License: Nurse Practitioner, Licensed

Department of Health Professions Board of Nursing

6606 West Broad Street

4th Floor

Richmond, VA 23230-1717

(804) 662-9908

Licensure, general. A. No person shall perform services as a nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth of Virginia except as prescribed in this chapter and when licensed by the Boards of Nursing and Medicine. B. The boards shall license applicants who meet the qualifications for licensure as set forth in 18VAC90-30-80 or 18VAC90-30-85. Categories of licensed nurse practitioners. A. The boards shall license nurse practitioners consistent with their specialty education and certification in the following categories (a two-digit suffix appears on licenses to designate category): 1. Adult nurse practitioner (01); 2. Family nurse practitioner (02); 3. Pediatric nurse practitioner (03); 4. Geriatric nurse practitioner (07); 5. Certified registered nurse anesthetist (08); 6. Certified nurse midwife (09); 7. Neonatal nurse practitioner (13); 8. Women's health nurse practitioner (14); 9. Acute care nurse practitioner (16); and 10. Psychiatric nurse practitioner (17). B. Other categories of licensed nurse practitioners shall be licensed if the Committee of the Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine determines that the category meets the requirements of this chapter. C. Nurse practitioners licensed prior to March 9, 2005 may retain the specialty category in which they were initially licensed, or if the specialty category has been subsequently deleted and if qualified by certification, be re-issued a license in a specialty category consistent with such certification. 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 that is an approved program as defined in 18VAC90-30-10; 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 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. Qualifications for licensure by endorsement. An applicant for licensure by endorsement as a nurse practitioner shall: 1. Provide verification of licensure as a nurse practitioner or advanced practice nurse in another U.S. jurisdiction with a license in good standing, or, if lapsed, eligible for reinstatement; 2. 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; and 3. Submit the required application and fee as prescribed in 18VAC90-30-50.