Below is exactly what Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated July 4, 2026
For CRNAs, 10 hours is the total CME requirement. Rhode Island also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 10-hour total.
“Nurses seeking to renew a nursing license must complete 10 continuing education hours during every two year licensing cycle, two of those hours must be about substance abuse.”
“Effective August 1, 2019, every nurse has to complete one hour (per career) of CEU training regarding Alzheimer’s disease.”
These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.
CRNAs must hold and maintain current NBCRNA national certification as a condition of RI APRN-CRNA licensure.
“Evidence of current national certification, or recertification as applicable, as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse shall be verified at renewal.”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Rhode Island Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.
| Credit system | Notes |
|---|---|
ANCC Contact Hour | Courses approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center accepted.Sourcehttps://health.ri.gov/licensing/nurses/[1] |
NBCRNA Class A | NBCRNA Class A credits accepted.Sourcehttps://www.nbcrna.com/continued-certification[3] |
NBCRNA_CLASS_B | NBCRNA Class B credits accepted.Sourcehttps://www.nbcrna.com/continued-certification[3] |
Board-approved credit | Recognized professional nursing organizations, Board-approved nursing schools, and other organizations recognized by the Board.Sourcehttps://health.ri.gov/licensing/nurses/[1] |
Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.
No formal waivers or exemptions are published for Rhode Island.
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your your license anniversary renewal.
Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.
“Nurses seeking to renew a nursing license must complete 10 continuing education hours during every two year licensing cycle, two of those hours must be about substance abuse.”216-RICR-40-05-3.5
“Effective August 1, 2019, every nurse has to complete one hour (per career) of CEU training regarding Alzheimer’s disease.”RIGL § 23-1.7 · Effective 2019-08-01
“Evidence of current national certification, or recertification as applicable, as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse shall be verified at renewal.”216-RICR-40-05-3.4(B) (APRN national-certification verified at renewal)