Texas Board of Nursing continuing competency explained: nursing CEUs and accepted activities

Reviewed by Dr. Pam Vollmer, DNP, RN, AMB-BC, NPD-BC, Accredited Provider Program Director for CE Ready

What nurses need to know

Renewal season has a way of sneaking up fast. For Texas nurses, the rules are a little more involved than they might seem at first. If you have ever found yourself staring at the Texas Board of Nursing website wondering what “continuing competency” actually means and how it is different from just getting some CE hours done, you are in good company.

Most Texas nurses renewing an active license complete 20 contact hours in their area during the two-year licensing period. Another option is to maintain, achieve, or renew a Texas BON approved national nursing certification (Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.). Some nurses also carry targeted education requirements based on role, practice setting, or patient population. These include nursing jurisprudence and ethics, older adult care, and human trafficking prevention for nurses who provide direct patient care (Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.). Extra hours do not carry over into the next renewal period. Nurses must keep records for at least six years.

Once you know what counts, what does not count, and which targeted topics apply to your practice, the process gets much more manageable. For Texas nurses who want a simpler way to organize renewal, CE Ready can help you find relevant courses. The rest of this guide breaks the Texas rules into plain English so you can spend less time decoding BON language and more time getting renewal done.

What Texas Means by Continuing Competency

Texas does not frame renewal as “earn any 20 hours and move on.” The Texas Board of Nursing uses continuing competency to describe the requirement that nurses complete learning activities tied to the area of practice in which they used nursing knowledge, judgment, or skills during the licensing period. For most nurses, that means one of two pathways: 20 contact hours in the area of practice or a Board approved national certification in that same area (Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.).

That distinction matters because Texas is looking for relevant professional development, not random education. A school nurse, critical care nurse, nurse educator, and case manager may all meet the same renewal rule, but the best qualifying content for each one may look very different. The requirement is broad enough to be flexible, but specific enough that topic relevance still matters.

Texas also expects the education to be completed during the correct licensing period. The Board explains that continuing competency must be finished within the two year cycle tied to the renewal date. It also states that extra contact hours do not roll over into the next cycle, so more is not the same as early. Each renewal period starts fresh.

What Counts as Nursing CEUs in Texas

In Texas, a continuing nursing education activity generally counts if it offers contact hours, is relevant to your area of practice, and is approved by a credentialing agency or provider recognized by the Board. The BON FAQ lists recognized examples that include the American Nurses Credentialing Center, nursing specialty organizations, colleges and universities in the United States, and other State Boards of Nursing (Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.).

This is good news for nurses, because it means the state is not requiring one narrow type of CE source. If the education is legitimate, approved through a recognized pathway, and relevant to your role, it may count. Topics such as documentation, ethics, and chronic disease management may also fit multiple practice areas.

For nurses working in more than one setting, Texas does not require 20 hours for each job. The total is still 20 contact hours, even if your practice spans more than one area. That can make renewal a lot more manageable for nurses balancing clinical work, education, leadership, community practice, or multiple part time roles.

Accepted Activities Beyond Traditional Online CE Courses

Traditional online CE is only one path. Texas also recognizes several alternative methods for meeting continuing competency requirements when they meet Board criteria. These include qualifying academic coursework, program development or presentation, authorship of nursing or healthcare publications, and Board approved national certification in the nurse’s area of practice (Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.).

Academic coursework can be especially valuable for nurses already pursuing degree completion or professional advancement. Texas states that one academic quarter hour equals 10 contact hours and one academic semester hour equals 15 contact hours. That gives nurses a way to use formal education toward renewal.

Program development, presentation, and authorship are also recognized because they reflect real professional engagement. Nurses who teach, present, or publish often spend significant time reviewing evidence, organizing information, and deepening subject matter knowledge. Texas allows those activities to count in specific circumstances.

National certification may be the simplest alternative for many nurses. If the certification is Board approved and in the nurse’s area of practice, it satisfies the basic continuing competency requirement. Some targeted requirements may still apply separately, so certification is not always a full substitute for every Texas renewal obligation.

What Counts and What Does Not Count in Texas

Counts Toward Texas Renewal	Does Not Count Toward Texas Renewal
Approved continuing nursing education in your area of practice	Basic Life Support or cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses
Board approved national nursing certification in your area of practice	Employer orientation
Qualifying academic coursework	Routine employer in service education
Program development or presentation that meets Board criteria	On the job training
Authorship that meets Board criteria	Equipment demonstrations
Required targeted topic education when applicable	Refresher courses intended to restore entry level competence
	General self improvement activities not clearly tied to nursing practice or patient outcomes

(Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.)

The “does not count” list catches a lot of nurses off guard. Basic Life Support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation are important and often required by employers, but Texas does not accept them for continuing competency credit. The same is true for employer orientation, routine in service education, on the job training, and equipment demonstrations.

Texas is essentially separating job training from licensure renewal. Something can be necessary for employment and still not qualify for license renewal. That is why it helps to ask whether the activity is broader professional nursing education or simply training for a specific workplace process.

Targeted Requirements Texas Nurses Commonly Miss

This is where renewal tends to get people. A nurse may finish 20 contact hours and still have a separate topic requirement that applies. Texas identifies several targeted continuing competency topics depending on licensure level, role, practice area, or patient population.

One of the biggest examples is nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics. Texas requires all nurses to complete two contact hours in this topic before the end of every third two year licensing period. The BON FAQ says the content must include the Texas Nursing Practice Act, Board rules including Rule 217.11, Board Position Statements, principles of nursing ethics, and professional boundaries (Texas Board of Nursing, n.d.).

Older adult or geriatric care is another commonly missed requirement for nurses whose practice includes older adults. Human trafficking prevention also applies to nurses who provide direct patient care, and Texas specifies that the course must be approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The BON notes that HHSC revised review standards in March 2025, so nurses should be careful to choose an approved course, not just a course on the topic.

Some nurses may also need forensic evidence collection education, particularly in emergency related settings. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses can have additional continuing competency requirements, including pharmacotherapeutics for those with prescriptive authority and additional opioid related education requirements in some circumstances.

This is exactly where CE Ready can make things easier. Instead of trying to piece together Texas requirements from multiple sources, nurses can use CE Ready to look for relevant education in a more organized way. Texas nurses who want a simpler path can also visit the Texas state page on CE Ready to find courses and options designed to make the continuing competency process easier to manage.

Documentation, Audits, and Renewal Mistakes to Avoid

Texas nurses need more than completed hours. They also need documentation. The Board requires nurses to keep records of completed continuing competency activities for at least three consecutive licensing periods, which is six years. For forensic evidence collection education, records must be kept indefinitely.

Texas also explains what those records should include. Documentation should identify the nurse, the course title, the provider or credentialing agency, the completion date, and the number of contact hours awarded. If a nurse is using certification or another accepted alternative activity, the records must still clearly support that pathway.

Another major mistake is renewing before everything is complete. Texas states that renewing a license without first meeting continuing competency requirements may be grounds for disciplinary action. That is why it is so important to confirm that your hours, targeted topics, and documentation are all complete before submitting renewal.

Special cases can add confusion, including first renewal periods and licenses returning from inactive or delinquent status. In those situations, nurses should review Texas BON guidance carefully instead of assuming the standard 20 contact hour pathway automatically applies.

This is another place where CE Ready can help. CE Ready gives nurses a more streamlined way to complete courses and keep renewal planning organized, which can make it easier to track what was completed and what still needs attention. When renewal season gets busy, having your CE in one place is much better than trying to reconstruct everything from old downloads and email searches.

FAQ: Texas Nursing CEUs and Accepted Activities

Do Texas nurses need 20 CE hours every renewal?

Most Texas nurses renewing an active license meet continuing competency requirements by completing 20 contact hours in their area of practice during the two year licensing period or by using a Board approved national nursing certification in their area of practice.

Does national certification replace CE hours in Texas?

It can replace the basic 20 contact hour requirement if it is a Board approved national nursing certification in the nurse’s area of practice. Some targeted requirements may still apply separately.

Does Basic Life Support count for Texas nursing renewal?

No. Texas does not accept Basic Life Support or cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses for continuing competency credit.

Do extra CE hours roll over in Texas?

No. Texas states that additional hours earned in one licensing period do not carry over into the next renewal period.

Who needs human trafficking training in Texas?

Texas requires nurses who provide direct patient care to complete a Texas Health and Human Services Commission approved human trafficking prevention course.

How long do Texas nurses need to keep CE records?

Texas requires nurses to keep continuing competency records for at least three consecutive licensing periods, which equals six years. Forensic evidence collection records must be kept indefinitely.

What is one of the most commonly missed Texas requirements?

A common miss is nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics, which Texas requires every third two year licensing period for all nurses.

You have got this — and CE Ready is here to help

Texas renewal does not have to be overwhelming. Now that you know what continuing competency actually means, what activities count, what does not count, and which targeted requirements may apply to your role, you are in a much stronger position to plan ahead and get it done without the last-minute scramble.

The key is starting early, staying organized, and choosing education that truly fits your practice. Whether you are an LVN, RN, or APRN, the Texas Board of Nursing rules are designed to make sure your CE is meaningful — and that is actually a good thing for nurses and patients alike.

When you are ready to get your Texas continuing competency requirements in order, CE Ready is here to help. Visit the Texas page on CE Ready to explore courses, find targeted topic education, and keep your renewal planning organized from start to finish.

References

Texas Board of Nursing. (n.d.). Continuing nursing education and competency. https://www.bon.texas.gov/education_continuing_education.asp

Texas Board of Nursing. (n.d.). Continuing education and competency FAQ. https://www.bon.texas.gov/faq_education_continuing_ed_and_competency.asp

Texas Board of Nursing. (2019, October). APRN continuing competency requirements.https://www.bon.texas.gov/pdfs/board_meetings_pdfs/2019/October/6-3.pdf

Texas Health and Human Services Commission. (n.d.). Human trafficking prevention training. https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/safety/human-trafficking/prevention-training