How Pennsylvania Nurses Can Meet CEU and License Renewal Standards (2025)

🧑‍⚕️ CEU Requirements for Nurses in Pennsylvania

1. Who Needs CEUs & Renewal Cycle

• Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs/LVNs)
  • Must complete 30 contact hours (equivalent to CEUs) every 2 years. ceufast.com+14netce.com+14ceufast.com+14nurse.com+2westernschools.com+2nursingce.com+2
• Advanced Practice Nurses (CRNPs, CNSs)
  • Also require 30 hours biennially, with specialty-specific content included. nurse.com+3elitelearning.com+3nursingcenter.com+3nurse.com

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2. Mandatory Topics

• Child Abuse Recognition & Reporting
  • Initial license: 3 hours ceufast.com+10netce.com+10nursingcecentral.com+10nursingce.com+4nursece4less.com+4elitelearning.com+4
  • Renewal: 2 hours every cycle nursejournal.org+12netce.com+12pa.gov+12
• CRNPs with Prescriptive Authority
  • Must:
    • Complete 16 hours of advanced pharmacology
    • Include at least 2 hours on pain management, addiction, or opioid prescribing/dispensing
    • Additionally, DEA-registered practitioners (starting June 27, 2023) must take a one-time 8-hour course on substance use disorders. nursingce.com+14netce.com+14elitelearning.com+14

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3. What Counts (and Doesn’t) Towards CEUs

✅ Eligible Activities:

• ANCC‑accredited continuing education from approved providers
• Academic courses in nursing (e.g. 1 semester unit = 15 contact hours) medcec.com+11pa.gov+11elitelearning.com+11
• Workshops, seminars or conferences relevant to nursing or specialty care

🚫 Not Eligible:

• General self‑improvement (e.g. attitude/financial workshops)
• Non-nursing academic courses
• BLS (Basic Life Support)–only training
• Orientation or employer-mandated policy programs unless board-approved with credit designation ceufast.com+12pa.gov+12pa.gov+12nursingce.com+1pa.gov+1westernschools.com+4nursejournal.org+4pa.gov+4

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4. Timing & Record-Keeping

• CE period aligns with your license expiration (April or October of even-numbered years for RNs/APRNs; June for LPNs).
• Carryover is not allowed. CE hours must fall within your current 2-year renewal window. netce.com+10pa.gov+10nursingcecentral.com+10
• Retain all certificates or electronic records with course details for 5–6 years, as audits may occur.

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5. Reporting & Audits

• No need to submit CE certificates during renewal—attest “yes/no” on completion. But be ready if audited. ceufast.com+2pa.gov+2nursingcecentral.com+2
• Providers of child-­abuse training report completions directly to the PA Department of State/DHS. nursingcenter.com+8medcec.com+8westernschools.com+8

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6. Key Takeaways for PA Nurses

RN / LPN	CEUs Required	Child Abuse	Notes
Initial	30 hours	3 hours	Includes the 3‑hour child abuse course
Renewal	30 hours	2 hours	All must complete from approved providers
CRNP w/ DEA	30 hours	+8-hour SUD course<br>+16 pharmacology +2 pain/addiction	Advanced pharmacology and opioid-related content mandatory

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7. Tips for Pennsylvania Nurses

• Sign up early to avoid clustering CEUs too close to renewal time.
• Choose ANCC-accredited courses from recognized PA board-approved providers.
• Use email or calendar alerts tied to your renewal month (June for LPNs, April/October for RNs).
• Consider efficient “CE packages” (e.g. from Nurse.com, NetCE, Elite, CEUfast, MedCEC) that bundle required credits, including child abuse modules. medcec.comnursingcecentral.com+4ceufast.com+4ceufast.com+4nursingcecentral.com+5elitelearning.com+5pa.gov+5ceufast.com+8nurse.com+8netce.com+8

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✅ Final Word

To keep your nursing license active in Pennsylvania:

1. Complete 30 contact hours every two years.
2. Include the mandatory child abuse training (3 hr initial, 2 hr renewal).
3. If you’re a prescribing CRNP, meet the pharmacology/pain/addiction and DEA-ordered SUD requirements.
4. Save all CE documentation, and be prepared for random audits — but no need to upload anything unless requested during renewal.

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Sources:

1. Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing – FAQs & CE Regulations
   • Details on eligible CE types, credit conversions for academic courses, and documentation/audit requirements irrc.state.pa.us+15pa.gov+15nursingce.com+15
2. Pennsylvania Opioid Education Requirements for CRNPs
   • Explains mandatory 4 hours opioid education (2 hr pain/addiction + 2 hr prescribing/dispensing) for initial prescriptive authority, and 2-hour opioid/pain modules at each renewal support.nursingcecentral.com+9pa.gov+9allnurses.com+9millersville.edu+1pacnp.org+1
3. NetCE Overviews (RNs, LPNs, CRNPs)
   • Summarizes biennial 30-hour CE requirement, 2-hour child abuse requirement (3 hr for initial), advanced pharmacology and opioid content for prescribers, and one‑time 8-hour SUD training for DEA-registered providers (post-June 27, 2023) elitelearning.com+9netce.com+9netce.com+9
4. UPMC / NursingCE Sites
   • Confirms CRNP-specific mandates: 30-hour total, 16-hour pharmacology, 2-hour child abuse, 2-hour pain/addiction/opioid for prescribers nurse.com+13cce.upmc.com+13nursingce.com+13elitelearning.com+6nursece4less.com+6netce.com+6
5. Elite Learning
   • Cites Act 31–child abuse hours for initial (3 hr) and renewal (2 hr), as well as pain/opioid course standards pa.gov+1pa.gov+1
6. NursingCE4Less
   • Verifies 30 hr CE every 2 years, including child abuse specifics (3 hr initial, 2 hr renewal), plus 16 hr pharmacology & 2 hr pain/addiction for CRNP prescribers pa.gov+8nursece4less.com+8elitelearning.com+8
7. Regulatory Update (IRRC)
   • Confirms updates in CE requirements for pain management/addiction/prescribing controls pa.gov+14irrc.state.pa.us+14nursingcenter.com+14

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