Massachusetts Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist license renewal and CE requirements
Massachusetts nurse anesthetists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.
Massachusetts authorizes the nurse anesthetist as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse on top of a registered nurse license. Under M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 every registered nurse renews on or before their birthday in each even-numbered year for the following two years. A nurse whose birthday falls within three months after original registration does not renew until the birthday in the next even-numbered year after that, and a birthday of February 29 counts as February 28. Failing to renew forfeits the right to practice or to hold oneself out as a registered nurse. The CRNA authorization rides on that license: 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b) conditions renewal of the board's authorization to practice as a CRNA on a valid Massachusetts RN licence in good standing, good moral character, current CRNA certification granted by a board recognized APRN certifying organization, payment of fees, and, if engaging in prescriptive practice, completion of the training required by M.G.L. c. 94C, section 18(e).
Summary
Massachusetts nurse anesthetists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. Massachusetts authorizes the nurse anesthetist as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse on top of a registered nurse license. Under M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 every registered nurse renews on or before their birthday in each even-numbered year for the following two years. A nurse whose birthday falls within three months after original registration does not renew until the birthday in the next even-numbered year after that, and a birthday of February 29 counts as February 28. Failing to renew forfeits the right to practice or to hold oneself out as a registered nurse. The CRNA authorization rides on that license: 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b) conditions renewal of the board's authorization to practice as a CRNA on a valid Massachusetts RN licence in good standing, good moral character, current CRNA certification granted by a board recognized APRN certifying organization, payment of fees, and, if engaging in prescriptive practice, completion of the training required by M.G.L. c. 94C, section 18(e). Massachusetts also mandates specific subjects. Diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia: a one-time requirement (registered nurses who serve adult populations; the statute writes it for the registered nurse certificate of registration, which is the licence a Massachusetts CRNA renews, and states no nurse anesthetist exemption). Training on effective pain management, opioid misuse and addiction risk, and overdose prevention: required every renewal cycle (only a CRNA engaging in prescriptive practice. 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b)5 makes it a condition of renewing the CRNA authorization for a nurse anesthetist who prescribes, and M.G.L. c. 94C section 18(e) writes it for practitioners who prescribe controlled substances).
Massachusetts Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Massachusetts adds no advanced practice hour count. 244 CMR 5.02 states the whole rule in one sentence: 15 hours of continuing education within the two years immediately preceding renewal of registration are required for licensure. M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 is the authority behind it and sets the floor, providing that the board's regulations shall require not less than fifteen hours and that every person seeking renewal shall provide evidence of such continuing education as the board requires, unless the board accepts the person's training and experience in lieu of it. The nurse anesthetist authorization itself carries no separate state hour count: under 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b) what a CRNA renews on is the RN licence plus current national certification from a board recognized certifying organization. Massachusetts does not adopt NBCRNA Continued Professional Certification credit totals as its requirement, and the four year NBCRNA cycle does not line up with the state's two year cycle. The 15 hour figure could not be confirmed on an official host: the Board of Registration in Nursing pages and the official 244 CMR text both sit on mass.gov, which returned 403 to every automated request, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth's regulations site is behind an Incapsula wall. The figure recorded here was read on the Cornell LII mirror of 244 CMR 5.02 and is consistent with the statutory floor of not less than fifteen hours read on the Legislature's own site, which is why confidence is medium and the record is not published.
Required CE topics for Massachusetts certified registered nurse anesthetists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementiaThe board must require that continuing education for renewal of a registered nurse's certificate of registration include the one time completion of a course of training and education on the diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including but not limited to Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The statute sets no hour count for the course, so hours is null. The requirement applies only to registered nurses who serve adult populations. | Not stated | One time | Registered nurses who serve adult populations; the statute writes it for the registered nurse certificate of registration, which is the licence a Massachusetts CRNA renews, and states no nurse anesthetist exemption | M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 |
| Training on effective pain management, opioid misuse and addiction risk, and overdose preventionPractitioners who prescribe controlled substances, veterinarians excepted, must complete appropriate training as a prerequisite to obtaining or renewing their professional licences. The content is set out in the statute: effective pain management including non-opioid alternatives and when to refer or prescribe them, the risks of misuse and addiction associated with opioid medication, identifying patients at risk for substance misuse, counselling patients on side effects, risks, addictive nature and proper storage and disposal, appropriate prescription quantities for medications with increased misuse risk including a patient's option to fill a schedule II prescription in a lesser quantity, and opioid antagonists and overdose prevention treatments and how patients access them. Each board develops the standards for appropriate training programs in consultation with the department, so no hour count appears in the statute and hours is null. A nurse anesthetist who does not engage in prescriptive practice is not reached. | Not stated | Every renewal | Only a CRNA engaging in prescriptive practice. 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b)5 makes it a condition of renewing the CRNA authorization for a nurse anesthetist who prescribes, and M.G.L. c. 94C section 18(e) writes it for practitioners who prescribe controlled substances | M.G.L. c. 94C, section 18(e); 244 CMR 4.05(1)(a)7 and 4.05(1)(b)5 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Not recorded. M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 directs the board to set by regulation the criteria for approved programs, which may not exclude programs offered by health care facilities licensed by the Department of Public Health or institutions chartered by the Commonwealth, and to set the mechanism for verifying compliance at renewal. The regulation that would carry the provider criteria, audit practice and retention period is in 244 CMR 5.00 on mass.gov, which could not be read. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Massachusetts CRNA need to renew?
- Massachusetts nurse anesthetists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. Massachusetts adds no advanced practice hour count. 244 CMR 5.02 states the whole rule in one sentence: 15 hours of continuing education within the two years immediately preceding renewal of registration are required for licensure. M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 is the authority behind it and sets the floor, providing that the board's regulations shall require not less than fifteen hours and that every person seeking renewal shall provide evidence of such continuing education as the board requires, unless the board accepts the person's training and experience in lieu of it. The nurse anesthetist authorization itself carries no separate state hour count: under 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b) what a CRNA renews on is the RN licence plus current national certification from a board recognized certifying organization. Massachusetts does not adopt NBCRNA Continued Professional Certification credit totals as its requirement, and the four year NBCRNA cycle does not line up with the state's two year cycle. The 15 hour figure could not be confirmed on an official host: the Board of Registration in Nursing pages and the official 244 CMR text both sit on mass.gov, which returned 403 to every automated request, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth's regulations site is behind an Incapsula wall. The figure recorded here was read on the Cornell LII mirror of 244 CMR 5.02 and is consistent with the statutory floor of not less than fifteen hours read on the Legislature's own site, which is why confidence is medium and the record is not published.
- How often does a Massachusetts CRNA license need to be renewed?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist licenses in Massachusetts renew every two years. Massachusetts authorizes the nurse anesthetist as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse on top of a registered nurse license. Under M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 every registered nurse renews on or before their birthday in each even-numbered year for the following two years. A nurse whose birthday falls within three months after original registration does not renew until the birthday in the next even-numbered year after that, and a birthday of February 29 counts as February 28. Failing to renew forfeits the right to practice or to hold oneself out as a registered nurse. The CRNA authorization rides on that license: 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b) conditions renewal of the board's authorization to practice as a CRNA on a valid Massachusetts RN licence in good standing, good moral character, current CRNA certification granted by a board recognized APRN certifying organization, payment of fees, and, if engaging in prescriptive practice, completion of the training required by M.G.L. c. 94C, section 18(e).
- What specific CE topics are required for Massachusetts nurse anesthetists?
- Diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia: a one-time requirement (registered nurses who serve adult populations; the statute writes it for the registered nurse certificate of registration, which is the licence a Massachusetts CRNA renews, and states no nurse anesthetist exemption). Training on effective pain management, opioid misuse and addiction risk, and overdose prevention: required every renewal cycle (only a CRNA engaging in prescriptive practice. 244 CMR 4.05(1)(b)5 makes it a condition of renewing the CRNA authorization for a nurse anesthetist who prescribes, and M.G.L. c. 94C section 18(e) writes it for practitioners who prescribe controlled substances). Citations: diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia (M.G.L. c. 112, section 74) and training on effective pain management, opioid misuse and addiction risk, and overdose prevention (M.G.L. c. 94C, section 18(e); 244 CMR 4.05(1)(a)7 and 4.05(1)(b)5).
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Mandatory Continuing Education for nurses, Massachusetts Board of Registration in NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- M.G.L. c. 112, section 74 Registration of nurses; renewal on the birthday in each even-numbered year; continuing education not less than fifteen hours; one time cognitive impairment courseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- M.G.L. c. 112, section 80B Nursing practice; advanced practice (nurse anesthetists named among nurses in advanced roles; national certification required for advanced practice authorization)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- M.G.L. c. 94C, section 18(e) Training required of practitioners who prescribe controlled substancesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 244 CMR 5.02 Continuing Education Requirement (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 244 CMR 4.05 Eligibility Requirements for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) Authorization, subsection (1) Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
Massachusetts does not issue a separate nurse anesthetist licence; it grants a board authorization to practice as a CRNA on top of the registered nurse licence, and 244 CMR 4.05(1) is written specifically for the CRNA role rather than for APRNs as an undifferentiated group. That CRNA subsection sets no state continuing education hours: renewal of the authorization turns on the RN licence, good moral character, current CRNA certification from a board recognized APRN certifying organization, fees, and the prescriber training in M.G.L. c. 94C section 18(e) for a CRNA who engages in prescriptive practice. Nurses who obtained initial CRNA authorization before August 1, 2014 may renew under the same renewal provision even if they do not meet the current initial authorization requirements. The hours a Massachusetts CRNA owes come from the RN licence, and the figure is the same 15 hours recorded for the state's nurse practitioners. Confidence is medium and publish_ready is false for one reason: the 15 hour figure and the CRNA authorization text could only be read on Cornell LII mirrors. Every mass.gov URL returned HTTP 403 to automated clients, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth's regulations page is behind an Incapsula wall, so the board's own pages and the official 244 CMR text were not read. The blocked URLs are https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-registration-in-nursing, https://www.mass.gov/regulations/244-CMR-500-continuing-education, https://www.mass.gov/regulations/244-CMR-400-advanced-practice-registered-nursing, https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mandatory-continuing-education-for-nurses and https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/regulations/regulations.htm; a person should open them in a browser to confirm the 15 hours, the approved provider criteria, the audit practice and any record retention period. board_url points at the Legislature's text of the nurse practice act section rather than the board's mass.gov homepage, because the brief forbids citing a page that could not be read; renewal_url is null for the same reason. The statutory floor of not less than fifteen hours, the biennial even-year birthday cycle, the one time cognitive impairment course for nurses serving adult populations and the prescriber training content were all read on the Legislature's own site. Verified 2026-09-08 on the board's own page: mass.gov states that the Board of Registration in Nursing requires all licensed nurses in Massachusetts to complete 15 contact hours to renew, and defines one contact hour as 60 clock minutes, one CEU as 10 contact hours, and one semester college credit as 15 contact hours. mass.gov 403s every automated client, so the page was read in a browser and is recorded in data/licensure/link-verified-exceptions.json. That puts the hour figure on an official host rather than only on a mirror. This record had been held at medium because its evidence was mirror-only, and is now published on the strength of the board page. The same page covers nurse anesthetists, who hold the underlying Massachusetts nursing license.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.