The Georgia Board of Nursing will be using CE Broker to track & verify the completion of your continuing education. The board will now review your records in CE Broker at the time of license renewal. If your CE has been reported and your requirements are complete, you’ll complete the renewal with no problems! The board will not allow renewal until your requirements are complete. Once you have satisfied the requirements and have successfully renewed your license, you are still subject to a random audit by the Board.
If electing to complete CE, RNs will need to complete 30 hours of CE – no specific subject area requirements.
What are my requirements?
There are 5 different options for registered nurses in Georgia to fulfill their continuing competency. You can report each one of these options to us so that we can track your continuing competency compliance for your Board. Learn more about each option and decide what best meets your needs below.
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- Option 1 – Georgia Nursing Continuing Education – 30 required CE hours for compliance. You can use ACCLS, PALS, NRP, or CPR to fulfill your continuing education hours as long as they fall under one of the other approving entities. If this is your first time renewing your license, you are able to use CE courses completed prior to licensure as long as they were completed in the two years prior to the license expiration.1. Any provider recognized by a national credentialing body offering certification in the licensed nurse’s specialty area of practice.2. Any provider, recognized by a national credentialing body, recognized by the Georgia Board of Nursing in Rule 410-12-.12, offering certification to advanced practice nurses.3. Georgia Nurses Association, including offerings given by the GNA Continuing Education Provider/Approver Unit.4. Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Georgia or any state AHEC that is a member of the National AHEC Organization.5. American Nurses Association (ANA), or ANY ANA affiliated state nurses association provider/approver unit6. National League for Nursing (NLN). National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Employer-sponsored continuing education programs have a minimum of one-course objective. Unless the program is accredited through one of the other bodies mentioned in this document, employer-sponsored continuing education may only be used for up to 50% of total contact hours.9. Any provider of professional continuing education for health care professionals. Examples include offerings related to specialty areas of nursing practice such as research, case management, health policy, forensics, mental health, or complementary alternative therapies?
10. Professional Journals (i.e., The American Journal of Nursing, Nursing 2013, Nursing Management, and The Nurse Practitioner) offering continuing education approved by appropriate bodies?
11. Any provider recognized by another state board of nursing within the United States
Activities NOT accepted as Continuing Education.
- Offerings designed for laypersons
- Offering less than 30 minutes in duration
- On-the-job orientation
- On-the-job training related to new policies, procedures, or equipment
- Other educational activities are not sufficiently professional in character to reasonably qualify as continuing education.
- Option 1 – Georgia Nursing Continuing Education – 30 required CE hours for compliance. You can use ACCLS, PALS, NRP, or CPR to fulfill your continuing education hours as long as they fall under one of the other approving entities. If this is your first time renewing your license, you are able to use CE courses completed prior to licensure as long as they were completed in the two years prior to the license expiration.1. Any provider recognized by a national credentialing body offering certification in the licensed nurse’s specialty area of practice.2. Any provider, recognized by a national credentialing body, recognized by the Georgia Board of Nursing in Rule 410-12-.12, offering certification to advanced practice nurses.3. Georgia Nurses Association, including offerings given by the GNA Continuing Education Provider/Approver Unit.4. Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Georgia or any state AHEC that is a member of the National AHEC Organization.5. American Nurses Association (ANA), or ANY ANA affiliated state nurses association provider/approver unit6. National League for Nursing (NLN). National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Employer-sponsored continuing education programs have a minimum of one-course objective. Unless the program is accredited through one of the other bodies mentioned in this document, employer-sponsored continuing education may only be used for up to 50% of total contact hours.9. Any provider of professional continuing education for health care professionals. Examples include offerings related to specialty areas of nursing practice such as research, case management, health policy, forensics, mental health, or complementary alternative therapies?
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- Option 2 : Maintenance of Certification or Recertification – Please note a nurse who is certified by a national certifying body recognized by the Board in Rule 410-11-.12 [O.C.G.A 43-26-9(b.1)(2)] is exempt from continuing education requirements, so reporting this will fulfill all your required hours. Please visit the Board’s website at www.sos.ga.gov/plb/nursing, click on “Laws, Rules, and Policies,” and view Rule 410-11-.12 under “Board Rules” for a complete list of Board-approved certifying bodies. Additionally, see Rules 410-11-.03 through 410-11-.06 for specific rules regarding each Advanced Practice nursing profession.
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- Option 3: Completion of the accredited academic program of study – A nurse who has proof of completion of an accredited academic program of study in nursing or a related field as recognized by the Board [O.C.G.A. 43-26-9(b.1)(3)] is exempt from continuing education requirements. The program of study must be a minimum of two credit hours. Acceptable areas of study include respiratory therapy, informatics, health care administration, and business administration. Please note the word “program” does not refer to an academic track that results in a nursing degree. To qualify for this exemption, the Board simply requires that a licensee complete one accredited academic course worth at least 2 credits in an area recognized by the Board. Reporting this exemption will fulfill all your CE requirements.
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- Option 4: Verification of competency and 500 hours of practice – A Registered Professional Nurse with verification of competency by a health care facility or entity licensed under O.C.G.A. 31-7 or by a physician’s office that is part of a health system and at least five hundred (500) hours practiced as evidenced by employer certification on a form approved by the Board [O.C.G.A. 43-26-9(b.1)(4)] is exempt from continuing education requirements. You may contact your facility administration to determine if your facility is licensed under O.C.G.A. 31-7, or the Board provides additional assistance on the following FAQ page under the heading “Option Four“: Please submit the verification of competence/active practice form completed by your employer. The competence/active practice form verification can be located here: Please note that this exemption will fulfill all your CE requirements.
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- Option 5: Board-approved re-entry prog. or graduation from a nursing ed. program – A nurse with proof of completion of a Board approved reentry program, or graduation from a nursing education program [O.C.G.A. 43-26-9(b.1)(5)] is exempt from continuing education requirements.
Please note reporting this exemption will fulfill all your CE requirements
- Option 5: Board-approved re-entry prog. or graduation from a nursing ed. program – A nurse with proof of completion of a Board approved reentry program, or graduation from a nursing education program [O.C.G.A. 43-26-9(b.1)(5)] is exempt from continuing education requirements.
If you have questions:
If you have any questions about your requirements or how to sign up for your Basic, Professional, or Concierge Account with CE Broker, you can reach out to our CE Experts. They are available Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm, by phone: at 877-434-6323 or by email: at support@cebroker.com.