12 AAC 44.610 Continuing Education Requirements - Continuing Education Nursing Accrediting Agencies

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda

12 AAC 44.610 establishes continuing education requirements for nursing license renewal or current certification recognition. It requires applicants to complete at least 30 contact hours of continuing education within the two years before the licensing period, including a minimum of 20 hours from board-accepted accredited programs. The document lists eligible accrediting organizations and qualifying course sponsor pathways, then enumerates multiple nursing and related certification bodies, approved continuing education organizations, and ends with an update marker for 2025.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

12 AAC 44.610 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Continuing education contact hours and renewal/certification eligibility

Board-accepted accredited organizations and sponsor approval

Listed nursing certification bodies and credentials

Approved organizations providing continuing education

Continuing Education Nursing Accrediting Agencies 12 AAC 44.610 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS. (a) Except as provided in (d) of this section, the board will accept continuing education toward fulfillment of the continuing competency requirements set out in 12 AAC 44.600 if the applicant documents (1) completion of at least 30 contact hours of continuing education for renewal of a license or current certification by a national nursing certification body, during the two years before the licensing period for which the applicant seeks renewal; the applicant shall earn at least 20 of the contact hours in a continuing education program provided (A) under the accreditation standards established or followed by one of the following organizations: (i) American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC); (ii) Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME); (iii) Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)– courses with a “P” designation or identification number; (iv) a nurse practitioner certifying body; (v) a nurse anesthetist certifying body; or (B) by a sponsor for which an applicant or the executive administrator obtains board approval; the board will approve only those sponsors who offer continuing education as defined in (c)(2) of this section; AACN – American Association of Critical-Care Nurses • Acute Care Nurse Practitioner AANP – American Association of Nurse Practitioners • Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner • Emergency Nurse Practitioner • Family Nurse Practitioner • Gerontological Nurse Practitioner ANCC – American Nurses Credentialing Center – Registered Nurse Certifications • Ambulatory Care Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • Cardiac Rehabilitation Nursing * (RN-BC) • Cardiac Vascular Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • College Health Nursing* (RN-BC) • Community Health Nursing* (RN-BC) • Faith Community Nursing*(RN-BC) • General Nursing Practice* (RN-BC) • Gerontological Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • Hemostasis Nursing* (RN-BC) • Home Health Nursing* (RN-BC) • Informatics Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • Medical-Surgical Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • National Healthcare Disaster Certification (NHCP-BC) • Nurse Executive Certification (NE-BC) • Nurse Executive Advanced Certification (NEABC) • Nurse Case Management Certification (RN-BC) • Nursing Professional Development Certification (RN-BC) • Pain Management Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • Pediatric Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • Perinatal Nursing* (RN-BC) • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Certification (RN-BC) • Rheumatology Nursing* (RN-BC) • School Nursing* (RN-BC ANCC American Nurses Credentialing Center – Advance Practice Registered Nurse Certifications • Family/Individual across the lifespan • Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner • Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner • Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (across the lifespan) • Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist • Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner • Adult Health • Family Health • Gerontological Nurse Practitioner • Acute Care / Emergency Nurse Practitioner • Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health Practitioner • Family/Psychiatric/Mental Health • Women’s Health American Association of Nurse Anesthetists – AANA • Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist American College of Nurse Midwives – ACNM • Certified Nurse Midwife Pediatric Nursing Certification Board-PNCB • Pediatric Nurse – CPN National Certification Corporation-NCC • Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner • Neonatal Nurse Practitioner National League of Nursing – NLN • Nurse Educators Certification WOCNCB Credentials – Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN) WOCNCB is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABNSC) for the following certifications: Certified Wound Ostomy Continence Nurse – CWOCN Certified Wound Care Nu

FAQs

How many continuing education contact hours are required for license renewal or current certification?

Applicants must complete at least 30 contact hours of continuing education for renewal or current certification during the two years before the licensing period.

What portion of the required contact hours must come from an accredited continuing education program?

At least 20 of the 30 contact hours must be earned in a continuing education program provided under specified accreditation standards or through an approved sponsor pathway.

Which accreditation organizations are accepted for continuing education programs?

The document names organizations such as ANCC, ACCME, and ACPE (for courses with a “P” designation or identification number), along with specific certifying bodies for nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Grenda