State requirements
Texas Board of Nursing CE Requirements for Renewal
Texas nurses must meet the Texas Board of Nursing’s continuing competency rules and any targeted education requirements that apply to their role or practice setting. Requirements can differ for direct-care nurses, emergency department nurses, nurses caring for older adults, and APRNs.
Updated 2026-11-10 · Nursing CE editorial team
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Quick answer
Texas Board of Nursing CE requirements include continuing nursing education relevant to a nurse’s area of practice or another Board-recognized competency option. Nurses may also need targeted education in subjects such as nursing jurisprudence and ethics, human trafficking prevention, geriatric care, or forensic evidence collection. Confirm the current requirements for your license, role, and practice setting directly with the Texas Board of Nursing before renewal.
What are the Texas Board of Nursing CE requirements?
Texas nurses must demonstrate continuing competency during each applicable renewal period. One common pathway is completing the required continuing nursing education, often called CNE, in subjects that relate to the nurse’s area of practice. The Board also recognizes certain national nursing certifications as a competency pathway.
Meeting the general competency requirement may not eliminate targeted education that applies to a particular role or setting. Review the Texas Board of Nursing Continuing Competency Requirements page and Board Rule 216 before renewing, as rules and their application can change.
Which Texas BON mandated topics may apply?
Texas has targeted education requirements that apply based on practice responsibilities. These include nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics on the Board’s recurring schedule, older adult or geriatric care for nurses whose practice includes those populations, and forensic evidence collection for nurses working in an emergency room setting.
Nurses who provide direct patient care must complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission when required for renewal. The Board also identifies requirements affecting certain forensic examiners and advanced practice registered nurses. Do not assume every mandated topic applies to every nurse; compare each rule with your current duties.
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When are nursing jurisprudence and ethics required?
Texas nurses must complete targeted education in nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics every third licensing period. The content addresses the laws, rules, ethical principles, and professional responsibilities governing nursing practice in Texas.
Check your renewal history to determine whether the requirement is due for the current cycle. A course title alone is not enough to establish compliance, so compare the course objectives and completion documentation with the current Texas BON criteria.
Which requirements depend on clinical setting or patient population?
A nurse whose practice includes older adults or geriatric populations is subject to the Board’s targeted geriatric-care requirement. Nurses practicing in emergency room settings may have a forensic evidence collection requirement, while nurses performing forensic examinations may be subject to additional training standards based on their responsibilities.
Human trafficking prevention applies to nurses providing direct patient care and requires a course approved by Texas Health and Human Services. Because job titles do not always describe actual duties, use your patient population, clinical tasks, and practice environment when deciding which rules apply. Ask the Texas BON for clarification if your situation is unclear.
What additional CE rules apply to Texas APRNs?
Texas APRNs have continuing competency requirements connected to their advanced practice role and population focus. APRNs with prescriptive authority also have pharmacotherapeutics education requirements, while those authorized to prescribe controlled substances may need additional education covering controlled substances, pain management, opioids, or appropriate alternatives.
Some APRNs may have targeted requirements based on practice, including those treating tick-borne diseases or working in regulated pain-management settings. Prescriptive authority, controlled-substance authority, national certification, and practice setting can all affect the requirements, so APRNs should verify the current rules directly with the Texas BON.
How can nurses prepare for Texas license renewal?
Start by checking your license type, renewal deadline, practice area, patient population, and prescriptive responsibilities. Match each applicable requirement to an eligible course, complete it before renewal, and retain course titles, completion dates, provider information, and certificates according to Board recordkeeping rules. Follow your facility’s education and documentation protocols as well.
Our All-Access pass costs $29.99 per year, renews yearly unless canceled before renewal, and includes every course available on this site. Courses are self-paced and online, with instant certificates after successful completion. One course, Improving Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration, is available free; before using any course for Texas renewal, confirm that its content and provider documentation meet the applicable BON requirement.