22 Tex. Admin. Code § 216.3 - Continuing Competency Requirements
(a) A
nurse must meet either the requirements of this subsection or subsection (b) of
this section. A nurse may choose to complete 20 contact hours of continuing
nursing education (CNE) in the nurse's area of practice within licensing
period, as defined in this chapter. These contact hours shall be obtained by
participation in programs approved by a credentialing agency or provider
recognized by the Board. A list of these agencies/providers may be obtained
from the Board's office or website.
(b) A nurse must meet either the requirements
of this subsection or subsection (a) of this section. A nurse may choose to
demonstrate the achievement, maintenance, or renewal of a Board approved
national nursing certification in the nurse's area of practice within the
licensing period, as defined in this chapter. A list of approved national
nursing certifications may be obtained from the Board's office or
website.
(c) Requirements for the
APRN. A nurse licensed by the Board as an APRN is required to complete 20
contact hours of continuing education or achieve, maintain, or renew the
national nursing certification recognized by the Board as meeting the
certification requirement for the APRN's role and population focus area of
licensure within the licensing period, as defined in this chapter.
(1) The required 20 contact hours are not in
addition to the requirements of subsection (a) or (b) of this
section.
(2) The 20 contact hours of
continuing education must be appropriate to the advanced practice role and
population focus area recognized by the Board.
(3) The APRN who holds prescriptive authority
must complete, in addition to the requirements of this subsection, at least
five additional contact hours of continuing education in pharmacotherapeutics
within the licensing period.
(4) The
APRN who has entered into a prescriptive authority agreement authorizing the
prescribing of opioids must complete not less than two (2) hours of continuing
education annually regarding safe and effective pain management related to the
prescription of opioids and other controlled substances, including education
regarding reason-able standards of care; the identification of drug-seeking
behavior in patients; and effectively communicating with patients regarding the
prescription of an opioid or other controlled substance. This requirement
applies to renewal of licensure on or after January 1, 2021.
(5) The APRN whose practice includes the
prescription of opioids must attend at least one (1) hour of continuing
education annually covering best practices, alternative treatment options, and
multi-modal approaches to pain management that may include physical therapy,
psychotherapy, and other treatments. The content of the continuing education
described by this paragraph must meet the requirements set forth by the Texas
Pharmacy Board. This requirement applies to renewal of licensure on or after
September 1, 2019, and expires on August 31, 2023.
(6) The APRN who is licensed prior to
September 1, 2020, and authorized to receive information from the prescription
monitoring program (PMP) authorized by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code,
must complete two (2) hours of continuing education related to approved
procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances no later than
September 1, 2021. The APRN licensed after September 1, 2020, and authorized to
receive information from the PMP, must complete the continuing education
required by this paragraph no later than one year after the APRN's initial
licensure date. This is a one-time education requirement.
(7) Category I Continuing Medical Education
(CME) contact hours will meet requirements as described in this chapter, unless
otherwise prohibited.
(d)
Forensic Evidence Collection.
(1) Pursuant to
the Health and Safety Code §
323.004 and
§
323.0045, a
nurse licensed in Texas or holding a privilege to practice in Texas, including
an APRN, who performs a forensic examination on a sexual assault survivor must
have basic forensic evidence collection training or the equivalent education
prior to performing the examination. This requirement may be met through the
completion of CNE that meets the requirements of this subsection. This is a
one-time requirement. An APRN may use continuing medical education in forensic
evidence collection that is approved by the Texas Medical Board to satisfy this
requirement.
(2) A nurse licensed
in Texas or holding a privilege to practice in Texas, including an APRN, who is
employed in an emergency room (ER) setting must complete a minimum of two
contact hours of CNE relating to forensic evidence collection that meets the
requirements of this subsection within two years of the initial date of the
nurse's employment in an ER setting. This is a one-time requirement.
(A) This requirement applies to nurses who
work in an ER setting that is:
(i) the
nurse's home unit;
(ii) an ER unit
to which the nurse "floats" or schedules shifts; or
(iii) a nurse employed under contractual,
temporary, per diem, agency, traveling, or other employment relationship whose
duties include working in an ER.
(i)
the nurse's home unit;
(ii) an ER
unit to which the nurse "floats" or schedules shifts; or
(iii) a nurse employed under contractual,
temporary, per diem, agency, traveling, or other employment relationship whose
duties include working in an ER.
(B) A nurse shall be considered to have met
the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection if the nurse:
(i) completed CNE during the time period of
February 19, 2006 through September 1, 2013; and
(ii) the CNE met the requirements of the
Board's rules related to forensic evidence collection that were in effect from
February 19, 2006 through September 1, 2013.
(C) Completion of at least two contact hours
of CNE that meets the requirements of this subsection may simultaneously
satisfy the requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this
subsection.
(3) A nurse
who would otherwise be exempt from CNE requirements for issuance of the initial
Texas license and for the immediate licensing period following initial Texas
licensure under §
216.8(b) or (c)
of this chapter (relating to Relicensure Process) shall comply with the
requirements of this section. In compliance with §
216.7(b) of this
chapter (relating to Responsibilities of Individual Licensee), each licensee is
responsible for maintaining records of CNE completion. Record of course
completion in forensic evidence collection should be retained by the nurse
indefinitely, even if a nurse changes employment.
(4) Continuing education completed under this
subsection shall include information relevant to forensic evidence collection
and age or population-specific nursing interventions that may be required by
other laws and/or are necessary in order to assure evidence collection that
meets requirements under the Government Code §
420.031 regarding use
of an Attorney General-approved evidence collection kit and protocol. Content
may also include, but is not limited to, documentation, history-taking skills,
use of sexual assault kit, survivor symptoms, and emotional and psychological
support interventions for victims.
(5) The hours of continuing education
completed under this subsection shall count towards completion of the 20
contact hours of CNE required in subsection (a) of this section. Certification
related to forensic evidence collection that is approved by the Board may be
used to fulfill the requirements of this subsection.
(e) A nurse who holds or is seeking to hold a
valid Volunteer Retired (VR) Nurse Authorization in compliance with the
Occupations Code §
112.051 and §
301.261(e)
and §
217.9(e) of this
title (relating to Inactive and Retired Status):
(1) Must, if licensed by the Board as a LVN
and/or RN, have completed at least 10 contact hours of CNE in his or her area
of practice within the two years immediately preceding application for, or
renewal of, VR status.
(2) Must, if
licensed by the Board as an APRN, have completed at least 20 contact hours of
continuing education in his or her area of practice within the two years
immediately preceding application for, or renewal of, VR status. The 20 hours
of continuing education must meet the same criteria as APRN continuing
education defined under subsection (c) of this section. A nurse authorized as a
VR-RN/APRN may not hold prescriptive authority. This does not preclude a
registered nurse from placing his or her APRN license on inactive status and
applying for authorization only as a VR-RN.
(3) Is exempt from fulfilling targeted
continuing education requirements.
(f) Tick-Borne Diseases. An APRN whose
practice includes the treatment of tick-borne diseases is encouraged to
participate in continuing education relating to the treatment of tick-borne
diseases. The continuing education course(s) should contain information
relevant to treatment of the disease within the APRN's role and population
focus area of licensure and may represent a spectrum of relevant medical
clinical treatment relating to tick-borne disease. Completion of CME in the
treatment of tick-borne disease that meets the requirements of this subsection
shall count towards completion of the 20 contact hours of continuing education
required for APRNs in subsection (c) of this section.
(g) Nursing Jurisprudence and Nursing Ethics.
Each nurse, including an APRN, is required to complete at least two contact
hours of CNE relating to nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics before the
end of every third two-year licensing period applicable to licensing periods
that began on or after January 1, 2014. The CNE course(s) shall contain
information related to the Texas Nursing Practice Act, the Board's rules,
including §
217.11 of this title (relating to
Standards of Nursing Practice), the Board's position statements, principles of
nursing ethics, and professional boundaries. The hours of CNE completed under
this subsection shall count towards completion of the 20 contact hours of CNE
required in subsection (a) of this section. Certification and/or CME may not be
used to fulfill the CNE requirements of this subsection.
(h) Older Adult or Geriatric Care. A nurse,
including an APRN, whose practice includes older adult or geriatric populations
is required to complete at least two contact hours of CNE relating to older
adult or geriatric populations or maintain certification in an area of practice
relating to older adult or geriatric populations before the end of every
licensing period, applicable to licensing periods that began on or after
January 1, 2014. The CNE course(s) may contain information related to elder
abuse, age-related memory changes and disease processes, including chronic
conditions, end of life issues, health maintenance, and health promotion. The
hours of CNE completed under this subsection shall count towards completion of
the 20 contact hours of CNE required in subsection (a) of this section.
Certification related to older adult or geriatric populations that is approved
by the Board may be used to fulfill the CNE requirements of this
subsection.
(i) Human Trafficking
Prevention. A nurse, including an APRN, who provides direct patient care must
complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Health and Human
Services Commission. This requirement applies to the renewal of a license on or
after September 1, 2020.
Notes
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