Arkansas Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements

Renewal cycle

2 years (biennial).

Total CE hours

One of three options each biennium (applies to LPN/RN/APRN): (1) 15 contact hours of practice-focused CE, (2) current national certification/recertification (which nearly all APRNs use, since national certification is independently required for APRN renewal), or (3) at least 1 college credit hour in nursing with grade C or better (ASBN, Act 86 of 2001).

Pharmacology CE

5 contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics CE in the APRN's area of certification each biennium, required of APRNs with prescriptive authority, in ADDITION to the general CE/certification requirement (ASBN Rules Chapter Four; verified on healthy.arkansas.gov).

Controlled-substance CE

2 of the 5 pharmacotherapeutics hours must cover professional boundaries, substance abuse/misuse, and Arkansas APRN prescribing rules, regulations, and laws. ASBN designates mandatory courses through CE Broker (currently 'Advanced Practice Nursing in Arkansas' and a prescription drug abuse/misuse course) that must be completed before renewal.

Good to know

Verified on the official ADH/ASBN pages. APRN renewal requires current national certification plus an active unencumbered Arkansas (or compact) RN license. The 5 pharmacotherapeutics hours are tracked via CE Broker and are the state's key APRN-specific requirement; a PMHNP should take them in psychiatric pharmacology. Arkansas is an NLC state for the RN license; APRN license is state-specific.

Official sources