Nebraska Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist license renewal and CE requirements
Nebraska nurse anesthetists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Nursing).
A Nebraska nurse anesthetist holds an APRN-CRNA license on top of a registered nurse license. The department states that APRN licenses expire October 31 of each even numbered year, and that RN licenses expire on the same date, so both halves of the credential come due together. Renewal is an online application through the Nebraska license portal with an attestation that the requirements have been met, plus the fee. Every APRN must hold a current Nebraska RN license, or a multistate RN compact license in their primary state of residence, in order to renew.
Summary
Nebraska nurse anesthetists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Nursing). A Nebraska nurse anesthetist holds an APRN-CRNA license on top of a registered nurse license. The department states that APRN licenses expire October 31 of each even numbered year, and that RN licenses expire on the same date, so both halves of the credential come due together. Renewal is an online application through the Nebraska license portal with an attestation that the requirements have been met, plus the fee. Every APRN must hold a current Nebraska RN license, or a multistate RN compact license in their primary state of residence, in order to renew. The first renewal is exempt.
Nebraska 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 | Same date for every licensee, 10/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 20 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Current certification in a nursing specialty granted by a nationally recognized certifying organization, which for a nurse anesthetist is NBCRNA certification; Graduation from a nursing program within the last two years; Graduation from a nursing program more than two but less than five years ago plus 20 contact hours within the past two years; Completion of an approved refresher course within the last five years; A portfolio containing current continuing competency goals and evidence of professional activities meeting those goals; Current CPR or BLS certification, up to 4 contact hours; ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC and similar certifications that build on basic life support, at the hours stated on the card or 4 contact hours if none is stated; Academic nursing coursework at 15 contact hours per semester hour or 10 contact hours per quarter hour |
Nebraska sets no continuing education hour count for the APRN-CRNA license itself. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-709 states in full that to renew a license to practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, the applicant shall have current certification by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists, and the department's renewal page lists the APRN-CRNA renewal requirement simply as current national certification (NBCRNA). The 20 contact hours recorded here come from the registered nurse layer, which the nurse anesthetist must also renew. For an RN license the department requires one of several continued competency options, the most commonly used being at least 500 hours of nursing practice in the past five years together with at least 20 contact hours of nursing continuing education from an approved provider within the past two years. All 20 hours may be completed by home study or internet course. A nurse anesthetist who maintains NBCRNA certification also satisfies the registered nurse layer through the separate option for current certification in a nursing specialty granted by a nationally recognized certifying organization, so in practice many Nebraska CRNAs owe the state no hour count at all. NBCRNA's own Continued Professional Certification credit totals run on a four year clock and are not adopted by Nebraska as a state figure, so no national total is recorded here.
Required CE topics for Nebraska certified registered nurse anesthetists
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Nursing) pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Continuing education counted toward the registered nurse continued competency option must come from an approved provider of nursing continuing education. The board publishes an Advisory Opinion on Nursing Continuing Education describing what qualifies. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Nebraska CRNA need to renew?
- Nebraska nurse anesthetists must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Nursing). Nebraska sets no continuing education hour count for the APRN-CRNA license itself. Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-709 states in full that to renew a license to practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, the applicant shall have current certification by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists, and the department's renewal page lists the APRN-CRNA renewal requirement simply as current national certification (NBCRNA). The 20 contact hours recorded here come from the registered nurse layer, which the nurse anesthetist must also renew. For an RN license the department requires one of several continued competency options, the most commonly used being at least 500 hours of nursing practice in the past five years together with at least 20 contact hours of nursing continuing education from an approved provider within the past two years. All 20 hours may be completed by home study or internet course. A nurse anesthetist who maintains NBCRNA certification also satisfies the registered nurse layer through the separate option for current certification in a nursing specialty granted by a nationally recognized certifying organization, so in practice many Nebraska CRNAs owe the state no hour count at all. NBCRNA's own Continued Professional Certification credit totals run on a four year clock and are not adopted by Nebraska as a state figure, so no national total is recorded here.
- How often does a Nebraska CRNA license need to be renewed?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist licenses in Nebraska renew every two years. A Nebraska nurse anesthetist holds an APRN-CRNA license on top of a registered nurse license. The department states that APRN licenses expire October 31 of each even numbered year, and that RN licenses expire on the same date, so both halves of the credential come due together. Renewal is an online application through the Nebraska license portal with an attestation that the requirements have been met, plus the fee. Every APRN must hold a current Nebraska RN license, or a multistate RN compact license in their primary state of residence, in order to renew.
- Does Nebraska require specific CE topics for nurse anesthetists?
- The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Nursing) does not list mandated subject areas for CRNA renewal on the pages we verified; the 20 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Nebraska nurse anesthetists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. Continuing education counted toward the registered nurse continued competency option must come from an approved provider of nursing continuing education. The board publishes an Advisory Opinion on Nursing Continuing Education describing what qualifies.
- Is the first Nebraska CRNA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Nebraska does not require continuing education for a CRNA's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Nurse Licensing Renewal and Continuing Education, Nebraska DHHS Licensure UnitState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-709, Certified registered nurse anesthetist; license; renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-707, Certified registered nurse anesthetist; license; requirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-145, Continuing competency requirements; board; dutiesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Nurse Licensing, Nebraska DHHS Licensure UnitState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Nebraska regulates nurse anesthetists under a dedicated statute, the sections at Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-701 through 38-711, rather than under a shared advanced practice rule, and the renewal condition in 38-709 is national certification with no hour count. The mandatory topics list is empty and that is a deliberate CRNA finding, not a gap. Nebraska's biennial opiate prescribing continuing education mandate in Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-145(6) names nurse midwives, dentists, physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, podiatrists and veterinarians who prescribe controlled substances, and does not name certified registered nurse anesthetists; the department's renewal page matches the statute, listing the 2020 to 2028 mandatory opiate prescribing continuing education requirement under APRN-CNM and APRN-NP only, and listing APRN-CRNA and APRN-CNS with national certification alone. That subsection terminates January 1, 2029. The 2,080 practice hour requirement on the same page is likewise scoped to nurse practitioners and does not reach nurse anesthetists. The first renewal exemption recorded here is the department's waiver for a nurse who received an RN or LPN license within the past 24 months, for whom continuing education is not required; military service waivers are also available. Retention years and audit practice for continuing education records were not stated on the pages read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit (Board of Nursing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.