Texas Nurses Continuing Nursing Education Requirements Jurisprudence and Ethics

The Texas Board of Nursing frequently updates the continuing nursing education (CNE) requirements for nurses licensed to practice in Texas. 

Continuing Education is often abbreviated as CE and may be used in reference to general continuing education in many different professions, rather than specific to the continuing education for nurses. Continuing Education (CE) is defined in Board Rules as programs beyond the basic preparation which are designed to promote and enrich knowledge, improve skills, and develop attitudes for the enhancement of nursing practice, thus improving health care to the public. While some continuing education may be nursing specific, use of the term continuing nursing education and the abbreviation CNE makes it clear that this is both continuing education and is specific to nursing. If delivered by an approved provider, the CNE could be used by a nurse to meet continuing competency requirements, if the CNE were applicable to the nurse's area of practice. Therefore, CNE is the appropriate phrase in relation to continuing nursing education.

The requirement to earn 20 contact hours per licensing period has not changed, but as of January 1, 2014 all nurses licensed in Texas are required to take a minimum of 2 hours of continuing nursing education in Jurisprudence & Ethics prior to the end of every third license renewal cycle. A nurse may consider this CNE requirement either as once every third renewal cycle or a once every six year requirement. The content must include information about the Texas Nursing Practice Act; the Texas Board of Nursing (BON) rules, including Board Rule 217.11; Standards of Nursing Practice; the Texas BON Position Statements; principles of nursing ethics; and professional boundaries.

To assist you in calculating when your Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics education will be due you may click here for an online calculator from the Texas Board of Nursing website: http://www.bne.state.tx.us/NJE_Calculator.asp