9. Documentation from a school of nursing stating that you participated in the education of nursing students (RNs only)
10. Certificate/evidence of five contact hours of continuing education  (for RNs/LPNs who are not practicing, ten contact hours will fulfill the competency requirement)
11.  Copy of a published article relevant to nursing written by the licensee  
12. Letter of satisfactory completion of a nursing refresher course
13. Letter of satisfactory completion of a comprehensive nursing orientation program
14. Official transcript (may be student issued) demonstrating two hours of nursing credit
15. Evidence of successfully retaken NCLEX 

• If a prescriber is identified as a high-risk prescriber, the prescriber must complete 20 CE hours that address the risks, complications, and consequences of opioid addiction.
• APRNs with Certificate of Fitness shall complete TWO contact hours of continuing education designed specifically to address controlled substance prescribing practices including the Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines.

Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses Continued Competency:

Maintain evidence of two items from the following list: 

1. Copy of a satisfactory employer evaluation
2. Letter from a peer providing a satisfactory evaluation of your nursing performance
3. Letter from a patient or family member giving evidence of a satisfactory nurse/patient relationship
4. Copy of a contract of renewal or re-appointment to a nursing position
5. Written self-evaluation based on the standards of competence listed in the rules
6. Evidence of current national certification
7. A document that identifies two nursing goals and how you met these goals
8. A letter from the agency where you volunteered as a nurse  
9. Documentation from a school of nursing stating that you participated in the education of nursing students (RNs only)
10. Certificate/evidence of five contact hours of continuing education (for RNs/LPNs who are not practicing, ten contact hours will fulfill the competency requirement)
11. Copy of a published article relevant to nursing written by the licensee  
12. Letter of satisfactory completion of a nursing refresher course
13. Letter of satisfactory completion of a comprehensive nursing orientation program
14. Official transcript (may be student issued) demonstrating two hours of nursing credit
15. Evidence of successfully retaken NCLEX 

Certified Nurse Aides are required to renew their certification every two years and must provide verification of having worked a minimum of eight hours during the past 24 months in a facility licensed or certified by the Office of Health Care Facilities. 
This proof of employment must be in the form of either a pay stub; payroll printout; or notarized attestation form.  The pay stub or payroll printout must contain the name of the facility (not the payroll services company), the individual’s name, a date and the number of hours worked.  

No continuing education is required for renewal. Please check with your facility/employer to ensure your continuing education courses are accepted. 

Tennessee law does not require medical assistants to be certified.