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 | Get your Graduate Degree in Delaware |
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 | Apply for your APN License in Delaware |
 | Renewing your License in Delaware |
The Delaware Board of Nursing (302-744-4500) licenses qualified RNs to work as advanced practice nurses (APN) in the state.
Four categories of APNs may become licensed to practice in Delaware:
- Nurse practitioners (NP)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA)
- Certified nurse midwives (CNM)
- Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
Before being eligible for APN licensure, you must hold a RN license in Delaware, or in one of these participating Nurse Licensure Compact states: Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Delaware Job Statistics
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If your RN license is from a compact state, do not apply for Delaware RN licensure unless you plan to name Delaware as your permanent residence.
- If your RN license was issued in a state other than a Nurse Licensure Compact state, apply for Delaware RN licensure by endorsement
- If you have never held an RN license in Delaware or another state, apply for Delaware RN licensure by examination
- If you received RN training in another country, have your foreign credentials evaluated by the Credentials Evaluation Service Application (CGFNS) and provide a copy of their evaluation to the Delaware Board of Nurseing
- If your Delaware RN license is inactive or expired, you must apply for its reinstatement
Once your RN licensure status has been confirmed, follow these steps to apply for APN licensure in Delaware.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
As a candidate for APN licensure in Delaware, you must have a master’s degree or a graduate certificate in a clinical nursing specialty, as well as national certification from a national certifying body recognized by the Board.
All graduate nursing education programs must meet Delaware’s standards, listed in Section 1919 of the Delaware Code, Title 24, Chapter 19.
Qualified Graduate Programs
The Delaware Board of Nursing defers to the national certification agencies it recognizes to determine program viability. If your program of interest is acceptable to your certification agency, the Board will, in turn, accept it:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- National Certification Corporation
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- American Midwifery Certification Board
To be considered viable for preparing nurses to qualify for advanced practice licensure in Delaware, institutions or programs with accreditation pending must be slated to obtain it by December 30, 2016.
Practice Hour and Recency Requirements
APNs must fulfill a certain number of practice hours or meet a recency requirement prior to licensure:
- If national certification is not available for your specialty, you must complete one of the following options:
- Have at least 1000 hours of practice in your specialty over the last two years
- Complete supervised practice of at least 1000 hours
- If national certification is available for your specialty, you must complete one of the following options:
- 600 hours of practice in your specialty over the past two years or 1500 hours over the past five years
- Graduated from your specialty program within the past two years
Prescriptive Authority
If you wish to apply for prescriptive authority, you must have completed the following courses:
- Advanced health assessment
- Diagnosis and management of problems in your clinical specialty
- Advanced pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics
- Advanced pathophysiology
Specialization for APNs
As a nurse practitioner (NP) or clinical nurse specialist (CNS), you may choose to pursue a degree specific to a patient population focus. This is a requirement for specialty or patient population-specific certification maintained by the recognized national certifying bodies. The Delaware Board of Nursing recognizes the following specialties and patient population foci:
- Acute care
- Adult health
- Pediatric
- Psychiatric/mental health
- Emergency nursing
- Family
- Geriatric
- Neonatal
- Women’s health
- School health
Temporary APN Permit
You may choose to apply for a temporary APN permit in Delaware after graduation from your graduate program but prior to full licensure. This permit allows you to work under supervision but does not give you prescriptive authority.
You must have already applied to take the national certification examination for your specialty in order to qualify for a temporary permit.
This temporary permit is valid for 90 days. You may use the Application for Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse and check the box indicating that you are applying for a temporary permit.
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
The Delaware Board of Nursing licenses four areas of advanced practice nursing (NP, CNM, CRNA, CNS). If national certification is available for the area in which you intend to practice, you must become nationally certified prior to applying for Delaware APN licensure:
- As a nurse practitioner (NP), you must become nationally certified in a specific population focus
- As a clinical nurse specialist (CNS), you must be nationally certified if certification exists for your specialization
- All certified nurse-midwives (CNM) and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) must become nationally certified by their respective agencies (see below)
Each certification agency maintains its own eligibility requirements, which include meeting education, experience and examination qualifications.
Advanced Practice Nursing Designation Options
The Delaware Board of Nursing recognizes the following APN titles:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
Certification Programs
The Delaware Board of Nursing recognizes national certification programs for APNs offered by the following agencies:
- AMCB (American Midwifery Certification Board):
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- NBCRNA (National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists):
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)
- Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP)
- Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner (GNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP)
- Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACNS)
- Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMHCNS)
- Child/Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMHCNS)
- Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist (GCNS)
- Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (PCNS)
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- AACN (Certification Corporation (American Association of Critical Care Nurses):
- Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNPC)
- Adult, Neonatal and Pediatric Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist (CCNS)
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
- PNCB (Pediatric Nurse Certification Board):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (ACPNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (PCPNP)
If national certification is available for your specialized area, you must become nationally certified before proceeding with Delaware’s APN licensure process. Get in touch with the appropriate national certification agency for further details.
Step 3. Apply for Your APN License
As an applicant for advanced practice nursing licensure, you must provide your social security number on your licensing application. If you do not have a social security number, you must file the Request for Exemption from Social Security Number Requirement.
Nurse Practitioner
File the Application for Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Make sure it is completed, signed and notarized.
- Complete the Authorization for Release of Information (included within application packet) unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for APN licensure
- Enclose the processing fee of $100 payable to the State of Delaware
- Enclose a copy of your driver’s license (unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for APN licensure)
- Have your advanced nursing graduate program send an official transcript directly to the Delaware Board of Nursing
- Complete the Verification of National Certification form (included within application packet) and send it to your national certification agency, who must return it to the Board (exception: If you are certified as a Neonatal NP, complete the NCC online verification request)
Certified Nurse Midwife
File the Application for Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Make sure it is completed, signed and notarized.
- Complete the Authorization for Release of Information (included within application packet) unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for Delaware APN licensure
- Enclose the processing fee of $100 payable to the State of Delaware
- Enclose a copy of your driver’s license (unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for Delaware APN licensure)
- Have your advanced nursing graduate program send an official transcript directly to the Delaware Board of Nursing
- Complete the Verification of National Certification form (included within application packet) and send it to the American Midwifery Certification Board, which will complete it and return it to the Delaware Board of Nursing
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
File the Application for Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Make sure it is completed, signed and notarized.
- Complete the Authorization for Release of Information (included within application packet) unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for Delaware APN licensure
- Enclose the processing fee of $100 payable to the State of Delaware
- Enclose a copy of your driver’s license (unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for Delaware APN licensure)
- Have your advanced nursing graduate program send an official transcript directly to the Delaware Board of Nursing
- The Delaware Board of Nursing will verify your national certification online (no documents need to be sent to do so)
Clinical Nurse Specialist
File the Application for Licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Make sure it is completed, signed and notarized.
- Complete the Authorization for Release of Information (included within application packet) unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for Delaware APN licensure
- Enclose the processing fee of $100 payable to the State of Delaware
- Enclose a copy of your driver’s license (unless you are applying for Delaware RN licensure at the same time you are applying for Delaware APN licensure)
- Have your advanced nursing graduate program send an official transcript directly to the Delaware Board of Nursing
- Complete the Verification of National Certification form (included within application packet) and send it to your national certification agency for verification. The agency must return the form directly to the Board.
Collaborative Agreement
You may either file a Collaborative Agreement at the same time as you file for APN licensure, or after receiving your APN license, but you may not practice in Delaware until the Collaborative Agreement Information Form has been filed.
You must have a Collaborative Agreement on file for each clinic or practice in which you will work.
If you are pursing prescriptive authority over standard medicinal pharmacological agents (non-controlled substances), either a designee of your health care system, or a physician, dentist or podiatrist that is licensed in Delaware can sign the Collaborative Agreement. If you are also applying for prescriptive authority over controlled substances, a physician, dentist, or podiatrist licensed in Delaware must sign the agreement.
Prescriptive Authority and Controlled Substance Registration
You must have a Collaborative Agreement established with a licensed physician, dentist, or podiatrist in order to apply for prescriptive authority.
Your graduate program transcript must also show that you have taken the necessary coursework to receive prescriptive authority.
No additional fee is required to apply for prescriptive authority.
If you are applying for prescriptive authority while applying for your APN license, simply check the correct box on the APN licensure application and submit supporting documentation as required.
If you are applying for prescriptive authority after already being licensed as an APN, complete and submit the Advanced Practice Nurse Application for independent Practice/Prescriptive Authority, along with supporting documentation.
If you wish to prescribe controlled substances, you must also apply for Delaware Controlled Substance Registration (CSR). You must first have an APN license and prescriptive authority to do so. See the Controlled Substances Application for Practitioners for more information. After receiving Delaware CSR, you must apply for Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration.
Submitting Applications and Documentation
Your application for APN licensure, collaborative agreements, original applications for prescriptive authority, and supporting documentation must be mailed to State of Delaware, Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Nursing, Cannon Building, 861 Silver Lake Blvd, Suite 203, Dover, DE 19904-2467.
Your APN licensure application status may be verified online at any time.
Criminal History Background Check
When applying for APN licensure, you must complete a state and federal criminal history background check. Detailed instructions are included on the licensure application.
Call (800) 464- 4357 to make an appointment for fingerprinting. You must be fingerprinted at a Board-approved facility (listed on the application), and pay a $69 fee to the Delaware State Police at the time of fingerprinting.
You must also complete the Authorization for Release of Information (included within licensure application packet) and bring it with you to your fingerprinting appointment.
Step 4. Renewing Your License
Advanced practice nurse licenses expire every two years, at the same time your Registered nurse license expires (February 28, May 31, or September 30 of all odd numbered years).
The Delaware Board of Nursing will mail a license renewal notice to you several weeks before your license is set to expire. Instructions on renewing your license online and paying renewal fees (APN – $110 and RN- $110) will be included with this notice. You may apply for renewal up to one month prior to the expiration of your license.
Your licensure status may be verified online at any time. This information is available to you, potential or current employers, and potential or current patients.
Required Practice Hours During Each Renewal Cycle
Being nationally certified in your specialty requires you to complete one of the following to satisfy the practice hour requirement for renewal (an exemption applies if you graduated from the specialty area or population focus graduate program in the past two years):
- 1500 practice hours over the past five years in your specialty
- 600 practice hours over the past two years in your specialty
If national certification is not available for your specialty, you must complete one of the following to satisfy the practice hour requirement during each two-year renewal cycle:
- 1000 practice hours over the past two years in your specialty
- 1000 supervised general practice hours over the past two years
While you need not provide documentation to support your CE and practice hour claims, you must maintain such documentation in case of a Board audit.
Continuing Education
If you are a Delaware licensed APN without prescriptive authority, you need not fulfill continuing education (CE) requirements to maintain licensure. However, if you are an APN with prescriptive authority, you must show proof of completing 10 hours of pharmacology coursework during each-two year renewal cycle.
You must also meet your national certification agency’s continuing education requirements. Contact the appropriate agency for further details:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- National Certification Corporation
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- American Midwifery Certification Board
Your national certification must be maintained and in active status to be eligible for Delaware APN license renewal.
Reinstatement of Expired Licenses
If you fail to renew your RN or APN license by the expiration date, you will be subject to a late fee. If you renew the license after its expiration but within the month it expired, you must pay an additional $10. After two months, you must apply to have your license reinstated, which costs $165.
If you wish to reinstate your inactive license, submit the Application for Reinstatement of RN or LPN License along with the $165 fee for each license you are reinstating (RN and APN), as well as supporting documentation of practice hours and CE requirements fulfilled.
If you wish to have your RN and/or APN license placed on inactive status, you must pay $35 for each license that is being made inactive. This will disqualify you from practicing in Delaware, but you will still receive a renewal notice at the usual expiration date of your license. If you wish to maintain your license in inactive status, you must still renew it by the expiration date (with no practice requirements or CE requirements necessary).
Advanced Practice Nurse Associations in Delaware
Consider joining one of the professional organizations supporting advanced practice nurses in Delaware, such as:
- Delaware Nurses Association
- Delaware Nurses Association – APN Council
- Delaware Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- Delaware Affiliate – National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Delaware Healthcare Association
Delaware Nurse Practitioner Salary
Nurse practitioners (NPs) make $112,230 per year, on average. With more time on the job, NPs in the top income bracket earn, at minimum, $148,560 annually. That’s a comfortable living anywhere on the east coast.
Registered Nurse Salary
The average annual income among Delaware’s registered nurses is $74,330 – about 8% higher than the state’s median household income. Experience increases an RN’s earnings. The highest-paid RNs in the state gross over $100,000 a year.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
A nurse administrator in Delaware can command an amazing salary. The average annual income for an admin is $130,300. As their management responsibilities increase, nurse administrators in this state can make $150,340 and up.
Nurse Midwife Salary
The average annual income for a midwife in Delaware is $96,090. If you want to break six figures, have no fear: Midwives in the top 25 percent make upwards of $111,190 a year.
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for 1) Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives; 2) Medical and Health Services Managers (Nurse Administrators); 3) Registered Nurses; and 4) Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. 2019 US Census Bureau figures for state median household income provided for comparison. Data Accessed December 2021.
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