APRN Compact Licensure
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) Opposes the Revised APRN Compact
AANP does not endorse the APRN Compact for multistate licensure, which was adopted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in August 2020.
AANP strongly opposes the inclusion of practice hours as a prerequisite for a multistate advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) license. The inclusion of practice hours is inconsistent with the evidence and is in direct conflict with the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: licensure, accreditation, certification and education.
The evidence is clear. APRNs are prepared for safe entry to practice at the point of graduation from an accredited graduate program and after the successful passage of a national certification board examination. The inclusion of minimum practice hours as a requirement for a multistate APRN license creates unnecessary and costly regulations for all states and new challenges for the states currently working to retire similar barriers.
AANP additionally reaffirms the position that an APRN Compact must include an APRN advisory committee. Incorporating an APRN advisory committee would ensure that there are readily available resources and needed expertise to address the complexity and variety of practice issues.
AANP has played an instrumental role in securing Full Practice Authority across the country and finalizing more than 100 state statutes that benefit nurse practitioners (NPs) and their patients, including laws that adopt the APRN title, role and educational requirements. In the past, the association has supported the concept of a multistate licensure compact for APRNs. AANP knows that ending the current patchwork of licensure and practice authorization is necessary to improve health outcomes for patients and address health care workforce needs. It is unfortunate, but necessary, that AANP not endorse or work toward implementing NCSBN’s revised APRN Compact.