Georgia is the land of peaches, but there is a lot more the state offers that makes it a popular destination to live and work in. If you work in the healthcare industry, it also boasts some of the best hospitals the country has to offer. With an average registered nurse (RN) in Georgia earning over $86,000 per year, it is an attractive place to live and work as a nurse.
Like the rest of the country, Georgia is facing a staffing shortage among nurses. With the fifth-lowest nurse-to-state population ratio in the country, state regulators are encouraging more nurses to join the workforce. The Georgia Board of Nursing is the body responsible for issuing licenses to registered nurses in the state. While the state is in a five-year expansion program to double enrollment for nursing students, it also needs currently practicing RNs to retain their licenses.
State nursing boards nationwide issue licenses that expire every two to three years. Before a license holder’s credentials expire, they must apply for a registered nurse license renewal with their state’s nursing board. If you are an RN currently practicing in Georgia, you must understand the nursing board’s requirements for license renewal to continue practicing without issues.
Fast CE For Less has created this guide for RNs in Georgia nearing the end of their renewal periods. Explaining the process will help you streamline your license renewal to ensure you continue practicing and contributing to the state’s healthcare system.
How to Renew Your Registered Nurse License
Each state requires registered nurses to renew their credentials every two to three years. Depending on the state’s nursing board, license holders must fulfill a set of requirements to become eligible for license renewal. In Georgia, renewal periods last two years. However, you must identify the deadline, fulfill nursing continuing education requirements, and file a completed application before your license expires. This section of the guide will explore the steps to renew your registered nurse license in Georgia.
Step 1: Identify the Deadline to Submit Your Application for RN License Renewal
In Georgia, determining the deadline to submit your application is much easier than in most other states. To keep things simple, the Georgia Board of Nursing has set licenses to expire every two years. Instead of tying the deadline to a license holder’s birthday, the board has set it to January 31 of the year it expires.
If you received your license in an even-numbered year, it will expire on January 31 in the next even-numbered year. Similarly, a license issued in an odd-numbered year will expire on January 31 of the next odd-numbered year. You must fulfill your nursing continuing education requirements, complete your application, and file it before the deadline.
Step 2: Fulfill Your Nursing Continuing Education Requirements
To keep your registered nurse license in Georgia active, you must fulfill the state board’s continuing competency requirements before applying for renewal. Within the two-year renewal period, you must complete one of five options to fulfill that requirement.
The options include maintaining the certification or getting recertified by a nationally recognized body, completing an accredited nursing study program, or completing at least 30 contact hours of nursing continuing education courses. Regardless of the path you choose, you must ensure you fulfill the requirements with ample time remaining before the deadline. This way, you will have adequate time to complete and file your application with the Georgia Board of Nursing.
Step 3: Complete and File Your Application with the Georgia Board of Nursing
The Georgia Board of Nursing has an online licensing portal that it uses to review and process license renewal applications. The fee to renew a RN license in Georgia is $65, which you can pay online with your preferred payment method.
To begin your application, visit Georgia’s online licensing site here. You must register with CE Broker to create your user ID and password. Then, you must log into your account. Next, you must select the “Renew License” option and follow the prompts. Make sure you read the instructions carefully and provide the workforce data requested in the survey.
Once you fill out the form, review all the information for accuracy before submitting the application and paying the fee online. Ideally, you should print a physical copy of the receipt for your personal records. After five business days, the board should issue your renewed nursing license. If you experience any issues, contact the Professional Licensing Boards by calling their call center at 478-207-2440.
Understand Nursing Continuing Education Requirements
State boards throughout the country issue licenses that expire to mandate continuing competency. This way, nurses across all specializations will stay current with the latest developments in healthcare, ensuring the highest standard of care delivery.
Unlike in most other states, the Georgia Board of Nursing offers several options to fulfill your continuing competency requirements:
- Option 1: Maintenance of certification or recertification through a national certifying body recognized by the Georgia Board of Nursing.
- Option 2: Completing an accredited academic study program in nursing or a related field recognized by the board.
- Option 3: Certifying competency by a healthcare facility or entity approved by the board.
- Option 4: Completing a reentry program or graduating from a nursing education program approved by the board.
- Option 5: Completing 30 contact hours of nursing continuing education courses through a provider approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing.
Of all the options, completing nursing continuing education courses within your two-year renewal period can be the most convenient renewal method. To learn more about nursing continuing education courses for license renewal in Georgia, visit www.fastceforless.com/nursing-ce-georgia.
If you are nearing the end of your renewal period and want access to convenient course bundles tailored for RN license renewal in Georgia, online nursing CEUs like those by Fast CE For Less are available at www.fastceforless.com. Accepted by the Georgia Board of Nursing and automatically reported to CE Broker for your convenience, the affordable online nursing CEUs available can streamline your renewal process.
