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Nebraska CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Nebraska regulates four clinician professions through different boards, each with its own continuing-education rules: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRN/NP), physician assistants (PA) and nurse anesthetists (CRNA). Anesthesiologist assistants (CAA) cannot practice in Nebraska. Below, each profession's total hours, mandated topics, opioid/controlled-substance rule, and tracking, plus the one federal rule they share. Physician rules reviewed October 13, 2026.
Physicians (MD / DO)
Set by the Nebraska DHHS: Licensure. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 50 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours every 2 years (at least 0.5 hours on the Nebraska PDMP), opioids. Trigger: all CS prescribers.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: generic ACCME Category 1 counts; the 0.5-hour PDMP portion must address the Nebraska PDMP specifically.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled substances and opioid prescribing (including 0.5 hours on the PDMP) | 3 | biennial | controlled-substance prescribers |
Citation: Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-145 / LB 731
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Nebraska DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit / Board of Nursing (APRN-Nurse Practitioner), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: No fixed state CE-hour total for NPs: continuing competency = maintain national certification + attest 2,080 practice hours over 5 years (172 NAC 98-006). The underlying RN license requires 20 contact hours within 2 years, or an alternative pathway (national certification / refresher / portfolio). Licenses renew Oct 31 of even years.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, every 2 years, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Each biennial renewal (in effect for renewal periods beginning on/after Oct 1, 2018); sunsets Jan 1, 2029 | NP who prescribes controlled substances (prescriptive/DEA authority) |
Tracking: Attestation of continued competency at online renewal; random audits require submission of completion certificates; national certification proof required at renewal
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Nebraska DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit / Board of Medicine and Surgery (Physician Assistant Committee), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 50 hours Category 1 CME (ACCME, AOA, or AAPA approved)
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, every 2 years, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Each biennial renewal (in effect for renewal periods beginning on/after Oct 1, 2018); sunsets Jan 1, 2029 | PA who prescribes controlled substances (prescriptive/DEA authority) |
Tracking: Attestation at online renewal; random audits require completion certificates; NCCPA re-registration is an accepted alternative to the 50-hour path
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Nebraska DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit: Board of Nursing (the separate Board of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses was abolished and its functions transferred to the Board of Nursing effective July 1, 2026, LB 905 (2026); Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-703 as amended: 'Board means the Board of Nursing'), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Nebraska issues a distinct APRN-CRNA license in addition to the RN license (38-704, 38-707). 'To renew a license to practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, the applicant shall have current certification by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists' (38-709; NBCRNA is the successor body named on the DHHS application/renewal pages). No contact-hour requirement is attached to the CRNA license. The RN license is renewed by one of the DHHS continuing competency options, one of which is 'current national nursing specialty certification'.
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. NBCRNA certification is the renewal requirement for the APRN-CRNA license (38-709) and is also an accepted continuing-competency option for RN renewal (DHHS RN renewal options). No separate hours. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance
No standalone state opioid/controlled-substance CE mandate identified for this profession. The federal DEA MATE Act (one-time 8-hour training) still applies if you hold a DEA registration.
All mandated CE topics
No additional mandated topics identified beyond the total above.
Tracking: Attestation at online renewal (APRN licenses expire Oct 31 of even-numbered years); proof of current NBCRNA certification; random audit of RN continuing competency documentation. Not CE Broker.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Nebraska. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Nebraska: there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. No pending licensure bill was found as of August 2026. NCCAA certification requirements (50 CME hours every 2 years + the CDQ exam) still apply nationally.
Federal: DEA MATE Act (all professions)
One rule is the same for every profession on this page. Every DEA-registered prescriber (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and any CRNA or CAA who holds a DEA registration) must complete a one-time 8-hour training on treating patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, as a condition of DEA registration/renewal (since June 27, 2023). It is federal and applies in every state, and it does not replace Nebraska's recurring opioid/controlled-substance CME. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward your state general CME/CE total. How the MATE Act differs from state rules
Authority: MATE Act §1263, Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 (21 U.S.C. §823).
Notes (physician data)
- The subsection sunsets 1/1/2029. The citation is 38-145(6) (some summaries cite 38-2,127). This is the only special topic.
Pick your profession and all your states in the free planner and get one 5-year schedule that batches your opioid/controlled-substance CME so a single course covers as many licenses as possible.
This page summarizes Nebraska board rules and statutes as of October 13, 2026 for five separately-regulated professions: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRNs), physician assistants (PAs), nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs). Each is governed by its own board and its hour totals and mandated topics differ. Never assume one profession's figures apply to another. Physician data is compiled from FSMB and state medical-board sources; APRN/PA data was validated against nursing- and PA/medical-board rules on July 20, 2026, with the opioid/controlled-substance timing structured on July 23, 2026; CRNA and CAA data was researched against nursing-board, medical-board and practice-act primary sources on August 24, 2026 (items the research could not pin to a primary source are marked “Confirm with the board”). This is educational information, not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with your own board before relying on them.