Arizona Nurse Practitioner Licensure
:: 2024 Guide
Registered Nurse Practitioners (RNP) are important members of the healthcare industry in all states. These professionals are licensed to carry out duties that are beyond the scope of practice of regular registered nurses (RN).
Depending on the state in which they are licensed to practice they may be allowed to own a private practice without a collaborative agreement with a physician. Some tasks that RNPs may be authorized to carry out include diagnosis of conditions, request of examinations and tests, and prescription/dispensing of medication.
Due to the quality of work expected of them, RNPs are required to have gone through graduate-level training in the treatment and health management of a specific population focus.
The chief licensing authority for nurses and nurse practitioners in Arizona is the Arizona Board of Nursing (ABN). They issue licenses to RNs and RNPs who meet certain criteria as spelled out by them.
To apply for an RNP license, you must be licensed to practice as an RN in the state in addition to other requirements such as postgraduate nurse practitioner training and national certification. The board receives applications all year long and must ascertain that every recipient of a license is a person of good standing and qualified to provide the services of a nurse practitioner.
Arizona is a party to the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). This compact allows holders of a multi-state license from a member state to practice physically or virtually in other member states without applying for a new license. This provision only covers RN licenses and all holders of these licenses are duty-bound to practice within the jurisdiction of nurses as allowed in the state. They only need to apply for an RN license in the state if they are changing their primary state of residence to Arizona.