This question is from a subscriber who wondered if she needed to apply for an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license in her state if she was already board certified as an APRN?

There are multiple national certifications to validate an APRN’s specialty knowledge for practice. To practice legally, most APRNs are required to be certified. National certification also is a requirement in most states to obtain a state-issued APRN license. 

Original post published on December 6, 2016. Updated September 23, 2019.

**This post was proofread by Grammarly. 

**This document contains some affiliate links. In full transparency, I want to let you know that I am an affiliate for Grammarly, Mometrix, and Amazon, which means that I earn from qualifying purchases if you click through these links on my website. See the end of the post for more information. 

“SBON approval is required to practice as an APRN in the USA!”

 

Title Protection and the Four Advanced Practice Nursing Roles

There are four nursing roles that are recognized as advanced practice in the US: nurse practitioners (NP), clinical nurse specialists (CNS), certified nurse midwives (CNM), and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA). 

You must apply for state authorization because the four APRN titles are title-protected. Title-protection ensures that those who use the title of APRN are vetted. Having national certification gets you one step closer to state board approval – but that’s not all you need.

Authorization to practice consists of a valid RN license, completion of an accredited APRN education program recognized by the SBON of the state you want to practice in, national certification, a fee, and any other requirements the SBON imposes. Once approved you usually get a unique APRN license number separate from your RN license number. In many states, the APRN and RN licenses are typically renewed at the same time.

You can get sued by the State Board of Nursing (SBON) if you practice, or even hand out a business card that says NP, CNS, CRNA, or CNM without their approval– and yes, approval means an APRN license!  

Certifying Bodies

A variety of certifying bodies exist to safeguard the public by providing valid and reliable certification tests. “Achieving board certification demonstrates to patients, employers and the public that a nurse’s knowledge reflects national standards and a deep commitment to patient safety” (AACNb, n.d.).

Eligibility criteria are specific to the certifying organization however, for APRN certification, all require an RN license and graduation from an accredited masters-level or doctoral-level nursing program. The doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree is proposed for entry into advanced practice nursing (AACNa, 2004) and, eventually, will be the degree required to sit for the certification exams.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs) can be certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Certification Corporation, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, and the National Certification Corporation for the Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing Specialties.

Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) can be certified through ANCC, AACN, the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, and the National Board for Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses.

Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs) are certified through the American Midwifery Certification Board and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are certified through the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists’ organization. 

Bottom line: Even if you have national certification as an APRN, you ALWAYS have to get approval to practice as an APRN from the State Board of Nursing (SBON) (that means, a state license).

Resources for Test-Taking**

Several excellent resources exist to help APRNs study for the national certification exams. 

I always recommend that students purchase a study guide that has explanations for why wrong answers are wrong! Margaret Fitzgerald’s study guides are excellent; she is a popular speaker at NP conferences. Other helpful study guides include:

NP Study Guides including:

            

CNS Study Guides including:

            

CNM Study Guides including:

  

CRNA Study Guides including

         

Mometrix Test Preparation for APRNs

Mometrix materials are available on every major digital platform and are distributed worldwide. Their products are developed by experts in each test’s field of study to ensure the highest quality, most relevant content possible. Every year, millions of test-takers utilize Mometrix materials, including free online resources, study guides, flashcards, digital content, and smartphone apps.

How to Cite this Blog Post in 7th ed. APA*: Thompson, C. J. (2019, September 23). 

Career advice: Do you still need an APRN state license if you are nationally certified? [Blog post]. Nursing Education Expert. https://nursingeducationexpert.com/career-advice-aprn-license

 

*Hanging indent doesn’t work on my blog posts, so just know that you need to use a hanging indent for your reference page citations when using APA format.

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References*

*Hanging indent doesn’t work on my blog posts, so just know that you need to use a hanging indent for your reference page citations when using APA format.

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACNa). (2004). AACN position statement on the practice doctorate in nursing. https://www.aacnnursing.org/DNP/Position-Statement

American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACNb). (n.d.). Board certification. https://www.aacn.org/certification?tab=First-Time%20Certification

This post was proofread by Grammarly 

**This document contains some affiliate links. In full transparency, I want to let you know that I am an affiliate for Grammarly, Mometrix, and Amazon, which means that I earn from qualifying purchases if you click through these links on my website. I promise there is NO extra cost to you – and hey, the basic Grammarly product is free! I ONLY endorse products that I believe have value for my readers and have either used or have vetted each product before adding to my posts or resource pages. Thank you in advance for helping to support my work!