If you hold a Rhode Island Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license, the Board of Nursing requires 10 contact hours of continuing education every two-year renewal cycle, including 2 hours on substance abuse. One hour of Alzheimer's disease CE is required once per career. APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete 30 hours of pharmacology CE every 6 years. Below is the full breakdown.
10 hours / 2 years
Ten contact hours each biennial renewal cycle.
2 substance abuse hours
Required within the 10-hour total.
30 pharmacology / 6 years
Prescribers complete 30 pharmacology hours every 6 years.
Alzheimer's (once)
One hour of Alzheimer's disease CE per career.
How many CE hours Rhode Island nurse practitioners need
Rhode Island requires 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years for APRNs, including 2 hours on substance abuse.
Pharmacology and other requirements
- Pharmacology: 30 hours every 6 years for prescribers (and 30 hours in the 3 years before initial prescriptive-authority licensure).
- Substance abuse: 2 hours per cycle.
- Alzheimer's: 1 hour once per career.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
Rhode Island APRN licenses renew every two years. Complete and document your 10 hours, including substance abuse, and track the 6-year pharmacology cycle, before your renewal deadline.
Know exactly what CME you need.
Tell us your license type, state, and renewal date. We map your required hours, the state-mandated topics, and your deadline — a clear, personalized plan for a flat $99.
View pricingRhode Island Nurse Practitioners (NP/APRN) CME at a glance
- Substance Abuse2 hrs
2 of the 10 contact hours must be on substance abuse.
- Pharmacology (Prescribers)30 hrs · every 6 years
APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete 30 hours of pharmacology CE every 6 years (and document 30 pharmacology hours in the 3 years before initial prescriptive-authority licensure).
- Alzheimer's Disease1 hr · once per career
One hour of CE on Alzheimer's disease is required once per career.
Always confirm with your licensing board
Rhode Island APRNs must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years, including 2 hours on substance abuse. One hour of CE on Alzheimer's disease is required once per career. APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete 30 hours of pharmacology CE every 6 years (and show 30 contact hours of pharmacology in the 3 years before initial APRN licensure with prescriptive authority).
CE requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Rhode Island Board of Nursing before relying on these figures.
Source: Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education. Board website · Researched as of 2026-06-01 · CME rules change; this is administrative guidance, not legal or CME-accreditation advice.
Licensed in more than one state?
APRN Compact: enacted but not yet active. Enacted by several states but NOT yet operational — no multistate APRN license is being issued. APRNs/NPs license state-by-state today (an APRN who is also an RN may hold an NLC multistate RN license).
Each state license carries its own CME requirement and renewal date — if you hold more than one, you need a plan for each.
Also licensing in Rhode Island or beyond?
Our sister teams handle the licensing side with the same concierge service.
White Glove APRN
Advanced practice (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM) state-by-state licensing, DEA, and CSR. The APRN Compact is not yet active, so we handle single-state licensing.
whitegloveaprn.comWhite Glove NLC
RN and LPN/LVN licensing — Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) multistate and single-state.
whiteglovenlc.comRhode Island Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE hours do Rhode Island nurse practitioners need?
+
10 contact hours every two years, including 2 hours on substance abuse.
How much pharmacology do Rhode Island APRN prescribers need?
+
30 hours of pharmacology CE every 6 years.
Is Alzheimer's CE required in Rhode Island?
+
Yes — one hour of Alzheimer's disease CE once per career.
Related
Need help meeting your Rhode Island NP CE before renewal?
Tell us your license type and renewal month and we'll map the fastest compliant path — required hours, substance abuse, and pharmacology — for a flat $99.
- Flat $99 per plan
- Every license type
- All 50 states
Get my CME plan
Tell us your license type, state, and renewal — we'll map exactly what you need.