The following is an adapted list of questions and answers regarding Michigan licensing for nurses, adapted from the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Nursing FAQs (Revision Date: June 2021).
If you have more questions after reviewing the FAQs below, contact Michigan's Department of Licensing And Regulatory Affairs (LARA) for further detail or questions regarding continuing education requirements as specified by Michigan's Public Health Code. You can also find the Michigan Board of Nursing’s current administrative rules on the Bureau of Professional Licensing’s website.
All nursing license applications and renewals in Michigan are completed and paid for online.
For first-time nursing licenses, click here to create a new online application.
For nursing license renewals, you will use the Michigan Professional Licensing User System (MiPLUS) website and portal.
Yes. The Michigan Public Health Code and board administrative rules requires every nurse to complete, during the 2-year period prior to the renewal of the license, at least 25 hours of continuing education.
Michigan nurses are required to earn 25 hours of continuing education within the 2-year period preceding the date of renewal.
At least 2 of these hours must be in pain and pain symptom management.
A one-time human trafficking continuing education module is required. Find out more about the Michigan human trafficking educational requirement here.
Starting in 2022, all Michigan health professionals are required to complete implicit bias training in order to renew and maintain their license.
The implicit bias training must be related to reducing barriers and disparities in access to and delivery of health care services and meet all of the following requirements:
(a) Training content must include, but is not limited to, 1 or more of the following topics:
(i) Information on implicit bias, equitable access to health care, serving a diverse population, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and cultural sensitivity.
(ii) Strategies to remedy the negative impact of implicit bias by recognizing and understanding how it impacts perception, judgment, and actions that may result in inequitable decision making, failure to effectively communicate, and result in barriers and disparities in the access to and delivery of health care services.
(iii) The historical basis and present consequences of implicit biases based on an individual’s characteristics.
(iv) Discussion of current research on implicit bias in the access to and delivery of health care services.
(b) Training must include strategies to reduce disparities in access to and delivery of health care services and the administration of pre- and post-test implicit bias assessments.
(d) Acceptable modalities of training include any of the following:
(i) A teleconference or webinar that allows live synchronous interaction that provides for the opportunity for participants to interact with the instructor and other participants.
(ii) A live presentation that provides for the opportunity for participants to interact with the instructor and other participants.
(iii) An asynchronous teleconference or webinar.
Michigan nurses must complete at least 2 hours of continuing education in pain and pain symptom management, within the 2 years immediately preceding the expiration date of their license.
All offerings by the Michigan State University College of Nursing qualify for your continuing education requirements! We are accredited as a provider with distinction of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
The Michigan Board of Nursing will accept any continuing education program or activity if it is approved or offered for CE credit by any of the following organizations:
A licensee may earn 5 hours of continuing education for each semester credit hour earned for the completion of academic courses related to nursing practice offered in a nursing education program approved by the board. (Three hours of continuing education may be earned for each quarter credit hour earned.)
If audited, a licensee shall submit an official transcript that reflects completion of the academic course and number of semester or quarter credit hours earned.
A licensee may earn 25 hours of continuing education for obtaining specialty certification or maintaining certification as a clinical nurse specialist, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, or nurse practitioner. If audited, a licensee shall submit proof of certification or recertification.
A licensee may earn 10 hours of continuing education for successful completion of a national nursing specialty examination in the year which the licensee achieves a passing score.
A maximum of 20 hours may be earned in the renewal period. Credit will not be given for repeating the same examination in a renewal period.
A licensee may earn 10 hours of continuing education for initial publication of a chapter or an article related to the practice of nursing or allied health in either of the following: A nursing or health care textbook; a peer- reviewed textbook; a nursing or health care peer-reviewed journal.
A licensee may earn continuing education for participation as a preceptor for at least 1 nursing student or new employee undergoing orientation. A preceptorship shall be for a minimum of 120 hours and have a 1 student/employee to 1 preceptor ratio. This may involve more than 1 student or employee. 120 hours equals 1 contact hour. A maximum of 5 hours may be earned in each renewal period.