Professional/State Licensure
Registered nurses must be licensed by the state in which they intend to practice. Licensure laws and regulations vary from state to state. In order to be admitted to the South College Master of Science in Nursing program, applicants must provide evidence of a current unencumbered Registered Nurse license or in progress of becoming licensed as a Registered Nurse as verified by Nursys (https://www.nursys.com) or licensure verification system provided by individual State Boards of Nursing.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) have developed nationally recognized competencies for the educational preparation of advanced practice nurses. The respective board certification examinations are competency-based examinations that provide a valid and reliable assessment of the entry-level clinical knowledge and skills for nurse practitioners. Certification aligns with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education. Once exam-takers complete eligibility requirements to take the certification examination and successfully pass the exam, they will be awarded a nationally recognized credential, which can be maintained by continuous licensure and satisfying the specific renewal requirements in place at the time of certification renewal. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification accredits this certification. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners National Certification Board (AANPCB) also provides a valid and reliable program for entry-level nurse practitioners to recognize their education, knowledge and professional expertise, as well as a process for validation of an advanced practice nurse’s qualifications and knowledge for practice as a nurse practitioner. The AANPCB offers the NP certification examination, which is an entry-level competency-based examination that tests clinical knowledge in family/individual across the life span (prenatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, elderly, and frail elderly primary care).
- Program meets licensure requirements in the following States:
- None – All states have licensure requirements – however passing of NP certification examination is required prior to licensure which cannot be attempted until successful completion of program.
- Program does not meet licensure requirements in the following States:
- See above.
- Program qualifies students to sit for licensure exam in the following States:
- AZ,CA,CO,CT,DE,FL,GA,HI,IA,ID,IL,IN,ME,MI,MO,MS,MT,NC,ND,NE,NH,NJ,OH,OK,RI,SC,SD,TN,TX,UT,VA,VT,WV,WY
- Program does not qualify students to sit for licensure exam in the following States:
- Those states not listed above.
- The following States do not have licensure requirements for this profession:
- All states have licensure requirements for nurses.
Statutory and regulatory requirements for initial licensure and license renewal can be found at each state’s Board of Nursing website. A reference for each state Board of Nursing is available at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. website located here – https://www.ncsbn.org/contact-bon.htm.