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The District of Columbia Board of Nursing (877-672-2174) grants advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) authority to qualified registered nurses.
The District of Columbia recognizes four APRN authorities:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
You must hold a District of Columbia registered nurse (RN) license before the Board will grant APRN authority.
Washington, DC Statistics
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- If you hold a current RN license outside of the District, or have never been licensed as an RN, use the New License Application to apply for a DC RN license. Check the appropriate box at the top of the application to indicate your situation.
- If you are an RN who received training in another country, you must first have your academic credentials evaluated by the Council for Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). These results must be mailed with your New License Application (above) to the DC Board of Nursing.
- If your DC RN license is currently inactive, contact the Customer Service Department of the Health Professional Licensing Administration at 202-724-4900 or 202-724-8800 for information on reactivating it.
To become an APRN in the District of Columbia, proceed with the following steps.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
You must complete an accredited post-basic nursing education program in order to receive APRN authority in the District of Columbia. Currently approved District of Columbia schools of nursing are listed here, but any nationally accredited, program you choose will qualify you for APRN authority in DC.
Qualified Graduate Programs
You must successfully complete a graduate program that is nationally accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) (check both Institutional and Specialized or Programmatic Accrediting Agencies).
- Aspiring CRNA: You must graduate from a post-bachelor’s degree nursing program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs or another nationally recognized accrediting body.
- Aspiring CNS: You must complete at least an accredited master’s degree program specific to the clinical specialty in which you intend to practice.
- Aspiring CNM: You must complete a post-basic program in nurse midwifery that is approved by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME) or another nationally recognized accrediting agency listed in the USDE database above.
- Aspiring NP: You must complete a post-basic program in nursing that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency and that is relevant to your area of practice.
Course Requirements
The District of Columbia Board of Nursing specifies only APRN core-competency courses included as a standard part of all accredited APRN programs. You will find the following courses included in accredited APRN programs:
- CRNA:
- You must have completed at least 3 credit hours or 30 contact hours of pharmacology and clinical management of drug therapy or pharmacotherapeutics within five years of applying for APRN certification
- You must complete a preceptorship that is at least one year long
- Other coursework you may encounter within the CRNA scope of practice:
- Physical assessment of patients
- Interpreting laboratory results
- Administration of general and regional anesthesia, inhalation agents, intravenous agents and hypnosis
- Patient monitoring procedures
- Life support functions such as intubation, induction, using support devices, managing fluid balances
- Placement of peripheral and central venous and arterial lines
- Recognizing and treating cardiac arrhythmia
- Recognizing and treating abnormal patient responses to anesthesia
- CNS:
- You must have completed at least 3 credit hours or 30 contact hours of pharmacology and clinical management of drug therapy or pharmacotherapeutics within five years of applying for APRN certification. This course must relate to the CNS scope of practice
- You must complete a preceptorship that is at least one year long
- Other coursework you may encounter within the CNS scope of practice:
- Management of health or psychiatric problems
- Therapeutic methods and techniques
- Innovations in your specialty area
- CNM:
- You must complete a preceptorship that is at least one year long
- Other coursework you may encounter within the CRNA scope of practice:
- Caring for and managing the normal obstetrical patient
- Performing minor surgery
- Initiation and management of local anesthesia
- Newborn care
- Postpartum care
- Gynecological care
- Medications/pharmacology
- Family planning services
- NP:
- You must complete a preceptorship that is at least one year long
- Other coursework you may encounter within the CRNA scope of practice:
- Adult care
- Primary health care
- Pharmacology
- Physical assessment
- Diagnosis
- Family care
- Gerontological care
- Pediatric care
- Neonatal care
- School nurse care
- Psychiatric care
Prescriptive Authority
As an APRN in the District of Columbia, you are automatically granted prescriptive authority. You will take coursework in pharmacology and the use of therapeutic agents. You will be authorized to prescribe all classes of drugs, including controlled substances, as long as the medications relate to your scope of practice.
Specialization
Many CNSs and NPs choose to specialize in specific patient populations, settings, disease types, or treatment foci, while others choose to operate as generalists.
If choosing to specialize, your national certification agency will likely require your graduate program to be specific to that area of specialty. Examples of such recognized specialty areas and patient population foci include:
- Acute care
- Adult health
- Pediatric
- Psychiatric/mental health
- Emergency nursing
- Family
- Geriatric
- Neonatal
- Women’s health
- School health
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
The District of Columbia Board of Nursing grants APRN authority in four general areas of specialty: nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, certified registered nurse anesthetist, and clinical nurse specialist.
National certification in the general area of specialty in which you plan to practice is necessary prior to becoming eligible for APRN authority. You may choose to further specialize in a patient population focus, setting, disease type, or treatment focus.
National certification agencies set their own eligibility requirements that must be met independent of licensure in the District.
Certification Programs
The District of Columbia Board of Nursing accepts certification programs for APRNs offered by these national certifying bodies:
- ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Adult or Family)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Child & Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing
- Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- AACN Certification Corporation (American Association of Critical Care Nurses):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Women’s Health OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
- PNCB (Pediatric Nurse Certification Board):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (ACPNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (PCPNP)
- AMCB (American Midwifery Certification Board):
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- NBCRNA (National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists):
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Holding national certification is necessary before you can go any further in the District of Columbia’s APRN authority certification process. Contact the appropriate national certification agency for more information.
Step 3. Apply for Your APRN Authority
In accordance with federal law, you must include your US social security number on your APRN application. If you do not have a social security number or Federal Tax ID number, contact the District of Columbia Board of Nursing at 877-672-2174.
Complete the New License Application. Be sure to check the box at the top indicating that you are applying for APRN authority. Attach the following documents to your completed application:
- Two recent, identical 2” x 2” passport-type photos showing your face. Print your social security number and name on the back of each photo.
- Official, sealed copy of your transcript from graduate nursing school, with a cover letter from the school
- Copy of any RN licenses held in other states, if applicable
- Verification of your original RN license from NURSYS system, if applicable
- Verification Form verifying your certified specialty from your national certification agency
- Application fee paid by check/money order payable to DC Treasurer (see application for exact amount)
Mail all of the above documents to Department of Health, Health Professional Licensing Administration, Board of Nursing, 899 North Capitol St. NE, First Floor,
Washington, DC 20002.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging on here.
If you would like to work while your application for DC APRN certification is pending, you must appear in person at the Department of Health office with a Supervised Practice Form (completed by your employer) and all of the above documents (including your application). If approved, you will be given a Letter of Supervised Practice, allowing you to work in your specialty under the supervision of another certified APRN while your application is pending. This letter is valid for 90 days. Contact the Board for a Supervised Practice Form.
Criminal History Background Check
No criminal history background check is required to obtain APRN authority in the District of Columbia, since with your RN license you should have already undergone such a check. However, if you answer “yes” to any of the Screening Questions in Section 7 of the certification application, you must provide a complete explanation for that answer on a separate sheet of paper.
If you have never undergone a criminal background check in the District, you must submit to one. Fingerprinting is done through L-1 Enrollment Services or the DC Metropolitan Police Department (call 202-442-9004).
Step 4. Renewing Your APRN Authority
Your authority to work as an APRN in the District of Columbia expires every two years on June 30. Renewal begins on Feb 1 of that year, and may be done online.
Continuing Education
You must complete continuing education requirements of both the District of Columbia Board of Nursing as well as those of your national certification agency. Contact your national certification agency for details on their requirements:
- 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
The District requires certified APRNs to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education. Fifteen of those hours must be in pharmacology, and nine of those hours must be specific to your APRN specialty. If you are certified in more than one APRN specialty, you may use the same course to count towards the continuing education requirements for each specialty certification (for example, 15 hours of pharmacology are applicable to all APRN specialties in which you are certified).
Visit this link for more information on continuing education opportunities and reporting requirements.
License Renewal Notice
The Board will notify you by mail when your renewal time is approaching. You may apply for renewal and pay renewal fees online. Your continuing education records are maintained online as well, but it is a good idea to maintain your own records in the event of a routine audit.
Expired Certificate Renewal Application
If you do not renew your APRN certificate by June 30, you must pay an $85 late fee in addition to regular renewal fees. If your RN license/APRN authority has been expired for more than five years, you must re-apply.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in District of Columbia
Think about becoming a member of one of the following professional organizations in the District:
- District of Columbia Nurses Association
- Nurse Practitioner Association of the District of Columbia
- District of Columbia Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- District of Columbia Chapter of the American College of Midwives
- Capital Chapter of American Psychiatric Nurses Association
District of Columbia Nurse Practitioner Salary
If you live in the D.C. area, and are thinking of pursuing a career as a nurse practitioner, your head’s in the right place. These nurses earn $116,150 annually, on average. The most experienced NPs bring in more than $148,590 per year.
Registered Nurse Salary
Registered nurses in D.C. bring in an average of $90,050 per year. The money won’t stop there. Those who worked their way into the top 10 percent earn more than $123,540 per year.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
Nursing instructors in D.C. are some of the highest-paid professionals in the industry, earning $111,940 per year, on average. So, if you have a mind for instruction, this isn’t a bad avenue to pursue.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
Consider yourself a leader with strong management skills? Nurse administrators in D.C. make an average $157,590 per year. More seasoned admins bring in even more: at least $178,200 annually.
Nurse Midwife Salary
The average midwife in D.C. makes $85,740 a year. That’s a comfortable living in one of the more costly cities in the U.S. If you stick with this specialty, you can lead a financially secure life: top earners report making $125,170 a year or better.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
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.