Rhode Island Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist license renewal and CE requirements
Rhode Island nurse anesthetists must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Rhode Island Department of Health).
The license expires on the first day of March of every other year following the date of issuance of the original license, so a nurse anesthetist renews on a March 1 date in either odd or even years depending on when the original license was issued. The renewal application and fee must be filed before the fifteenth day of February of the renewal year, and the Department sends a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration.
Summary
Rhode Island nurse anesthetists must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Rhode Island Department of Health). The license expires on the first day of March of every other year following the date of issuance of the original license, so a nurse anesthetist renews on a March 1 date in either odd or even years depending on when the original license was issued. The renewal application and fee must be filed before the fifteenth day of February of the renewal year, and the Department sends a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration. Rhode Island also mandates specific subjects. Substance abuse: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Alzheimer's disease training: a one-time requirement of 1 contact hour. Eight hours of education on the treatment or management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorder: a one-time requirement of 8 contact hours (nurse anesthetists who hold a Drug Enforcement Administration registration).
Rhode Island 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, 03/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Rhode Island sets one continuing education requirement for everyone renewing under 216-RICR-40-05-3, and that Part covers advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses alike. Section 3.5 states that every person seeking renewal of a license under the Act and this Part shall provide satisfactory evidence that in the preceding two years the licensee completed the ten required continuing education hours. One continuing education hour equals one contact hour, and one continuing education unit equals ten continuing education hours. The Department of Health nurses page states that two of the ten hours must be about substance abuse. There is no separate nurse anesthetist hour count, no pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics hour count, and no advanced practice increment layered on top of the ten hours. Rhode Island does not issue a distinct nurse anesthetist license: 216-RICR-40-05-3 defines the APRN as the title given to a person licensed to practice within one of the roles of certified nurse practitioner, certified clinical nurse specialist and certified registered nurse anesthetist, so a CRNA holds an APRN license carrying the CRNA role. Section 3.4(B)(1) makes evidence of current national certification, or recertification as applicable, a condition verified at renewal, so national certification is a renewal condition rather than a substitute for the ten hours. Section 3.7 adds that certified registered nurse anesthetists shall practice in accordance with the current American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Guidelines for Nurse Anesthesia Practice, and that prescriptive privileges for a CRNA may be granted in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-34.2.
Required CE topics for Rhode Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance abuseThe Department of Health nurses page states that of the ten continuing education hours required every two year licensing cycle, two hours must be about substance abuse, and it states this for nurses generally rather than for one role. The text of 216-RICR-40-05-3.5 that was read sets the ten hour total without naming the substance abuse subset, so this value rests on the board page. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Not stated |
| Alzheimer's disease trainingThe Department of Health nurses page states that effective August 1, 2019 every nurse has to complete one hour per career of continuing education training regarding Alzheimer's disease. It is a once in a career requirement rather than a per cycle one, and the page applies it to every nurse. | 1 contact hour | One time | All licensees | Not stated |
| Eight hours of education on the treatment or management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorderThe Department of Health nurses page lists this for any new or renewing DEA registered practitioner. It is the federal DEA registration training requirement rather than a Rhode Island nursing board continuing education mandate, and it does not reach a nurse anesthetist who holds no DEA registration. Rhode Island grants prescriptive privileges to a CRNA only in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-34.2, so this item is conditional on the individual nurse anesthetist's practice. | 8 contact hours | One time | Nurse anesthetists who hold a Drug Enforcement Administration registration | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Section 3.5 accepts continuing education related to nursing practice presented, accepted or approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or its local chapter, or by other recognized professional nursing organizations. The rule places the sole responsibility on the licensee to obtain documentation such as course descriptions and proof of attendance from the sponsoring organization, agency or institution; those documents are retained for no less than four years and are subject to random audit by the Department. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Rhode Island CRNA need to renew?
- Rhode Island nurse anesthetists must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Rhode Island Department of Health). Rhode Island sets one continuing education requirement for everyone renewing under 216-RICR-40-05-3, and that Part covers advanced practice registered nurses, registered nurses and licensed practical nurses alike. Section 3.5 states that every person seeking renewal of a license under the Act and this Part shall provide satisfactory evidence that in the preceding two years the licensee completed the ten required continuing education hours. One continuing education hour equals one contact hour, and one continuing education unit equals ten continuing education hours. The Department of Health nurses page states that two of the ten hours must be about substance abuse. There is no separate nurse anesthetist hour count, no pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics hour count, and no advanced practice increment layered on top of the ten hours. Rhode Island does not issue a distinct nurse anesthetist license: 216-RICR-40-05-3 defines the APRN as the title given to a person licensed to practice within one of the roles of certified nurse practitioner, certified clinical nurse specialist and certified registered nurse anesthetist, so a CRNA holds an APRN license carrying the CRNA role. Section 3.4(B)(1) makes evidence of current national certification, or recertification as applicable, a condition verified at renewal, so national certification is a renewal condition rather than a substitute for the ten hours. Section 3.7 adds that certified registered nurse anesthetists shall practice in accordance with the current American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Guidelines for Nurse Anesthesia Practice, and that prescriptive privileges for a CRNA may be granted in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-34.2.
- How often does a Rhode Island CRNA license need to be renewed?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist licenses in Rhode Island renew every two years. The license expires on the first day of March of every other year following the date of issuance of the original license, so a nurse anesthetist renews on a March 1 date in either odd or even years depending on when the original license was issued. The renewal application and fee must be filed before the fifteenth day of February of the renewal year, and the Department sends a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration.
- What specific CE topics are required for Rhode Island nurse anesthetists?
- Substance abuse: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Alzheimer's disease training: a one-time requirement of 1 contact hour. Eight hours of education on the treatment or management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorder: a one-time requirement of 8 contact hours (nurse anesthetists who hold a Drug Enforcement Administration registration).
- Do Rhode Island nurse anesthetists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 4 years. Section 3.5 accepts continuing education related to nursing practice presented, accepted or approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center or its local chapter, or by other recognized professional nursing organizations. The rule places the sole responsibility on the licensee to obtain documentation such as course descriptions and proof of attendance from the sponsoring organization, agency or institution; those documents are retained for no less than four years and are subject to random audit by the Department.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 216-RICR-40-05-3, Licensing of Nurses and Standards for the Approval of Basic Nursing Education Programs, Rhode Island Code of RegulationsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Nurses, Rhode Island Department of Health licensingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
This is a state where the nurse anesthetist is not a separate credential: the regulation licenses one advanced practice registered nurse license and CRNA is a role within it, alongside certified nurse practitioner and certified clinical nurse specialist. Because Section 3.5 is written for every person renewing under the Part, the nurse anesthetist requirement is identical to the nurse practitioner requirement and to the registered nurse requirement, which is why this record carries the same ten hours as ri-np and ri-rn. The differences are in the practice sections rather than the renewal sections: Section 3.7 ties nurse anesthetist practice to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists guidelines and routes any prescriptive privileges through R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-34.2 rather than through a general APRN prescriptive authority rule. No NBCRNA specific language was found; the rule requires current national certification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board in the APRN role and population focus appropriate to educational preparation, without naming the certifying body for nurse anesthetists. The topic key substance_abuse is not on the canonical list and is used because no canonical key fits the board's own wording. The substance abuse, Alzheimer's disease and DEA items were read on the Department's nurses page rather than in the regulation, and the regulation text that was read does not name them, which is noted in each topic entry. No first renewal exemption, carryover rule or self study cap was stated in either source.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Rhode Island Department of Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.