Mississippi Nursing CE Requirements for RNs, LPNs, CNAs & HHAs
Mississippi does not require routine continuing education for active RN or LPN license renewal. However, nurses remain responsible for maintaining competency appropriate to their area of practice. An RN or LPN who has not practiced nursing for more than five years must meet Mississippi's continued-competency requirements before renewal, reinstatement, endorsement, or a change in license status. Certified nurse aides and home health aides follow the federal 12-hour annual in-service standard, with no additional Mississippi hour requirement.
Mississippi Continuing Education Requirements at a Glance
| RN | LPN | RN or LPN Out of Practice for More Than 5 Years | Expanded-Role LPN | CNA | HHA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing Education Requirement | No routine CE requirement | No routine CE requirement | 20 contact hours | 10 contact hours | 12 hours annual in-service (federal, 42 CFR 483.95) | 12 hours annual in-service (federal, 42 CFR 484.80) |
| Mississippi-Specific Detail | Must maintain competency appropriate to the nurse’s area of practice | Must maintain competency appropriate to the nurse’s area of practice | Nursing-related CE completed during the 2 years immediately before the application is one accepted continued-competency pathway | As required for renewal, reinstatement, or endorsement | Registry renewal by qualifying employment; no CE-hour requirement | No Mississippi-specific add-on; 75-hour initial training including 16 supervised practical hours |
| Renewal Cycle | Every 2 years; renews in even-numbered years | Every 2 years; renews in odd-numbered years | As required for renewal, reinstatement, or endorsement | Each applicable LPN renewal period | Every 2 years | Each 12-month period |
Routine RN and LPN License Renewal
Active Mississippi RNs and LPNs are not required to complete a set number of continuing education hours solely to renew or maintain their licenses. Nurses may still complete continuing education to maintain competency, satisfy employer expectations, or strengthen knowledge relevant to their practice.
RN/LPN Continuing Education
C-E-U.com offers online nursing continuing education that Mississippi RNs and LPNs can use for professional development, competency maintenance, and employer-required education.
Nurses Out of Practice for More Than Five Years — 20 Contact Hours
A Mississippi RN or LPN who has been out of nursing practice for more than five years may satisfy a continued-competency pathway by completing at least 20 contact hours of accepted nursing continuing education during the two years immediately preceding the application. Mississippi also recognizes other competency pathways, so the nurse should review the Board’s current application requirements before proceeding.
RN/LPN Continuing Education
C-E-U.com provides online nursing courses that may help eligible Mississippi RNs and LPNs document qualifying contact hours toward this continued-competency option.
Mississippi CNA 12-Hour Annual In-Service Training
Mississippi does not set a state continuing-education requirement for nurse aide certification renewal. Certification is renewed through the Mississippi nurse aide registry based on qualifying nursing-related employment, with no CE-hour requirement. Nurse aides employed by Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facilities must complete at least 12 hours of in-service education each year under the federal standard, 42 CFR §483.95.
CNA Annual In-Service Training — 12 Hours
Nurse aides employed by Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facilities must complete at least 12 hours of in-service education each year, covering topics such as resident care, safety, and competency maintenance. Our CNA in-service courses cover infection prevention, resident safety, abuse and neglect prevention, communication, documentation, and dementia care. The employing facility must determine whether the courses satisfy its training plan.
Mississippi Home Health Aide 12-Hour Annual In-Service Training
Home health aides working for Medicare-certified home health agencies in Mississippi follow the federal training standard, with no Mississippi-specific hour add-on. This requires 75 hours of initial training, including at least 16 hours of supervised practical training, plus at least 12 hours of annual in-service education under 42 CFR §484.80.
HHA Annual In-Service Training — 12 Hours
Home health aides must complete at least 12 hours of in-service training each year, covering topics relevant to their patient population. Our HHA courses provide practical education on safe care in the home, infection prevention, communication, documentation, client rights, and recognizing changes in a client's condition. Training must be accepted, supervised, and documented by the employing home health agency.
Mississippi Nursing Continuing Education References and Resources
Mississippi Board of Nursing — Official source for Mississippi RN and LPN licensure, renewal, applications, rules, and Board guidance.
Mississippi Board of Nursing Continuing Education FAQ — Explains that routine continuing education is not required for active RN or LPN renewal, while nurses out of practice for more than five years must meet continued-competency requirements.
Mississippi Nursing Continuing Education Requirements FAQ — Provides profession-specific guidance for RNs, LPNs, and APRNs, including the 20-contact-hour option for nurses returning after more than five years out of practice.
Mississippi Board of Nursing Frequently Asked Questions — Includes detailed guidance on renewal, reinstatement, endorsement, and acceptable continued-competency pathways.
Mississippi RN and LPN Reinstatement Requirements — Explains the available pathways for nurses returning to practice, including 20 contact hours of nursing-related continuing education completed during the preceding two years.
Mississippi Nursing Licensure Applications and Forms — Provides RN and LPN renewal, reinstatement, inactive-license, and late-renewal information. It also identifies the even-year RN and odd-year LPN renewal schedules.
Mississippi Nursing Practice Act — Official statutory resource governing nursing licensure and practice in Mississippi.
Mississippi Board of Nursing CE Broker Information — Explains Mississippi’s use of CE Broker and advises nurses to retain copies of their completion certificates even when providers report credits.
Mississippi Nurse Gateway — Secure portal used to submit license applications, renewals, status changes, and other licensing requests.
Mississippi Nursing License Verification — Official primary-source system for verifying Mississippi nursing licenses.
Mississippi CNA (Nurse Aide) Certification and Training — Official Mississippi State Department of Health page for nurse aide training, certification, renewal, and registry information.
Federal Nursing Facility Training Requirements — 42 CFR §483.95 — Establishes the 12-hour annual in-service education requirement for nurse aides employed by Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facilities.
Federal Home Health Aide Training Requirements — 42 CFR §484.80 — Federal regulation governing home health aide initial training and annual in-service education requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions: Mississippi RN and LPN Continuing Education
Actively practicing Mississippi RNs and LPNs do not have a routine continuing education requirement for license renewal. Each nurse remains responsible for maintaining competency appropriate to their area of practice.
No. Mississippi does not require a fixed number of continuing education hours for the routine renewal of an actively practicing RN or LPN license. Continuing education may still be useful for professional development, competency maintenance, and employer-required training.
An RN or LPN who has not practiced nursing for five years or more must provide evidence of continuing nursing competency when applying for renewal, reinstatement, endorsement, or a change from inactive to active status. One available pathway is completing 20 contact hours of nursing-related continuing education during the two years immediately preceding the application.
No. A nurse returning after five or more years may also satisfy the competency requirement by successfully completing a Board-approved nursing reorientation or refresher program. Nurses should review the requirements for their specific application before selecting a pathway.
The education must be directly related to nursing practice and completed during the two years immediately before the application. Mississippi describes acceptable offerings as those currently approved, accredited, provided, or offered by a recognized credentialing agency.
C-E-U.com is a Florida Board of Nursing continuing education provider, Provider #50-47308. Nursing-related C-E-U.com courses may help an eligible Mississippi RN or LPN document contact hours toward the 20-hour continuing-competency option. Nurses should select courses directly related to nursing practice and confirm that their completed coursework meets the requirements for their specific application.
Mississippi’s published competency pathway focuses on the subject matter, timing, contact hours, and recognized credentialing source of the education rather than requiring classroom attendance. Online nursing courses may qualify when they meet those criteria and provide appropriate completion documentation.
Mississippi provides access to CE Broker for continuing education tracking. However, active RNs and LPNs ordinarily have no routine CE requirement to report for license renewal. C-E-U.com exports qualifying nursing continuing education completions to CE Broker when applicable, and nurses should retain their completion certificates for their own records.
Because actively practicing RNs and LPNs do not ordinarily have a routine CE-hour requirement, certificates are not generally submitted solely for standard renewal. Nurses required to demonstrate continued competency after five or more years out of practice must submit appropriate documentation with the applicable licensure application.
Mississippi RN renewal occurs during even-numbered years. The current Board application page identifies the RN renewal period as July 1 through December 31 of the applicable even-numbered year.
Mississippi provides late-renewal periods after the standard renewal deadline. Additional administrative fees apply, and nurses using the later late-renewal period may also be required to complete a criminal background check before the license is restored to active status.
Mississippi does not add a state-specific hour requirement on top of the federal standard. CNAs working in Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facilities need at least 12 hours of in-service education each year under 42 CFR §483.95, and home health aides working for Medicare-certified home health agencies need at least 12 hours annually under 42 CFR §484.80. C-E-U.com courses can support these in-service requirements when the employing facility or agency accepts and documents the training.
Mississippi nurse aide certification is renewed through the state nurse aide registry, managed online through the TMU system, based on qualifying nursing-related employment during the certification period rather than continuing-education hours. A nurse aide who does not meet the employment requirement must retest to return to active status. C-E-U.com courses can support annual facility in-service training but do not replace the registry renewal process.
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