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The Florida Board of Nursing (850-488-0595) licenses advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs).
Three general areas of specialization for advanced practice nurses are recognized in Florida: nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse midwife (CNM), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is recognized as an upgrade to the basic RN license, but not as an advanced practice nursing general area of specialty.
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You must have a current Florida RN license prior to licensure as an ARNP in Florida. You may apply for an RN license concurrently with your ARNP license application.
- If you are applying for your Florida RN license concurrently with your Florida ARNP license, use the Dual Registered Nurse/Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner application
- If you have never held an RN license in Florida or any other state and wish to apply for an RN license only, use the Licensure Application and Instructions: Examination
- If you hold an RN license in another U.S. jurisdiction, territory, or state, use the Licensure Application and Instructions: Endorsement to apply for your Florida RN license
- If you received your RN education in a foreign country, have your academic credentials evaluated by one of the agencies listed on this page, and have finding submitted to the Florida Board of Nursing
- If your Florida RN license is currently inactive or expired, contact the Board of Nursing at (850) 488-0595 for information on having it reinstated.
As an actively licensed RN in Florida you may follow these steps to become licensed as an advanced registered nurse practitioner.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
If you graduated on or after October 1, 1998, you must have a master’s degree with a major in nursing, or a post-master’s certificate or doctorate with a concentration in an advanced practice nursing category (NP, CNM, CRNA), prior to ARNP licensure in Florida. (If you graduated prior to October 1, 1998, you are exempt from this requirement).
Qualified Graduate Programs
The Florida Board of Nursing does not regulate advanced nursing programs.
Under rules of the Florida Department of Education, a nursing education program must be accredited by one of two United States Department of Education– recognized nursing program accrediting agencies:
- The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
- The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
Course Requirements
As an aspiring ARNP you must complete an advanced pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics course as part of your post-bachelor’s degree ARNP education. Your major must be in nursing or within your chosen general area of specialty (nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife).
Prescriptive authority, or the authorization to write prescriptions and dispense medications, is automatically granted to Florida- licensed ARNPs who have met the core course requirements inclusive of pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics.
Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners in Florida do not have the authority to prescribe controlled substances.
Specialization
The Florida Board of Nursing does not list specialization areas on ARNP licenses. However, many ARNPs, particularly NPs, choose to specialize in a particular role or patient population such as women’s health, pediatric, neonatal, adult health, acute care, geriatrics, psychiatric/mental health, or family. Such specialization typically requires a graduate degree program specific to the population focus, as determined by the respective national certifying bodies.
Consult the national certifying body through which you intend to seek national certification to determine graduate program requirements for certification within a particular patient population focus:
- 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)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Adult or Family) (PMHNP)
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Women’s Health 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)
Provisional Licensure
If you are seeking licensure as a CRNA or CNM in Florida and have not yet completed all licensure requirements, you may still be eligible for provisional licensure. To be eligible, you must have graduated from your advanced practice nursing graduate program within the past 12 months, but not yet be nationally certified.
Provisional licenses are valid for one year, during which time you must fulfill all licensure requirements by becoming nationally certified. Contact the Board for more details.
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
National certification is required for each of the three types of ARNPs recognized by the Florida Board of Nursing. Independent national certification agencies set their own requirements specific to education, experience and examination.
Advanced Nursing General Areas of Specialization
The Florida Board of Nursing recognizes the following ARNP general areas of specialization:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
Certification Programs
The Florida Board of Nursing recognizes national certification exams for ARNPs administered through the following nursing specialty certifying boards:
- 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)
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Adult or Family) (PMHNP)
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Women’s Health 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)
You must become nationally certified before pursuing full ARNP licensure in Florida. Get in touch with the appropriate national certifying body for details.
Step 3. Apply for Your License
You’ll be required to provide you social security number on the
RN/ARNP application for licensure in Florida. If you do not have a social security number, contact the Florida Board of Nursing at 850-488-0595. You must have a social security number prior to obtaining full ARNP licensure.
If your Florida RN license is up for renewal within 120 days of applying for ARNP certification, you must renew your Florida RN license before your ARNP license will be issued.
Complete the Application for Dual Registered Nurse and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. (You must check the correct box indicating if you are applying for both RN and ARNP licensure or just ARNP licensure). Along with the application:
- Submit the proper application fee ($148 for ARNP licensure, or $323 for RN and ARNP licensure) via cashier’s check or money order only, payable to the Florida Department of Health
- Have your school mail an official transcript verifying completion of your graduate-level nursing program
- If you are an aspiring CNM or CRNA who is not yet nationally certified and graduated within the past 12 months, have your school complete the Verification of Program Completion form (found in the application packet)
- Have your national certification agency send verification of your national certification to the Board
- Complete the Financial Responsibility form (included in application packet), which states your agreement to obtain and maintain professional liability (malpractice) insurance
- Complete two sets of fingerprint cards (see below)
- If applying for both RN and ARNP licensure, make sure your transcript shows completion of a 2 hour prevention of medical errors course
- If you wish to sell medications to patients in the office, attach the Dispensing Practitioner Registration form and an additional $100 fee
- If you answer “yes” to any question in the following application sections, attach additional documentation and explanation:
- Criminal history
- Discipline history
- Health history
Send the completed application and appropriate information to Department of Health, Medical Quality Assurance, Florida Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 6330, Tallahassee, FL 32314.
You may check the status of your application online at any time. When your application has been approved, the Board will mail you a physical hard copy of your license, along with a username and password so that you will be able to access the online renewal system when necessary.
ARNP Protocol
An ARNP is only licensed to diagnose, treat, and operate under a protocol between the ARNP and another medical professional. This medical professional must be a medical doctor, dentist, or osteopathic physician.
The degree of supervision and how it will be conducted must be completely detailed in a written protocol, which functions as a collaborative practice agreement. For an example of the correct format for a written protocol, click here.
This collaborative practice agreement must be submitted to the Board before you may legally practice as an ARNP in the state.
Criminal History Background Check
You must undergo a criminal history background check prior to ARNP licensure in Florida. Two fingerprint cards must be submitted if you are upgrading your RN license to ARNP or applying for dual RN/ARNP licensure.
These cards must be mailed to you. More information about the background check process in Florida can be found here. Take the cards to your local law enforcement agency where you will be fingerprinted. You must complete the online profile as instructed at the link, and mail the two completed fingerprint cards with your application for licensure.
Step 4. Renewing Your License
Advanced registered nurse practitioner licensure is considered to be an upgrade to your Florida RN license and comes due at the same time. Your Florida ARNP license may be renewed online at the time of its expiration once every two years. Your RN license is now considered to be incorporated into your ARNP license and need not be renewed separately.
Each biannual renewal will involve a renewal fee of $166.
License Renewal Notice
The Florida Board of Nursing mails renewal notices three to four months prior to your license’s expiration date. The renewal process may take up to three weeks, so plan accordingly. At the time of your online renewal, you will be informed in the event that you need to submit further supporting documentation.
Continuing Education
You are exempt from completing any continuing education requirement during your first two-year licensure period. Thereafter, you must complete 24 hours of appropriate continuing education during each two-year renewal cycle to maintain your RN/ARNP license.
Two hours must be in the prevention of medical errors. Every third renewal, you must also complete two hours in domestic violence. Board-approved courses can be found here.
In addition to fulfilling Florida’s CE requirement, you must meet the requirements set by your national certification agency. Contact the appropriate national certification agency for details:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- National Certification Corporation
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- American Midwifery Certification Board
Proof of active national certification must be submitted to the Board at the time of each license renewal.
Expired and Inactive License Reinstatement
If your ARNP license has been allowed to expire, you may still renew it online. Expired licenses will be subject to a reinstatement fee of $221.
If your license has been on inactive status and you wish to reactivate it, you must contact the board. If your inactive status has lasted for more than two years, you may need to take a special purpose examination to demonstrate competency.
Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner Associations in Florida
Now that you are a licensed Florida ARNP, consider joining one of the following professional organizations:
- Florida Association of Nurse Anesthetists (FANA)
- Florida Nurse Practitioner Network (FNPN)
- Florida Nurses Association (FNA)
- Florida Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (FANNP)
Florida Nurse Practitioner Salary
Earning $101,060 per year on average, nurse practitioners are some of the most well-paid professionals in the state. Those who have climbed to the top 10 percent earn more than $134,230 per year.
Registered Nurse Salary
Being a registered nurse (RN) in Florida pays well: an average $69,510 per year. If you decide to stick with this role and gain enough experience to land in the top ten percent, you could make $93,500 or better annually.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
Want to make six figures a year? Consider becoming a nursing instructor. Working in teaching hospitals and college nursing programs, these professionals earn an average $116,650 a year in Florida.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
If you have the mind for management, look into becoming a nurse administrator. You’ll earn a pretty penny in Florida. On average, nurse administrators in this state make $110,130 annually. That salary increases to $181,280 and better as they build experience.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Want to make well over $100,000 a year? Look into becoming a nurse anesthetist. In Florida, these nurses make $176,760 per year, on average. Again, that’s just the average. The top earners in the 90th percentile make north of $182,000 annually.
Nurse Midwives Salary
If you want to specialize in natal care, consider a career as a midwife. In Florida, the average midwife makes $67,530 per year – around $10,000 more than the state’s median household income. Later on in your career, working your way up to the top ten percent, you’ll break six figures, bringing in at least $113,900 per 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.