Washington Nursing CE Requirements for RNs, LPNs, NA-Cs, HHAs & HCAs
Washington RNs and LPNs must complete both continuing education and active nursing practice requirements each year. Active nurses must complete at least 8 hours of continuing education and at least 96 hours of active nursing practice during the 12 months before renewal. This page also covers Washington NA-C renewal, home health aide in-service requirements, and the state’s separate Home Care Aide continuing-education rules.
Beginning with the applicable 2026 renewal, 2 of the 8 required CE hours must be health equity education. Those 2 hours are included within the 8-hour total rather than added on top of it.
C-E-U.com can support Washington nurses with qualifying online nursing education for the general CE requirement. Washington-specific targeted requirements should be addressed separately.
Washington Nursing Continuing Competency Requirements at a Glance
| Registered Nurse (RN) | Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | NA-C | HHA | HCA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General CE Requirement | 8 hours annually | 8 hours annually | None for standard NA-C renewal | None; 12 hours per year in-service (federal) | 12 hours per year (DSHS-approved courses) |
| Health Equity | 2 of the 8 hours | 2 of the 8 hours | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Practice Requirement | 96 hours annually | 96 hours annually | Not required for renewal | 75-hour training with 16 practical hours required initially (federal) | 75-hour entry-level training and exam required initially |
| Suicide Prevention | One-time 6-hour approved course | One-time 6-hour approved course | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Renewal Period | Annually | Annually | Annually | 12-month in-service cycle | Annually |
| Governing Body | Washington State Board of Nursing | Washington State Board of Nursing | Washington DOH / Board of Nursing | CMS / employing home health agency | Washington DOH / DSHS |
Washington RN and LPN Continuing Education — 8 Hours Annually
RNs and LPNs must complete at least 8 hours of continuing nursing education each year. The education must be completed during the current renewal period and cannot be carried forward to a future year.
Washington RN and LPN Continuing Education
C-E-U.com offers self-paced online nursing continuing education that can support Washington RNs and LPNs with the general annual CE requirement. Courses provide documented contact hours and completion certificates for the nurse’s records.
Health Equity Continuing Education — 2 Hours
Washington requires RNs and LPNs to complete 2 hours of health equity continuing education during each renewal period. These 2 hours count toward the required 8 hours of annual CE. The training must include implicit-bias content and meet Washington’s health-equity training standards. (Submitted for approval)
Suicide Prevention Training — One-Time 6 Hours
Washington RNs and LPNs must also complete a one-time 6-hour training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The training must come from a qualified suicide-prevention training program included on Washington’s approved model list.
Active Nursing Practice — 96 Hours Annually
In addition to continuing education, active Washington RNs and LPNs must complete at least 96 hours of active nursing practice each year. Both the practice-hour and continuing-education requirements must be satisfied for active-status renewal.
Washington Nursing Assistant (NA-C) Requirements
Washington certifies nursing assistants (NA-C) through the Department of Health under the Washington State Board of Nursing. NA-C credentials renew annually, and standard renewal requires no continuing-education or practice hours — nursing assistants submit demographic data through the online renewal portal and pay the renewal fee. Washington’s continuing-competency CE and practice-hour requirements apply to RNs and LPNs, not to standard NA-C credentials.
NA-Cs employed in Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facilities must receive at least 12 hours of in-service education each year under federal rules (42 CFR §483.95(g)) — a facility requirement tracked by the employer.
Washington NA-C In-Service and Skills Training
C-E-U.com offers self-paced online courses Washington NA-Cs can use toward facility-required annual in-service education and employer training — including dementia and Alzheimer’s care, infection prevention, communication, documentation, resident safety, and professionalism. Certificates download immediately and include verification details your employer can confirm online.
Because Washington does not require CE for standard NA-C renewal, these courses support employer and facility requirements — confirm with your employer or facility educator that a course fits its in-service plan before enrolling.
Washington Home Health Aide (HHA) Requirements
Home health aides working for Medicare-certified home health agencies in Washington must meet the federal training standard: at least 75 hours of training, including a minimum of 16 hours of supervised practical training, plus a competency evaluation (42 CFR §484.80). After certification, federal rules require at least 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period, supervised by a registered nurse and documented by the employing agency.
Note that Washington’s long-term care workers in home care settings generally hold the state’s separate Home Care Aide (HCA) credential, which carries its own annual DSHS-approved continuing-education requirement.
Washington Home Health Aide In-Service Training
C-E-U.com offers online courses home health aides and their agencies can use toward the federal 12-hour annual in-service requirement — including Alzheimer’s and dementia care, infection prevention, safe transfers and mobility, communication, documentation, and home-care safety. Certificates download immediately with verification details agencies can confirm online.
Agencies remain responsible for RN supervision of in-service training and for competency documentation, so confirm with your agency that a course fits its in-service plan before enrolling.
Washington Home Care Aide (HCA) Requirements
Washington’s Home Care Aide (HCA) credential, issued by the Department of Health, is required for most long-term care workers providing personal care in home and community settings. Becoming an HCA requires 75 hours of state-approved entry-level training and a certification exam, and certified HCAs must then complete 12 hours of continuing education every year, documented at each annual renewal.
Washington requires HCA continuing education to come from courses approved by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), which maintains the official list of approved curricula and training providers.
Washington HCA Continuing Education — In Development
Because Washington requires Home Care Aide continuing education to be completed through DSHS-approved courses, C-E-U.com’s courses are not currently represented as satisfying the HCA 12-hour annual requirement. Washington-specific HCA continuing education from C-E-U.com is in development and will not be identified as meeting this requirement until the necessary DSHS approval has been obtained.
In the meantime, Washington HCAs should choose continuing education from the DSHS-approved training list and direct questions about acceptable courses to DSHS or the Department of Health.
Washington Nursing Continuing Education References and Resources
Washington State Board of Nursing — Official source for RN and LPN licensing, renewal, continuing competency, and Board guidance.
Washington Nursing Continuing Competency — Explains the annual CE and active-practice requirements for Washington nurses.
Washington Health Equity Continuing Education — Official DOH guidance on the 2-hour health equity requirement, course standards, documentation, and qualifying training.
Washington Suicide Prevention Training Requirements — Official requirements for mandatory suicide prevention training for healthcare professionals, including nurses.
Washington Suicide Prevention Training Model List — Approved suicide prevention courses that meet Washington’s training requirement.
Washington State Board of Nursing — Laws and Rules — Official Board page linking to the Revised Code of Washington and Washington Administrative Code provisions governing nursing practice and licensure.
Washington State Legislature — Nursing Rules — Official text of WAC Chapter 246-840 governing nursing education, licensing, practice, and continuing competency.
Washington Health Professional License Search — Official Washington credential verification tool for nurses and other healthcare professionals.
Washington State Board of Nursing — Continuing Competency — Official source confirming that standard NA-C renewal requires no CE or practice hours, and detailing RN/LPN continuing-competency requirements.
Washington DOH — Home Care Aide Continuing Education — Official source for Washington’s Home Care Aide credential and its 12-hour annual DSHS-approved continuing-education requirement.
42 CFR §483.95 — Training Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities — Federal rule requiring at least 12 hours of annual in-service education for nurse aides in Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing facilities.
42 CFR §484.80 — Home Health Aide Services — Federal rule setting the 75-hour home health aide training standard, competency evaluation, and 12-hour annual in-service requirement for Medicare-certified home health agencies.
Frequently Asked Questions: Washington Nursing Continuing Competency
Washington RNs and LPNs must complete 8 hours of continuing education during each annual renewal period.
Yes. Active RNs and LPNs must also complete at least 96 hours of nursing practice during the 12 months before renewal.
Yes. Beginning with applicable 2026 renewals, 2 of the required 8 CE hours must address health equity and include implicit-bias content.
Qualifying C-E-U.com nursing courses can support Washington’s general CE requirement. Washington-specific targeted training should only be represented as meeting a mandate when the course satisfies the applicable state standards.
Yes. C-E-U.com offers a 2-hour Washington Health Equity and Implicit Bias course designed around the state’s current training standards. The course is live and available now and has been submitted to the Washington State Department of Health Health Equity team for review at [email protected].
Yes. Washington requires a one-time 6-hour suicide assessment, treatment, and management course from a program on the state’s approved model list.
No. Washington does not use CE Broker for routine RN or LPN renewal reporting.
No. Standard Washington NA-C credentials renew annually with no CE or practice-hour requirement — nursing assistants submit demographic data through the online renewal portal and pay the fee. Washington’s continuing-competency CE requirements apply to RNs and LPNs. Note that Washington’s separate Home Care Aide (HCA) credential does carry a 12-hour annual continuing-education requirement, and that CE must come from DSHS-approved courses. NA-Cs in Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facilities still receive at least 12 hours of facility in-service education each year under federal rules — a requirement C-E-U.com courses can support.
Home health aides at Medicare-certified agencies follow the federal standard: 75 hours of training including 16 supervised practical hours, a competency evaluation, and then 12 hours of RN-supervised in-service training each 12-month period (42 CFR §484.80) — C-E-U.com’s online courses can support those annual hours. Washington’s home care workforce generally holds the separate Home Care Aide (HCA) credential instead, which requires 75 hours of state training and 12 hours of continuing education every year from DSHS-approved courses — a state-specific approval system, so confirm HCA continuing-education selections against the DSHS-approved provider list.
Not at this time. Washington requires the Home Care Aide 12-hour annual continuing-education requirement to be met through DSHS-approved courses, and C-E-U.com does not currently hold that approval. Washington-specific HCA continuing education from C-E-U.com is in development and will not be identified as meeting this requirement until DSHS approval has been obtained. Until then, HCAs should select courses from the DSHS-approved training list.
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