Washington RN and LPN Continuing Competency
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.
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) | |
|---|---|---|
| General CE Requirement | 8 hours annually | 8 hours annually |
| Health Equity | 2 of the 8 hours | 2 of the 8 hours |
| Practice Requirement | 96 hours annually | 96 hours annually |
| Suicide Prevention | One-time 6-hour approved course | One-time 6-hour approved course |
| Renewal Period | Annually | Annually |
| Governing Body | Washington State Board of Nursing | Washington State Board of Nursing |
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 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.
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.
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