Hawaii Nursing CEU requirements

Hawaii is one of 37 states that require nursing professionals to complete continuing education contact hours to renew their licensure.

The Hawaii Board of Nursing oversees licensure and CEU requirements. Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) and Registered Nurses (RNs) must complete 30 hours of CEUs every two years to maintain licensure in Hawaii.

CEU Requirements for LVNs and RNs in Hawaii

In 2017, the Hawaii Board of Nursing changed licensing standards for LVNs and RNs. Nurses who do not meet one of the listed exemptions must complete one of the learning activity options before the renewal date for their professional license.

 Licenses expire every two years June 30 of every odd-numbered year for nurses in Hawaii.

To renew licensure, nurses must complete one of the following learning activities:

• 30 contact hours of continuing education activities.
• Authoring/co-authoring a peer-reviewed and published article, book, or book chapter on a relevant nursing or health-related topic.
• Completion of a Board-approved refresher course.
• Completion of a Board-recognized nurse residency program.
• Completing a minimum of 2-semester credits of post-licensure academic education from an accredited nursing program related to their nursing practice area.
• Completion as a principal nursing research project that is either a review board or evidence-based practice project (must be pre-approved by the Nursing Board).
• Developing/conducting five contact hours of a nursing education presentation or presentations of organized instruction that meets the continuing education qualifications.
• National certification or recertification related to the area of practice
• Participating as a preceptor for at least one nursing student or employee transitioning into new clinical practice areas for at least 120 hours in a 1:1 relationship as part of an organized preceptor program. See additional requirements of this learning activity on the Board of Nursing website.

The Board of Nursing may approve other types of learning activities. 

Which Nurses are Exempt from CEU Requirements in Hawaii?

The Hawaii Board of Nursing allows exemptions for its biennial nursing licensure renewals under certain conditions. According to the Board’s Continuing Competency Guidance and Information Booklet, the following nurses are excused from the licensing mandates:

• APRNs who maintain their licenses per the Board and possess a current national Board-approved certification.
• RNs and LVNs licensed in Hawaii who maintain current national certification (full listing on pages 9-16 of competency guidance and information booklet).
• Nursing students and recent graduates who graduated or completed pre-licensure requirements from an accredited nursing program within 12 months of their licensure renewal date during their first renewal period.

A complete explanation of all exemptions is available in this document from the Hawaii Board of Nursing. Any questions about exemptions should be directed to the Board.

Required CEU Courses in Hawaii

Except for the pharmacotherapeutics requirement for APRNs, there are no mandates for specific nursing CEUs in Hawaii. APRNs must complete 30 contact hours, with 8 of those hours related to pharmacology. For all other nurses in Hawaii, the state Board of Nursing only requires that courses be approved by an accrediting agency listed in the Continuing Competency Guidance and Information Booklet.

Nursing professionals in Hawaii must keep accurate records of all current certifications. We recommend keeping this documentation for at least five years. Each year, the state board of nursing conducts a random audit of all active licenses to ensure compliance. 

Nursing professionals who are unable to provide documentation of compliance can have their licenses to practice suspended.

Unacceptable CEU Courses in Hawaii

Some courses are not eligible for meeting nursing CEU requirements in Hawaii. 

They include but are not limited to English Literature, History and Economics courses. As a rule, if it is a general education course, it is not considered part of continuing education and will not count toward licensure renewal. 

Free Online CEUs for Nurses licensed in Hawaii

With Incredible Health, nurses can enroll in free, online and accredited CEU courses. We want to make it easy for nurses to fulfill their requirements from the convenience of their home.