There is much more to the District of Columbia (DC)than being home to the nation’s capital. District of Columbia also boasts some of the country’s most important cultural events and museums, with plenty of wonderful places for people to visit and historic landmarks that leave everyone in awe. District of Columbia also has several renowned hospitals where registered nurses earn high salaries.
The average base salary of a registered nurse in the District of Columbia is $116,794, higher than in several other states. It is no surprise that DC is a top destination for registered nurses to live and work. Unfortunately, DC has not been spared by the nationwide staffing shortage among nurses.
With a growing shortage of nurses across healthcare facilities and an increased patient load, the Federal legislation bill, S.1113-118th Congress, called the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act, is set to enact a minimum nurse-to-patient staffing requirements by unit. Licensed nurses must continue to work under the current hospital’s staffing pattern until the bill is passed and enacted.
Licensed nurses must maintain their licenses through timely renewals and fulfilling their continuing competency requirements. Fast CE For Less has created this guide to help streamline the process. If you are a registered nurse in the District of Columbia, this guide will explain what you must do to renew your license on time and continue supporting DC’s healthcare system.
How to Renew Your Registered Nurse License in The District of Columbia
There are several steps to renew your registered nurse license. Each state’s nursing board sets its requirements. Understanding the nursing board requirements for license renewal is necessary to ensure you can fulfill all the requirements, fill out the application, and submit it to the board before your license lapses. DC Health is the regulatory body responsible for issuing new and renewed licenses to registered nurses in the District of Columbia. This section of the guide will cover the three essential steps you must know to renew your registered nurse license in DC.
Step 1: Identify the Deadline to Submit Your Registered Nurse License Renewal Application
The first step to renewing your registered nurse license is to determine the last date to fulfill your continuing education competency requirements, fill out your application, and submit it to DC Health. Nursing boards across different states set their own application deadlines and renewal periods. In the District of Columbia, DC Health issues licenses that expire every two years.
The deadline to renew your registered nurse license in the District of Columbia is June 30th. You can begin the license renewal application process approximately ten weeks before the deadline in mid-April. If you received your license in an even-numbered year, your license will expire on June 30th in the next even-numbered year. Similarly, registered nurses who receive their licenses in odd-numbered years must renew their applications before June 30th in odd-numbered years.
To check the status of your registered nurse license in the District of Columbia, you can go to DC Health’s official License Verification page.
Step 2: Fulfill Your Continuing Education Requirements
Once you identify the deadline, you must ensure you fulfill the nursing continuing education requirements for a registered nurse license renewal in the District of Columbia. These continuing education requirements are set by nursing boards to ensure that license holders in the state are up to date on education requirements and knowledgeable of changes in the healthcare field. To qualify for a license renewal, you must complete these requirements within the renewal period.
In the District of Columbia, registered nurses must complete at least 24 contact hours of nursing continuing education courses to be eligible for a license renewal. Included in the 24 hours, they must complete at least two hours of courses on COVID Vaccinations, two hours in LGBTQ or Cultural Awareness courses, and at least three hours on HIV/AIDS nursing continuing education courses.
DC Health will not request any proof of having completed the contact hours when applying for a license renewal. However, the board can conduct random audits and request documentation. Certificates should be held for a four-year period; in case you are audited.
Step 3: Submit Your License Renewal Application
After fulfilling your nursing CEU requirements, you must fill out your application and submit it to the board. Visit the DC Health website and log into your portal, then open the Online License Renewal application to begin the process.
The online license renewal application process begins ten weeks before June 30th during the renewal cycle. You must click on the link, follow the prompts, and provide the requested information. Make sure you double-check all the information you enter for accuracy. Once the application is filled out and thoroughly reviewed, you must pay the license renewal fee to complete the application. If you miss the June 30th deadline, you must pay an additional fee as a late submission penalty. To avoid late fees or letting your license lapse, make sure you fulfill all the requirements, fill out the application, and submit it before June 30th.
Why Renewing Your Registered Nurse License on Time is Crucial
Renewing your registered nurse license is mandatory to practice as a registered nurse in the District of Columbia. You cannot practice as a registered nurse legally without a valid registered nurse license. In addition, the board will require the license holder to apply for reinstatement and pay the required reinstatement fee if the license has lapsed more than 60 days after the expiration. By renewing it on time, you can avoid the risk of legal issues or fines for late renewals.
To qualify for a renewed license in DC, you must take nursing continuing education courses approved by DC Health. The course bundles of online nursing CEUs offered by Fast CE For Less provide you with a convenient solution to complete your nursing CEUs. To learn more about the nursing continuing education requirements in DC, visit www.fastceforless.com/nursing-ce-district-of-columbia.
For course bundles designed to help you conveniently fulfill your nursing continuing education requirements for a timely license renewal at an affordable cost, visit www.fastceforless.com.
