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The Arizona State Board of Nursing (602-771-7800 or [email protected]) grants certification to qualified advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) who wish to practice in the state.
The Arizona State Board of Nursing acknowledges four types of APRNs:
- Registered Nurse Practitioner (RNP)
- Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
To receive APRN certification in Arizona, you must have a current Arizona RN license or an RN license in a compact party state.
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- If you hold an RN license in a compact party state, do not apply for Arizona RN licensure unless you plan to declare Arizona as your primary state of residence. (Compact party states include Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin).
- If you hold an RN license in another state, apply for RN licensure by endorsement in Arizona using the Registered Nurse/Practical Nurse Licensure by Endorsement Application Form.
- If you have never held an RN license in Arizona or any other state, use the Registered Nurse/Practical Nurse Licensure by Examination Application Form.
- If you are an RN applicant who trained outside of the United States (including Canada and Puerto Rico), you must first have your educational requirements validated by one of the following agencies prior to applying for licensure by endorsement:
- Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
- International Educational Research Foundation (IERF)
- Educational Records Evaluation Services (ERES)
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
If you are a Canadian graduate, the Canadian nurse licensure board may forward results of your Canadian Licensure Exam and verification status directly to the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
- If your Arizona RN license is currently inactive, you must submit a renewal application online to reinstate it.
If you already hold an RN license in Arizona, you may proceed with the following steps to become an APRN certified to practice in the state.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
Completion of a Board-approved graduate-level advanced practice nursing program and receipt of at least a master’s degree is necessary before you can apply for Arizona APRN certification.
Rules on the approval of advanced practice nursing programs in Arizona may be found here.
Qualified Graduate Programs
The program you choose must be approved by the Arizona State Board of Nursing and accredited by an agency within the United States Department of Education (USDE) database (specialized and programmatic accrediting agencies). Nursing Program Approval/Accreditation Basics provides further information on the accreditation and approval process in Arizona.
National accreditation agencies for advanced nursing programs:
- The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- The American Nurses Credentialing Center
- The Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
- The National Certification Corporation for Obstetric, Gynecological and Neonatal Nursing Specialties
- The American College of Nurse Midwives Certification Council
- The American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- The American Association of Nurse Anesthetist’s Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs
Course Requirements
Under rules set by the Arizona State Board of Nursing, graduate programs for advanced practice registered nurses must include at least 500 hours of clinical practice.
Your program must also include courses in the application of theory to advanced practice, the application of evidence to advanced practice, advanced pathophysiology, advanced health assessment, and the advanced practice nursing role.
Prescriptive Authority
You will be eligible to apply for prescriptive authority if your program included 45 contact hours of coursework in pharmacology or clinical management of drug therapy within the three years prior to application.
Specialization for APRNs
APRNs may choose to specialize in a variety of areas. The area you choose will determine the educational path you take in your graduate program. Specializations for ARNPs recognized by the Arizona State Board of Nursing:
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family NP
- Acute Care NP
- Gerontological NP
- Pediatric NP
- Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health NP
- Family Psychiatric and Mental Health NP
- Women’s Health NP
- Neonatal NP
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- Adult Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Pediatric Critical Care CNS
- Neonatal Critical Care CNS
- Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health CNS
- Child/Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health CNS
- Gerontological CNS
- Adult Health CNS
- Pediatric CNS
Advanced Practice Requirement
You must have completed your advanced practice registered nursing education within the past five years before filing for APRN certification in Arizona, or practiced as an APRN in your category and specialty area within the past five years.
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
Four categories of APRN are acknowledged by the Arizona State Board of Nursing. You must become nationally certified in the APRN category in which you wish to practice in order to be certified as an APRN. Each specialty is regulated by an independent national certification organization.
You may become certified in one APRN specialty or in multiple specialties.
Advanced Registered Nursing Practice Designation Options
The Arizona State Board of Nursing acknowledges the following APRN designations:
- Registered nurse practitioner (RNP)
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)
- Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
Certification Programs
The Arizona State Board of Nursing will accept APRN candidates who are nationally certified by one of the following agencies in one (or more) listed specialty:
- 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 and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)
- Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMNHP)
- Adult Psych Mental Health Going Across the Lifespan CNS (PMHCNS)
- Child/Adolescent Psych Mental Health CNS (PMHCNS)
- Gerontological CNS (GCNS)
- Adult Health CNS (ACNS)
- Pediatric CNS (PCNS)
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- PNCB (Pediatric Nurse Certification Board):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (ACPNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (PCPNP)
- NCC (National Certification Corporation for Obstetric, Gynecological and Neonatal Nursing Specialties):
- Women’s Health NP (WHNP)
- Neonatal NP (NNP)
- American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACC):
- Adult Critical Care CNS (CCNS)
- Pediatric Critical Care CNS (CCNS)
- Neonatal Critical Care CNS (CCNS)
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA):
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
Step 3. Apply for Your Certificate
Federal law 8 U.S.C. § 1641, and Arizona State Law § 1-501 require all APRN applicants to provide documentation of citizenship status for licensure. You must provide appropriate documentation from list A & B in the Application Form. Social security cards may not be used as documentation.
Registered Nurse Practitioner (including Nurse Midwife):
Apply for certification using the Application for Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Midwife Certification. Along with your completed application:
- Have the college/university where you completed your graduate studies send official, sealed transcripts directly to the Arizona State Board of Nursing as well as an official letter verifying your completion of the program
- Have your national certification agency send verification of your credentials/certification directly to the Board
- If you seek prescribing and dispensing authority, complete the correct section of the application and submit written documentation of 45 contact hours of education in pharmacology or clinical management of drug
therapy within three years before submitting your APRN application
- Submit the correct fees ($150 for Nurse Practitioner Application, an additional $150 if applying for prescribing and dispensing authority, $50 for fingerprinting). Payment may be made by credit/debit card, money order, cashier’s check or personal check payable to the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
- Submit fingerprint card and application (see below)
- If you plan to prescribe controlled substances, you must apply to the Drug Enforcement Agency for a DEA Number.
Clinical Nurse Specialist:
Apply for certification via the Application for Nurse Practitioner/Clinical Nurse Specialist/Nurse Midwife Certification. Along with your completed application:
- Have the college/university where you completed your graduate studies send official, sealed transcripts directly to the Arizona State Board of Nursing as well as an official letter verifying your completion of the program
- Have your national certification agency send verification of your credentials/certification directly to the Board
- Submit $150 application fee, and $50 for fingerprinting by credit/debit card, money order, cashier’s check or personal check payable to the Arizona State Board of Nursing
- Submit fingerprint card and application (see below)
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist:
Apply for certification by filing the Application for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. Along with your completed application:
- Have the college/university where you completed your graduate studies send official, sealed transcripts directly to the Arizona State Board of Nursing as well as an official letter verifying your completion of the program
- Send a copy of your national certificate from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetist’s Council on Certification
- Submit written documentation of 45 contact hours of education in pharmacology or clinical management of drug
therapy within three years before submitting your APRN application
- Submit the correct fees ($150 for CRNA Application, an additional $150 if applying for prescribing and dispensing authority, $50 for fingerprinting). Payment may be made by credit/debit card, money order, cashier’s check or personal check payable to the Arizona State Board of Nursing
- Submit fingerprint card and application (see below)
- If you plan to prescribe controlled substances, you must apply to the Drug Enforcement Agency for a DEA Number
Send all of the above items to Arizona State Board of Nursing, 4747 N. 7th Street, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85014-3655.
If the Board requires further information, you will be mailed a deficiency notice. If you fail to respond to the request within the time period stated, your application will be withdrawn and you must file an initial application again. All original fees would apply.
Criminal History Background Check
As an applicant for initial APRN certification in Arizona, you must submit to the Board a full set of fingerprints if you have not done so within the past two years. You are responsible for paying the $50 fee. Either contact the board to obtain a fingerprint card, or wait to receive one in the mail after the Board receives your application.
Review the instructions for submitting a fingerprint card. It may take up to four weeks for the Board to receive your fingerprinting results. You will not receive APRN certification until the results are returned to the Board.
Step 4. Renewing Your Certificate
Your Arizona APRN certificate expires every four years, on or before April 1, at the same time your RN license expires.
You must provide proof of your current national certification at the time of your APRN certificate renewal.
Required Practice Hours During Each Renewal Cycle
You must have completed at least 960 hours of practice within your category and certification specialty during each renewal cycle to maintain APRN certification. This work may have been performed on a paid basis, volunteer basis, or a combination of the two.
Continuing Education
If you do not have the necessary practice hours for renewal of your APRN certificate, you must provide evidence of completing 45 contact hours of continuing education at the advanced pharmacology level and an additional 45 contact hours of CE in your specialty area. You must also engage in a precepted clinical practice, to be supervised by an APRN within your category and specialty.
Your national certification agency also requires continuing education to be completed in order to maintain your credentials. Check with your agency for details.
License Renewal
Renew your RN license and APRN certification online. You will be asked to submit to the Board a copy of your national certification, verification of practice hours and/or of continuing education. Renewal fees may be paid online as well. You can check your renewal status online through the link above.
Expired Certificate Renewal Application
If your APRN certificate has expired, you may obtain a Temporary Advanced Practice Certificate while completing the practice hours and/or continuing education hours necessary to restore your certification fully. A temporary certificate is valid for six months and may be renewed for an additional six months at the discretion of the Board.
Use the AP Temporary License application and submit a $35 fee.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in Arizona
Consider joining one of the professional organization representing APRNs in Arizona:
- Arizona Nurse Practitioner Council
- Southern Arizona Advanced Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner Society
- Arizona Nurses Association
- Arizona Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- Arizona Association of Midwives
Arizona Nurse Practitioner Salary
On average, nurse practitioners working in Arizona make $117,480 per year. Those who climb to the top 10 percent of earners pull in $156,240 a year or more. That’s almost triple the state’s median household income.
Registered Nurse Salary
A registered nurse in Arizona can expect to earn around $80,380 per year, on average. The buck doesn’t stop there, though. RNs in the top 10 percent make six figures: $104,290 and up.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
On average, nursing instructors in Arizona make just over $73,210 per year – a respectable living no matter where in the state you might live.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
The typical annual salary for a nurse administrator in Arizona is $123,540 per year, but those in the top 25 percent make, at minimum, $143,010 annually. So, getting into management isn’t a bad idea.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Of all the nursing specialties, anesthetists make the most in Arizona: $173,460 per year. That’s just the average. More experienced anesthetists in the top 25 percent bring home $198,800 per year or better. Those in the top 10 percent, however, earn more than the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reporting threshold of $208,000.
Nurse Midwives Salary
Midwives working in Arizona earn an average of $121,530 a year – about $62,000 more than the median household in the state. Those who have been in the profession longer make more than $142,000 a year. In fact, the top 10 percent report making $193,000 or higher annually.
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.