Tennessee Nursing CE Requirements (2026)
Requirements Overview
Tennessee does not mandate a specific number of CE hours for registered nurses. Instead, the state uses a competency-based system where RNs choose any 2 items from a list of 15 options at each biennial renewal. Options include employer evaluations, peer evaluations, national certification, patient satisfaction letters, nursing goals documentation, and volunteer work.
CE hours are one of the 15 options: 5 contact hours for practicing nurses, 10 for non-practicing. Many nurses satisfy the requirement without formal CE courses — for example, by combining an employer evaluation with nursing goals documentation.
Documentation must be maintained for four years and produced within thirty days if requested. CE Broker is the official tracking system, and nurses current in CE Broker when audited automatically pass.
Renewal Pathways
How You Can Complete Your CE
Tennessee CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to Tennessee that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Carry-over — No carry-over provision is documented. Competency evidence must be from the current renewal period.
- Tennessee uses a competency-based model rather than mandatory CE hours. RNs must select 2 of 15 competency options every 2 years.
- CE hours (5 contact hours for practicing, 10 for non-practicing) are just one of the 15 available competency options.
- Documentation must be maintained for four years from completion and producible within thirty days of board request.
- Failure to comply with continuing education requirements may result in disciplinary action against the licensee or registrant.
- CE Broker is the official tracking system. If current in CE Broker when selected for audit, the licensee will automatically pass.
- Controlled substance prescribing CE requirements apply only to APRNs with Certificate of Fitness, not to RNs.
Provider Requirements
Tennessee accepts CE from providers accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). CE Broker is the official tracking system for the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
Tips for Tennessee RNs
- Review all 15 competency options before defaulting to CE courses. Many practicing nurses can satisfy the requirement with an employer evaluation plus one other easy-to-document option.
- Use CE Broker to track your competency documentation. If you're current in the system when audited, you automatically pass — no further paperwork needed.
- If you're not currently practicing, the CE option requires 10 hours instead of 5. Consider whether a different competency option (like volunteer work or self-evaluation) is more practical.
- Keep all documentation for 4 years. The Board can request proof within 30 days, and failure to comply may result in disciplinary action.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the Tennessee Board of Nursing's official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Mar 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.