Department of Consumer Affairs
Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians
To know what your Scope of Practice is, go to the homepage: www.bvnpt.ca.gov
• Look under the column that says “FOR CONSUMERS”
• Click on “Laws & Regulations”
• Click on “Vocational Nursing — Title 16, California Code of Regulations or Psychiatric Technician — Title 16, California Code of Regulations”
• For LVN’s it is on page 26.
• For PT’s it is on page 19.
To know what your CEU Requirements, go to the homepage: www.bvnpt.ca.gov
• Look under the column that says “FOR CONSUMERS”
• Click on “Laws & Regulations”
• Click on “Vocational Nursing — Title 16, California Code of Regulations or Psychiatric Technician — Title 16, California Code of Regulations”
• For LVN’s it is on page 43-45.
• For PT’s it is on page 37-39.
CE Renewal Requirements – How many hours of continuing education (CE) must I have to renew my license? Licensees must complete 30 contact hours of Continuing Education every two years in order to renew their license with an active status.
The 30 hour CE requirement does not apply to the first license renewal following the initial issuance of a license. However, if the license has been delinquent for more than one complete renewal cycle (i.e., more than 24 months) then CE is required.
Licensees are required by law to retain the original copies of their CE Certificates for a period of 4 years and if audited, they must furnish the Board copies of all relevant documents.
Article 7. Continuing Education (LVN)(PT)
2540.1. Hour Requirements. (a) Each licensee renewing a license under Section 2892 of the Code shall submit proof of having completed, during the preceding two years, thirty (30) hours of continuing education acceptable to the Board. (b) This section shall not apply to the first license renewal following the initial issuance of a license.
2540.2. Continuing Education Courses. (a) The Board will accept each hour of theory or course-related clinical experience as one (1) hour of continuing education. (b) Continuing education courses approved by nursing licensing agencies of this or of other states, or nursing organizations of this or other states, or courses considered comparable by the Board will be accepted. (c) Courses which are prerequisite to or part of a registered nursing program, or college/university courses related to the licensed vocational nurse scope of practice will be accepted.
2540.5. Course Completion Certificates and Reporting. (a) At the completion of the course the provider shall issue a certificate to each licensee. (b) The licensee shall record on the license renewal form the date each course was completed, provider/course number, course title, and total hours of the course. (c) Licensees are required to maintain a record of continuing education courses taken during the last four (4) years.
To know what your CEU Requirements, by using college courses, go to the homepage: www.bvnpt.ca.gov
• Look for these words on the left hand side “QUICK HITS”
• Click on “Frequently Asked Questions” below the word “QUICK HITS”
• Scroll down until you come to the word, “Education”
• You will see…. 1. Audit and 2. CE Renewal Requirements
• Below that you will see classes that the board accepts and don’t accept.
REMEMBER: The classes must be completed before you turn in your renewal. You must get a, “A, B, or a C” grade. Two units will be sufficient. We give you 18 CE hours for one completed unit. You need 30 CE hours to satisfy the board’s requirements.
The following courses are acceptable for continuing education:
Courses which are prerequisite to or part of a registered nursing program can be used. Such courses include but are not limited to the following:
Anatomy & Physiology / Art Therapy / Basic Interviewing Skills & Patient Education / Basic Mathematics, including algebra, geometry & statistics / Chemistry / Communication / Cultural Anthropology / English- analysis and composition / Ethics / Foreign Languages / Government- Legislative Process- Health Care Policy / Health Care Administration / Health Care Marketing / Human Genetics / Human Sexuality / Medical Terminology / Microbiology / Music Therapy / Normal Growth & Development / Nursing Sciences, including psychiatric nursing / Nutrition / Pharmacology / Philosophy / Physical Education / Physics / Psychology / Religious Studies / Sociology / Speech- public speaking / Supervision & Leadership
Examples for using CEU’s and annotating it on your renewal form:
|
Completion Date
|
Provider No.
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Course Name
|
Contact Hours
|
|
10-28-2011
|
CEP 1234
|
Wound Care
|
30
|
Examples for using College courses as CEU’s and annotating it on your renewal form:
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Completion Date
|
Provider No.
|
Course Name
|
Contact Hours
|
|
10-28-2011
|
Sac City College
|
Chemistry
|
2 Units
|
To seek out a CEU Provider: www.bvnpt.ca.gov
• Look at the upper tab that says “Education”
• Click on “Provider List”
• Below the IV/BW links; you will see CEU provider links for LVN and PT’s
• Click on the provider link that pertains to you
To find an IV/BW and CE provider, go to the homepage: www.bvnpt.ca.gov
• Look at the upper tab that says “EDUCATION”
• Click on “Provider List”
• You will see links to the IV/BW providers and you will see the CE providers below.
Upon completion of the course:
• The course provider sends in the certificate to the Board
• It takes about 6-9 weeks to post to licensee’s file
• Certification will be seen online and it will be on their license card by their next renewal
• Certificates come from the course provider
• A non-licensee can take the course, discretion is up to the course provider to say yes or no
If the provider allows a non-licensee to take course; course provider is not allowed to give non-licensee a copy of certificate until
the new licensee shows the course provider a copy of their new card. The course provider can give a receipt, showing that they took the course.
• A licensed vocational nurse must be certified by the Board to perform intravenous therapy or blood withdrawal.
• A licensed psychiatric technician can only be certified in blood withdrawal (NOT Intravenous Therapy). A PT must be certified by the Board to perform blood withdrawal.
• If a licensee is certified by the Board, the certification should show on the license card and the board’s website under the licensee’s name.
To find your certification online: www.bvnpt.ca.gov
• Look under “FOR CONSUMERS”
• Click on “ONLINE LICENSE VERIFICATION”
• Click on “ VN or PT”
• Type in your license number or your name
• Click on “Find”
In The Business to Protect the Consumers!
INTRAVENOUS/BLOOD WITHDRAWAL/CONTINUING EDUCATION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
INTRAVENOUS/BLOOD WITHDRAWAL/CONTINUING EDUCATION (IV/BW/CE)
A licensed vocational nurse must be certified by the Board to perform intravenous therapy or blood withdrawal.
A licensed psychiatric technician can only be certified in blood withdrawal (not intravenous therapy). A PT must be certified by the Board to perform blood withdrawal.
If a licensee is certified by the Board, the certification should show on the license.
28. CERTIFICATION OF IV/BW – HOW DO I BECOME CERTIFIED TO PERFORM IV/BW?
There are two methods a licensee can become certified to perform IV/BW. The first is by completing a Board approved course in IV/BW. The second is by obtaining verification of competency by a California licensed physician or registered nurse.
Approved IV/BW course providers are listed on the Board’s website under “Education.”
Contact the Board at (916) 263-7800 or by email at bvnpt@dca.ca.gov for information regarding verification of competency for IV/BW certification.
29. CERTIFICATION OF IV/BW SHOWN ON LICENSE – WHY IS MY IV/BW CERTIFICATION NOT SHOWN ON MY LICENSE?
If the licensee completed a course before he/she was issued a license and the course provider submitted the completion certificate to the Board prior to licensure, the information may not have been matched with the license record. The licensee must contact the course provider and request that another completion certificate be sent to the Board ensuring that the license number is included in the correspondence.
A replacement license showing certification will not be issued unless the licensee submits the required replacement application and fee. Employers may verify status by checking the online license verification system or call the board. Otherwise, the applicable post-licensure certification will appear on the license after the next renewal.
30.CERTIFICATION OF IV/BW RENEWAL – DO I NEED TO RENEW MY IV/BW CERTIFICATION?
No. Renewal of IV/BW certification is not required. Even if a licensee completes a new course in IV/BW and submits the information to the Board, the initial certification information will not be replaced.
31. IV/BW COURSES USED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS – CAN I USE MY IV/BW COURSE FOR MY CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO RENEW MY LICENSE?
IV/BW courses can be used for the continuing education requirement only if the course provider is approved for continuing education by this Board or by the Board of Registered Nursing. If so, the provider must provide the licensee with a separate continuing education completion certificate which includes the provider’s continuing education course approval number.
32. IV/BW CERTIFICATION COMPLETED OUT-OF-STATE – CAN I APPLY MY IV/BW CERTIFICATION TO MY CALIFORNIA LICENSE?
No. The Board does not recognize out-of-state certification for IV/BW.
To be certified in California, a licensee must complete a California approved IV/BW course or obtain verification of competency from a California licensed physician or registered nurse.
To qualify under the verification of competency method, a “Verification of Competency” form must be mailed directly to the physician or registered nurse for completion.