Texas Administrative Code › Title 22 - EXAMINING BOARDS › Part 11 - TEXAS BOARD OF NURSING › Chapter 216 - CONTINUING COMPETENCY › Section 216.3 - Continuing Competency Requirements

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) A
				nurse must meet either the requirements of this subsection or subsection (b) of
				this section. A nurse may choose to complete 20 contact hours of continuing
				nursing education (CNE) in the nurse's area of practice within licensing
				period, as defined in this chapter. These contact hours shall be obtained by
				participation in programs approved by a credentialing agency or provider
				recognized by the Board. A list of these agencies/providers may be obtained
				from the Board's office or website.
(b) A nurse must meet either the requirements
				of this subsection or subsection (a) of this section. A nurse may choose to
				demonstrate the achievement, maintenance, or renewal of a Board approved
				national nursing certification in the nurse's area of practice within the
				licensing period, as defined in this chapter. A list of approved national
				nursing certifications may be obtained from the Board's office or
				website.
(c) Requirements for the
				APRN. A nurse licensed by the Board as an APRN is required to complete 20
				contact hours of continuing education or achieve, maintain, or renew the
				national nursing certification recognized by the Board as meeting the
				certification requirement for the APRN's role and population focus area of
				licensure within the licensing period, as defined in this chapter.
(1) The required 20 contact hours are not in
				addition to the requirements of subsection (a) or (b) of this
				section.
(2) The 20 contact hours of
				continuing education must be appropriate to the advanced practice role and
				population focus area recognized by the Board.
(3) The APRN who holds prescriptive authority
				must complete, in addition to the requirements of this subsection, at least
				five additional contact hours of continuing education in pharmacotherapeutics
				within the licensing period.
(4) The
				APRN who has entered into a prescriptive authority agreement authorizing the
				prescribing of opioids must complete not less than two (2) hours of continuing
				education annually regarding safe and effective pain management related to the
				prescription of opioids and other controlled substances, including education
				regarding reason-able standards of care; the identification of drug-seeking
				behavior in patients; and effectively communicating with patients regarding the
				prescription of an opioid or other controlled substance. This requirement
				applies to renewal of licensure on or after January 1, 2021.
(5) The APRN whose practice includes the
				prescription of opioids must attend at least one (1) hour of continuing
				education annually covering best practices, alternative treatment options, and
				multi-modal approaches to pain management that may include physical therapy,
				psychotherapy, and other treatments. The content of the continuing education
				described by this paragraph must meet the requirements set forth by the Texas
				Pharmacy Board. This requirement applies to renewal of licensure on or after
				September 1, 2019, and expires on August 31, 2023.
(6) The APRN who is licensed prior to
				September 1, 2020, and authorized to receive information from the prescription
				monitoring program (PMP) authorized by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code,
				must complete two (2) hours of continuing education related to approved
				procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances no later than
				September 1, 2021. The APRN licensed after September 1, 2020, and authorized to
				receive information from the PMP, must complete the continuing education
				required by this paragraph no later than one year after the APRN's initial
				licensure date. This is a one-time education requirement.
(7) Category I Continuing Medical Education
				(CME) contact hours will meet requirements as described in this chapter, unless
				otherwise prohibited.