Texas Nursing CE Courses
Last updated Jun 22, 2026
Texas Nursing Continuing Education Requirements
RN Requirements
- 20 hours of continuing education every 2 years
- Nursing Jurisprudence & Ethics: 2 contact hours — Every third renewal
- Human Trafficking Prevention: one-time
- Older Adult / Geriatric Care (if applicable): as-required
- Forensic evidence collection and pediatric/geriatric focus areas apply to some practice settings.
LPN Requirements
- 20 hrs of continuing education each renewal period
- 2 years
- Nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics: at least 2 contact hours every third two-year licensing period. Older adult or geriatric populations: at least 2 contact hours every licensing period for a nurse whose practice includes these populations. Forensic evidence collection: at least 2 contact hours within two years of initial employment in an emergency room setting; this is a one-time requirement. Human trafficking prevention: an HHSC-approved course; no hour count is stated.
APRN Requirements
- 20 hours of continuing education every 2 years
- 5 of those hours must be pharmacology
- Pharmacotherapeutics: 5 contact hours
- Controlled Substance Prescribing: 2 contact hours
Show me the course list for my licence

Texas RN required courses
20 contact hours in this list, included with your yearly pass. Always confirm with your board before you renew.
2 contact hoursPrepares nurses to deliver trauma-informed medical care, collect and preserve sexual assault evidence, document objectively, and maintain chain of custody.
2 contact hoursExplains how Texas nursing law, Board rules, peer review, reporting duties, and ethical standards guide safe RN and LVN practice.
2 contact hoursBuild nursing skills for recognizing, evaluating, treating, and supporting people across the Alzheimer’s disease continuum using person-centered orientation and reminiscence approaches.
Elective courses
Pick from these to finish your hours. Every one is included with the yearly pass.
2 contact hoursA practical, evidence-based review of HIPAA privacy, security, permitted disclosures, breach response, and nurses’ responsibilities in all U.S. care settings.
3 contact hoursBuild practical skills to deliver respectful, equitable, legally compliant nursing care across cultural, linguistic, religious, disability, military, age, racial, and identity differences.
3 contact hoursBuild nursing skills to assess chronic pain, set functional goals, apply multimodal treatment, reduce medication-related harm, and coordinate person-centered care.
4 contact hoursThe role of infection control is to reduce and prevent the risk for hospital-acquired infections. To practice effective infection control practices, the healthcare professional must be knowledgeable of methods to prevent infection transmission. This training provides an overview on infection control and barrier precautions and covers the most current and scientifically accepted practices in infection control as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
2 contact hoursBuild skill in recognizing, assessing, documenting, reporting, and responding to suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of older adults.
Texas nursing CE questions
Straight from the Texas board
- Renewal period
- 2 years
- RN requirement
- 20 CNE or alternative competency pathway + targeted requirements
- LPN / LVN requirement
- 20 CNE or alternative competency pathway + targeted requirements
- Mandatory topics
- Nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics: at least 2 contact hours every third two-year licensing period. Older adult or geriatric populations: at least 2 contact hours every licensing period for a nurse whose practice includes these populations. Forensic evidence collection: at least 2 contact hours within two years of initial employment in an emergency room setting; this is a one-time requirement. Human trafficking prevention: an HHSC-approved course; no hour count is stated.
- Required courses
- RN/LVN: 20 contact hours of CNE OR approved national certification, plus applicable targeted CE. Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics: 2 hours every 6 years. Forensic Evidence Collection: 2 hours for nurses working in applicable emergency settings. Older Adult/Geriatric Care: 2 hours for nurses working in applicable geriatric settings. Human Trafficking Prevention: 1 hour. (Texas Board of Nursing) Source: Texas Board of Nursing.
- Good to know
- Texas requires continuing competency. A nurse may complete 20 contact hours of CNE in the nurse's area of practice OR achieve/maintain/renew an approved national nursing certification during the licensing period. The nurse must also complete any applicable targeted CE. The first renewal has special exemptions. (Texas Board of Nursing)
- Advanced practice CE
- 20 hours
- Renewal period
- 2 years
- Pharmacology
- 5 pharmacology contact hours. 5 additional Pharmacotherapeutics if prescriptive authority; 4 opioid/pain-management hours when applicable
- Who it applies to
- APRNs with prescriptive authority
- Controlled substances / opioids
- Yes, if APRN prescribes controlled substances
- Pain and opioid content
- Yes for APRNs with opioid-prescribing authority: 4 hours per licensing period
- Prescriptive authority
- Yes
- Who approves the course
- Texas Board of Nursing
- Accepted providers
- Board-recognized CNE providers; qualifying CNE organizations
Placeholder citation: 22 TAC §216.3 (admin-managed field). Reviewed Jun 22, 2026. User self-attestation; audit on request
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Ask about requirements, a course, pricing or your license. Answers come from our own course list and state notes.
Answers come from Fast CE For Less's own course list and our notes on state requirements. Always check your board's own rules before you count hours.
