Virginia Regulatory Town Hall

Proposed Text

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Action:
Changes relating to clinical nurse specialists as nurse ...
Stage: Fast-Track
 
18VAC90-30-80 Qualifications for initial licensure

A. An applicant for initial licensure as a nurse practitioner shall:

1. Hold a current, active license as a registered nurse in Virginia or hold a current multistate licensure privilege as a registered nurse;

2. Submit evidence of a graduate degree in nursing or in the appropriate nurse practitioner specialty from an educational program designed to prepare nurse practitioners advanced practice registered nurses that is an approved program as defined in 18VAC90-30-10. Evidence shall include a transcript that shows that the applicant has successfully completed core coursework that prepares the applicant for licensure in the appropriate specialty;

3. Submit evidence of professional certification that is consistent with the specialty area of the applicant's educational preparation issued by an agency accepted by the boards as identified in 18VAC90-30-90;

4. File the required application; and

5. Pay the application fee prescribed in 18VAC90-30-50.

B. Provisional licensure may be granted to an applicant who satisfies all requirements of this section with the exception of subdivision A 3 of this section, provided the board has received evidence of the applicant's eligibility to sit for the certifying examination directly from the national certifying body. An applicant may practice with a provisional license for either six months from the date of issuance or until issuance of a permanent license or until he receives notice that he has failed the certifying examination, whichever occurs first.

18VAC90-30-105 Continuing competency requirements

A. In order to renew a license biennially, a nurse practitioner initially licensed on or after May 8, 2002, shall hold current professional certification in the area of specialty practice from one of the certifying agencies designated in 18VAC90-30-90, except for those renewing their licenses in accordance with subsection B of this section.

B. In order to renew a license biennially, nurse practitioners licensed prior to May 8, 2002 or clinical nurse specialists who were registered by the Board of Nursing with a retired certification, shall meet one of the following requirements:

1. Hold current professional certification in the area of specialty practice from one of the certifying agencies designated in 18VAC90-30-90; or

2. Complete at least 40 hours of continuing education in the area of specialty practice approved by one of the certifying agencies designated in 18VAC90-30-90 or approved by Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) of the American Medical Association as a Category I Continuing Medical Education (CME) course.

C. The nurse practitioner shall retain evidence of compliance and all supporting documentation for a period of four years following the renewal period for which the records apply.

D. The boards shall periodically conduct a random audit of their licensees to determine compliance. The nurse practitioners selected for the audit shall provide the evidence of compliance and supporting documentation within 30 days of receiving notification of the audit.

E. The boards may delegate the authority to grant an extension or exemption for all or part of the requirements for circumstances beyond the control of the licensee, such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters.

18VAC90-40-40 Qualifications for initial approval of prescriptive authority

An applicant for prescriptive authority shall meet the following requirements:

1. Hold a current, unrestricted license as a nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth of Virginia;

2. Provide evidence of one of the following:

a. Continued professional certification as required for initial licensure as a nurse practitioner;

b. Satisfactory completion of a graduate level course in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics obtained as part of the nurse practitioner or advanced practice registered nurse education program within the five years prior to submission of the application;

c. Practice as a nurse practitioner for no less than 1000 hours and 15 continuing education units related to the area of practice for each of the two years immediately prior to submission of the application; or

d. Thirty contact hours of education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics acceptable to the boards taken within five years prior to submission of the application. The 30 contact hours may be obtained in a formal academic setting as a discrete offering or as noncredit continuing education offerings and shall include the following course content:

(1) Applicable federal and state laws;

(2) Prescription writing;

(3) Drug selection, dosage, and route;

(4) Drug interactions;

(5) Information resources; and

(6) Clinical application of pharmacology related to specific scope of practice.

3. Develop a practice agreement between the nurse practitioner and the patient care team physician as required in 18VAC90-40-90; and

4. File a completed application and pay the fees as required in 18VAC90-40-70.