Pennsylvania Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements

Renewal cycle

2 years (biennial); CRNP certification renews with the RN license

Total CE hours

30 hours of Board-approved continuing education in the 2 years prior to biennial renewal of CRNP certification, including at least 2 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting (49 Pa. Code §21.331).

Pharmacology CE

16 of the 30 hours must be Board-approved CE in pharmacology, required as a condition of biennial renewal of prescriptive authority approval (49 Pa. Code §21.331; also §21.283).

Controlled-substance CE

At least 2 hours of Board-approved CE in pain management, identification of addiction, or practices of prescribing/dispensing opioids — required for CRNPs with prescriptive authority (per Act 124 of 2016 requirements reflected in §21.331); may count within the 30/16 hours.

Good to know

Verified directly from the Pennsylvania Code (official). CRNPs without prescriptive authority still need 30 hours total (incl. 2 hrs child abuse) but not the 16-hour pharmacology component. The RN license carries its own CE (30 hrs incl. child abuse) — the CRNP hours can overlap. Applies equally to PMHNP-certified CRNPs; pharmacology CE must relate to pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of drug categories or drugs used in the CRNP's specialty.

Official sources