West Virginia Continuing Medical Education Credit Requirements

 
West Virginia required number of CME credits per year(s) 50 credits / 2 years
West Virginia State-Mandated CME Content/Additional Notes 30 credits related to physician’s designated specialty; CME required in best practice prescribing of controlled substances and drug diversion, unless the physician does not prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance
RN Required number of CE credits per year(s) CE Requirements for RNs: All West Virginia RN licenses expire October 31 of each year. New Requirement – West Virginia RNs must initially complete 2 contact hours of continuing education in mental health conditions common to veterans and family members of veterans to include screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and prevention of suicide. This requirement must be completed by October 31, 2015 and may be counted as part of the current 12-hour annual CE requirement. After the first two-hour course, RNs must complete two hours of continuing education in in mental health conditions common to veterans and family members as part of the current 12-hour annual CE requirement and must be completed on or before October 31 of each year. Course Specific Requirement – West Virginia RNs must initially complete 3 contact hours of continuing education in drug diversion training and best practice prescribing of controlled substances. This requirement must be completed by October 31, 2015 and may be counted as part of the current 12-hour annual CE requirement. After the first three-hour course, RNs must complete one hour of continuing education in drug diversion training and best practice prescribing of controlled substances as part of the current 12-hour annual CE requirement. Completion of the 12 contact hours of CE required annually for RN relicensure may be accomplished by: 1) Completing 12 contact hours of CE from an approved CE provider; OR 2) Completing 6 contact hours of CE from an approved CE provider which may include 2 contact hours of self-study and one of the following completed during the reporting period: A. National certification initially earned or in effect the entire reporting period; B. Completion of a nursing research project as principal investigator, co-investigator or project director; C. Published a nursing related article in a national nursing or healthcare journal; E. Participated as a clinical preceptor for at least one student or one new employee undergoing orientation and have one hundred-twenty hours of one-on-one relationship as a clinical preceptor during the reporting period; G. Completion of an approved nursing refresher or re-entry course
LPN Required number of CME credits per year(s) All West Virginia LPN licenses expire June 30 of each year. LPNs are required to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education and engage in 400 clock hours of LPN practice in each two-year reporting period. Reporting of continuing education occurs every two years on the even years. LPNs must complete a one-time requirement of two contact hours of end-of-life care including pain management. New Requirement – West Virginia LPNs must complete three contact hours in substance abuse each two-year reporting period as part of the total required hours.
APRN Required number of CME credits per year(s) N/A
ANCC accreditation accepted? Yes
CE for Specialty: Athletic Training No continuing education is required. Licenses must be renewed biennially.
CE for Specialty: Audiology/SLP CE: 20 Clock Hours must be completed each 2 year renewal period. The renewal date for SPL and AD is January 31st of odd-numbered years. (e.g., January 31st, 2013.) Licensees are granted a grace period of thirty days after the expiration of their licenses in which to renew retroactively as long as they otherwise are entitled to have their licenses renewed and pay to the Board the renewal fee and any late fee set by the Board
CE for Specialty: Dietetics/Nutrition 20 hours of board approved continuing education are due every two years.
CE for Specialty: Emergency Medical Services Continuing education should be completed between January 1 and September 30 during the last year of certification. There are 2 and 4 year certification periods. CE Requirements for EMTs and Paramedics                                                             First Responder: 16 hours                                                     EMT-Basic: 24 hours                                   EMT-I: Maintain National Registry Certification Paramedic: 48 hours
CE for Specialty: Laboratory Technology CE: 10 Contact Hours must be completed annually. License expirations vary depending on the issued date.
CE for Specialty: Massage Therapy CE: 24 hours must be completed over a two-year renewal period. Three hours must be in professional ethics. All NCBTMB approved courses, including home study courses, are accepted.
CE for Specialty: Medicine and Surgery Updated CME Requirements for 2014 Successful completion of a minimum of 50 hours of continuing medical education satisfactory to the Board during the preceding two-year period is required for the biennial renewal of a medical license. Beginning July 1, 2008, at least thirty (30) hours of the hours must be related to the physician’s area or areas of specialty. Continuing medical education satisfactory to the Board includes CME designated as Category I by the American Medical Association or the American Academy of Family Physicians. **** Please Note   **** A. End-of-life care including pain management continuing medical education is no longer required. B. Beginning May 1, 2014, three (3) hours of continuing medical education from a Board approved program in the area of Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances and Drug Diversion Training taken within the previous renewal period  is now required. CME requirements may be fulfilled as designated below. Complete 50 hours of Category I CME acquired during the biennial renewal period, with at least thirty (30) hours of the required fifty (50) hours of continuing medical education being related to the physician’s area or areas of specialty and which may include the mandated three (3) hours of CME from a Board approved program in the area of Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances and Drug Diversion Training OR sit for and pass a certification or recertification examination of one of the ABMS Boards OR document successful involvement in the maintenance of certification from an ABMS member board AND Successfully completed three (3) hours of CME from a Board approved program in the area of Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances and Drug Diversion Training.
CE for Specialty: Occupational Therapy CE Requirements: Occupational Therapists (OT) and Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA) are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
CE for Specialty: Pharmacy 30 hours of continuing education must be completed every 2 years. 2 hours in the subject of end-of-life care including pain management. All acceptable programs will be a minimum of two hours with time allotted evenly between palliative care and chronic pain management and symptoms management at end-of-life.  Pharmacists registered as consultants to have 3 hours of CE in the subjects of consulting practice each year. Home study must be approved by the board or ACPE. 6 live hours required. ACPE-approved courses for Pharmacy Technicians end in the letter “T”. ACPE-approved courses pharmacists (only) end in the letter “P”.  Courses ending in the letter “P” cannot be used to meet pharmacy technician CE requirements.
CE for Specialty: Pharmacy Technician No continuing education is required.
CE for Specialty: Physical Therapy CE Requirements: PT and PTA licenses expire biennially; December 31st of even or odd years depending on when the licence was issued. 24 contact hours must be completed by PTs and PTAs during their renewal cycle.  Volunteer licensees need to complete 20 hours.
CE for Specialty: Psychology Psychologists: 20 hours of continuing education must be completed every renewal period. West Virginia Licenses must be renewed biennially. West Virginia Licensed School Psychologists: 30 hours of continuing education must be completed every renewal period. West Virginia Licenses must be renewed every 3 years.
CE for Specialty: Radiology Technology CE per license: Radiologic Technologist: 24 hours Nuclear Medicine: 24 hours Radiation Therapy: 24 hours MRI Technologist: 24 hours Radiologist Assistant: 50 hours CE must pertain to the Medical Imaging or Radiation Therapy Sciences. Renewal happens every two years.
CE for Specialty: Respiratory Therapy 10 hours of continuing education are required per year (a minimum of twenty (20) continuing education units every 2 years). A licensee may earn continuing education units by completing any of the educational offerings of the American Association of Respiratory Care approved courses or programs
CE for Specialty: Social Work Renewal: LSW, LGSW, LCSW, LICSW need fifty (50) hours of social work continuing education every two years. Twenty (20) of these hours may be earned under the self-study category of “Individual Professional Activities” provider number 490000. The remaining thirty (30) hours must be earned from attending training programs offered by approved or certified providers recognized by the WVBSWE. Twenty (20) hours of home study permitted
  West Virginia CE and CME Education

Note: All information should be verified with licensing board

Resources: http://www.acep.org/| http://ce.nurse.com/ | http://about.continuingeducation.com/