Below is exactly what West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (WVBON) requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 25, 2026
West Virginia has no state-mandated topic requirements beyond the 12-hour total.
These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.
Newly licensed RNs must complete 3 CE hours on safe prescribing and drug diversion within one year of initial licensure (waivable if no controlled substances handled)
“Newly-licensed RNs only need 3 hours of CE on safe prescribing and drug diversion, completed within 1 year of receiving your initial license.”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, West Virginia Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.
| Credit system | Notes |
|---|---|
ANCC Contact Hour | Organizations accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) are accepted CE providers. A contact hour = 50 consecutive minutes of instruction.SourceWVBON FAQ Page |
Board-approved credit | The Board maintains a list of active WV RN Board approved registered CE providers through CE Broker. Acceptable CE includes nursing journals with programmed instruction, accredited college coursework, courses for nursing certification, and non-nursing healthcare CE if relevance to nursing practice is documented.SourceWVBON FAQ Page |
Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.
Inactive/retired-status licenses are exempt from CE requirements
CE hours cannot be carried forward to the next reporting period — all 12 hours must be earned within the single reporting period
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your a fixed renewal cycle renewal.
Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.
“Newly-licensed RNs only need 3 hours of CE on safe prescribing and drug diversion, completed within 1 year of receiving your initial license.”WVBON Education Page