Virginia RN license renewal and continuing education

This page explains the ACLS certification process in Virginia, including accreditation with its different government agencies and how to complete your certification online or in-person.

Enroll in ACLS Enroll in BLS Enroll in PALS

Pacific Medical Training brand ACLS/PALS/BLS courses

The official place to buy Pacific Medical Training brand ACLS, PALS, and BLS courses is this acls.net website.

Pacific Medical Training brand ACLS/PALS/BLS courses are accepted in Virginia through the following accreditation bodies and agencies:

Virginia Board of Pharmacy for pharmacists accepts our ACPE COURSES, AMA COURSES because our course satisfies their rules.
Virginia Department of Health Professions Board of Medicine for physicians accepts our AMA COURSES because our course satisfies their rules.
Virginia Board of Nursing for nurses accepts our ANCC COURSES because our course satisfies their rules.

RN license transfer, renewal & continuing ed

Each state needs a competent medical workforce to meet the needs of its citizens. However, the requirements for some health care professions are not the same in each state. That is why it is important to find out what is required of you as a future or current registered nurse before moving across state lines. Contact information is located at the bottom of this page.

Endorsements

Virginia is a compact state. If you are moving to Virginia or claiming it as your primary state of residence, you will need to apply for application by endorsement in order to use your license in Virginia. General instructions are listed below.

You may apply for your initial license online. The Virginia Board does not accept paper applications. Below are some general requirements

You must be a graduate from an approved nursing program
Your license must be in good standing
You must satisfy the same requirements of an applicant seeking an original Virginia license
If your education program does not provide 500 hours of direct, supervised client care, then you must have at least 960 hours of clinical practice
Passing licensure examination results (i.e. NCLEX, SBTPE)
Proof of original licensure
Official transcripts

Renewals take place every two years.

Continuing competency

The following is a list of general requirements for continuing competency:

Specialty certification (must be from a national certifying organization), or
Three credit hours of relevant, academic education.
College or university must be regionally accredited, or
Completion of a refresher course that is approved by the Board
Practice projects or research that is nursing-related and evidence-based
Teaching three semester hours of college coursework
Must be nursing-related
Must be a 15-week course or,
A specialty certification
Teaching 30 contact-hours of continuing education
640 hours of active practice as an RN and 15 contact hours including
Workshops
Conferences
Seminars
Relevant coursework, or
30 contact hours including
Workshops
Conferences
Seminars
Relevant coursework

You will be exempt from competency requirements for your first renewal. Maintain documents proving your participation in a continuing education program for at least two years. For more information on continuing education, download the Regulations Governing the Practice of Nursing and click on Continuing competency requirements for renewal of an active license in the table of contents.

Contact information

Virginia Board of Nursing

Virginia Department of Health Professions
Perimeter Center
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300
Henrico, Virginia 23233-1463

Phone: +1 804-367-4400

Fax: +1 804-527-4475

Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:15 AM - 5:00 PM (except holidays)

FAQ

Click here for Virginia Board of Nursing FAQs.

In-person training

	Blended class	Classroom
Format	This is a personalized and adaptive class completed online with a computer. After the class you will schedule with an instructor to complete the hands-on portion of the class.	This is a traditional classroom class with an instructor.
Course completion	Complete the online portion + hands-on skills session with an AHA Instructor.	Contact a Training Center in your area to sign up for an instructor-led class, see above
Time	The online portion of HeartCode BLS can be completed in approximately 1 to 2 hours. Time to complete the hands-on skills session varies around approximately 60 minutes, depending on your experience level.	A full BLS provider course can take 4.5 hours to complete, including skills practice and skills testing.
Completion card	BLS provider course completion card, valid for two years	BLS provider course completion card, valid for two years

Nearby training sites

View our list of training centers and skill testers in VA.

American Heart Savers
8123 Higham Rd/ Lorton, VA BLS ACLS PALS

Associates In Emergency Care, LLC
12351 Randolph Ridge Lane/ Manassas, VA BLS ACLS PALS

Babcock - Exemplar Reston VA
11850 Freedom Dr/ Reston, VA BLS ACLS PALS

Blue Ridge EMS Council
1900 Tate Springs Road, Suite 14/ Lynchburg, VA BLS ACLS PALS

Buchanan General Hospital
1535 Slate Creek Rd./ Grundy, VA BLS ACLS PALS

Capital Emergency Response Training - CERT
4031 University Drive Suite 100/ Fairfax, VA BLS ACLS PALS

…

Total 52 training sites in VA. Show all.

Pacific Medical Training course acceptance chart.

This list of AHA training centers is original research produced by Pacific Medical Training and is not authorized by any third party. By completing this form you are asking Pacific Medical Training to arrange a course and/or skills testing for you, preferably with this training center.

The American Heart Association name is owned by American Heart Association, Inc. Pacific Medical Training has no affiliation with American Heart Association.

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