Oregon Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements

Renewal cycle

2 years (biennial)

Total CE hours

Under OAR 851-050-0138/851-050-0142, NP renewal requires EITHER attestation of active national certification (meeting its CE requirements) OR 45 structured contact hours of CE in the 2 years prior to renewal. Transition in progress: per the OSBN fact sheet, as of 1/1/2026 practice hours are eliminated; as of 1/1/2028 current national certification will fulfill the practice-related CE requirement for NPs/CRNAs.

Pharmacology CE

15 of the 45 CE hours must be in pharmacotherapeutic content at the NP level congruent with the NP's specialty role — applies when using the 45-hour pathway (e.g., when not relying on national certification, or when unable to meet practice requirements, in which case an OSBN-approved 45-hour APRN pharmacology course is required). NPs renewing via current national certification have no separate state pharmacology hour count.

Controlled-substance CE

1 hour of pain management education (Oregon Pain Management Commission module) within the previous 36 months, required of all LPN/RN/APRN renewal applicants. Also 2 hours of cultural competency education every 48 months. No separate opioid-prescribing hour mandate tied to DEA registration.

Good to know

Oregon is mid-transition: the OSBN 'CE Requirements for Renewal' fact sheet (12/31/25) shows the new competency framework (2026: pain mgmt + cultural competency; 2028: 20 hrs for RN/LPN, national certification suffices for NP/CRNA, 75 hrs/5 yrs for CNS). The 45-hr/15-pharm rule in OAR 851-050-0138/0142 remains the fallback for NPs without national certification. PMHNPs certified by ANCC typically satisfy CE via certification. Oregon licenses NPs (title 'Nurse Practitioner') via OSBN; prescriptive authority is included in NP licensure.

Official sources