As an RN who is preparing to sit for the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) board exam in Virginia, I am in support of the changes petitioned to the Board of Nursing to recognize CNSs as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN) in Virginia and grant licensure rather than registration. This would be consistent with the support  of the recognition of the CNS as an APRN by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). CNSs need to be allowed to practice to the fullest extent of their education, especially as more Americans are expected to be entering the healthcare system, often with multiple disease processes and health issues that a CNS could be of invaluable assistance in managing.