LPN IV Certification and Re-Certification Requirements for Nebraska

In this rapidly expanding world of technological advances and dramatic shifts in healthcare delivery, the demanded higher standards of care responsibilities are being enforced through the requirements of continuing education.

In the state of Nebraska a Licensed Practical Nurse-Certified (LPN-C) is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) who has taken additional education and passed an examination to obtain certification in an advanced role permitting them to provide limited services in intravenous therapy.

The Nebraska Board of Nursing must approve the education program for LPN-Cs. The required examination is also board approved and administered by the Licensure Unit. To see the initial IV education programs approved by the board click here: http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/crl_nursing_lpn-c_programs.aspx

In Nebraska a licensed practical nurse-certified may perform limited intravenous therapy interventions under the direction of a registered nurse or licensed practitioner. A licensed practical nurse-certified may be used to complement the registered nurse’s role or licensed practitioner role in the administration of intravenous therapy, but cannot be used as a substitute for the registered nurse or licensed practitioner. An LPN-C may only provide intravenous interventions when there is a licensed practitioner or registered nurse assessing the client at least once every 24 hours, or more frequently when a significant change in therapy or client condition has occurred.

When under the direct supervision of an RN or licensed practitioner, an LPN-C may perform these activities for an adult client:

1. Infuse intravenous fluids and administer approved medications into a continuous flow central line. Infusing fluids and administering approved medications into an intermittent central line is not permitted.
2. Administer an initial dose of an approved medication as described in PDF File 172 Nebraska Administrative Code (NAC) 102-003 Practice of Licensed Practical Nurses – Certified – Eligibility to Practice, by an approved method.
3. Add Dextrose 10% as a meal replacement.
4. When under the direction of an RN or licensed practitioner, an LPN-C may perform these activities for an adult client:
5. Perform venipuncture in the hand, forearm, antecubital fossa area, and/or the upper arm with a device three inches in length or less. For the initial venipuncture, the RN or licensed practitioner must have performed a face to face assessment of the current status of the client.
6. Calculate rate of flow.
7. Administer approved medications, as described in PDF File 172 NAC 102-003 Practice of Licensed Practical Nurses – Certified – Eligibility to Practice, by approved methods. If administering pain medications through a patient controlled administration pump, the cassette or syringe must have been commercially prepared, or prepared by a pharmacist, physician or registered nurse.
8. Reinsert, convert and flush peripheral intermittent infusion devices.

When under the direction of an RN or licensed practitioner, an LPN-C may perform these activities for a pediatric client:

1. Administer pain medications through a patient controlled administration pump if the medication has been commercially prepared, or prepared by a pharmacist, physician or registered nurse.
2. Flush a peripheral intermittent infusion device.

Approved Medications.

When approving medications for intravenous administration by an LPN-C, the RN or licensed practitioner must consider the following:

1. Adverse consequences;
2. How adverse consequences are manifested;
3. How adverse consequences are measured;
4. What intervention is required; and
5. How intervention is applied.

Approved medications do not include:

1. Blood and blood products;
2. Antineoplastic agents;
3. Oxytocics;
4. Anti-arrhythmics; and
5. Hyperlimentation.

LPN-C Renewal Requirements

All LPN-C certifications issued by the Department expire on 10/31 of each odd-numbered year. To renew a certification, the LPN-C must submit the renewal notice attesting to having met the requirements for renewal, pay the renewal fee of $68, and have an active LPN license in Nebraska or an active multi-state LPN license in another compact state. The certificates of LPN-Cs who fail to renew will expire after October 31.

To qualify for renewal an LPN-C must meet 1 of the following requirements:

1. Have graduated from a board approved certification course for LPN-Cs within the previous 2 years; or
2. Of the 20 contact hours obtained for renewal of the LPN license, at least 5 contact hours must be related to intravenous therapy.

AlixaRx University offers a list of online infusion courses that may be used towards your 5 required IV related contact hours. 

Click on any title of interest to learn more about the curriculum. You may purchase the course and begin your LPN-C education requirements today.

• All About Gamma Globulin
• Basic Peripheral IV Therapy in Adults; Current Standards of Practice
• Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion for the School Nurse
• Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion in Long Term Care (CSII)
• Contrast Administration in the Radiology Setting
• Current Concepts in Chemotherapy
• Current Practices in the Management of Central Lines
• Goal: Zero Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections
• Inotropic Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Congestive Heart Failure
• Intraosseous Access Devices
• Its All About Ports
• IV Push Medications
• Peripheral and Central Venous Access Device Review
• Reducing Hospitalization with Hypodermoclysis
• Total Parenteral Nutrition in the Adult Patient
• Transfusion Therapy in the Adult Patient

AlixaRx guest blog written by Capra Dalton, RN. Capra Dalton is the CEO and author of Pedagogy Education infusion continuing education courses. 

Capra Dalton, Registered Nurse, has more than 28 years of experience in infusion therapy and the instruction of licensed nurses in infusion therapy continuing education. Her experience comes from multiple infusion settings: acute care, ambulatory infusion centers, home infusion, long term care continuing education provider, and long term care pharmacy quality assurance consultant. As the CEO, Capra is responsible for all operational aspects of Pedagogy, including education course content, author recruitment, and management. She is a member of the National Nurses in Business Association and received her nursing education from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Capra has an avid interest in holistic healing, nutrition, herbs, and alternative therapies for the treatment of disease in humans as well as animals. She and her husband, Patrick, live on a ranch near Tyler, Texas.