Arkansas Nursing Continuing Education (CE) Requirements

Arkansas registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) must complete one of the following during each two-year renewal period:

• 15 practice-focused contact hours from a nationally recognized or state continuing education approval body recognized by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing; This is the renewal pathway C-E-U.com is designed to support through convenient, practice-focused online continuing education courses.
• Certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board; or
• An eligible academic course in nursing or a related field.

Nurses using the contact-hour option should select continuing education relevant to their nursing practice. The Arkansas State Board of Nursing refers to these credits as contact hours, although they are commonly called CEUs.

C-E-U.com is designed to support this renewal option by offering convenient online courses focused on practical nursing knowledge, patient care, safety, and professional practice.

Arkansas does not require Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) to complete a specific number of continuing education contact hours for standard certification renewal. Instead, an Arkansas CNA must renew through the Arkansas CNA Registry every two years and document at least one paid eight-hour shift working as a CNA during the certification period. C-E-U.com courses can support professional development, employer-required training, and continued competency in areas such as infection prevention, client safety, communication, and caregiving—but they do not replace Arkansas’s paid-work requirement for CNA renewal.

Arkansas CNAs can access C-E-U.com’s broad library of continuing education courses to strengthen their knowledge, improve everyday caregiving practice, and support continued professional development in areas such as infection prevention, safety, communication, and client care.

Arkansas Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides working through regulated home health or private care agencies generally must complete at least 12 hours of in-service training every 12 months. The training must directly relate to the client-care responsibilities of the aide’s job.

Arkansas aides can access C-E-U.com’s broad library of online courses to strengthen practical caregiving knowledge in areas such as infection prevention, client safety, communication, dementia care, documentation, and activities of daily living. Because these are agency-based training requirements, each aide should confirm with their employer that a course will be accepted and documented toward the required annual in-service hours.

C-E-U.com courses should not be presented as replacing Arkansas’s initial qualification requirements. Home Health Aides generally require a 75-hour aide training course, while Personal Care Aides working through covered private care agencies require an approved 40-hour training course.

Arkansas CNAs can access C-E-U.com’s broad library of continuing education courses to strengthen their knowledge, improve everyday caregiving practice, and support continued professional development in areas such as infection prevention, safety, communication, and client care.

Arkansas hospice aides must receive at least 12 hours of job-related in-service training every 12 months. The training must relate directly to the patient-care duties of the aide.

C-E-U.com is an approved continuing education provider through the Florida Board of Nursing, Provider #50-47308. The Arkansas State Board of Nursing recognizes continuing education approved by state boards of nursing, including courses completed through out-of-state providers.

Arkansas requires continuing education to be practice-focused and applicable to the nurse’s area of practice. Each licensee is responsible for confirming that a course is appropriate for their individual license, practice area, and renewal requirements. Nurses should retain their certificates of completion for at least four years in case of an audit.

• Arkansas State Board of Nursing
  Official information about Arkansas nursing licenses, renewals, education, laws, applications, and license verification.
• Arkansas Nursing Continuing Education Requirements
  Explains the continued-competency options for Arkansas RNs, LPNs, and APRNs, including the 15-contact-hour option and requirements for late renewal or reinstatement.
• Arkansas RN Renewal Information
  Provides renewal instructions and continued-competency options specifically for Arkansas registered nurses.
• Arkansas LPN Renewal Information
  Provides renewal instructions and continued-competency options specifically for Arkansas licensed practical nurses.
• Arkansas Continuing Education FAQs
  Answers common questions about acceptable continuing education, renewal cycles, documentation, and CE requirements for nurses holding more than one Arkansas license.
• Arkansas Certified Nurse Aide Training Program and Registry
  Provides access to the Arkansas CNA Registry, certification testing, approved training information, regulations, and CNA-related forms.
• Arkansas Medicaid Provider Manuals
  Provides current Arkansas Medicaid manuals and notices, including materials addressing personal care services and personal care aide requirements.
• Arkansas Minimum Dementia-Training Requirements
  Official Arkansas DHS information about minimum dementia-training requirements affecting certain direct-care workers, including CNAs, nurse aides, and personal care aides.
• Federal Home Health Aide Requirements—42 C.F.R. § 484.80
  Federal training, competency, supervision, and annual in-service requirements for home health aides working through Medicare-certified home health agencies.