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The Indiana State Board of Nursing (317-234-2043 or [email protected]) acknowledges qualified advanced practice nurses (APNs) who practice within the state.
Three categories of APN are recognized in Indiana:
- Certified nurse midwife (CNM)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
The Board does not issue licenses to nurse practitioners or to clinical nurse specialists, but does issue prescriptive authority.
Indiana Nurse Practitioner Statistics
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If you are a certified nurse midwife, you must have a limited license and certification granted by the American Midwifery Certification Board in order to be able to practice in Indiana.
You must hold an Indiana RN license prior to seeking recognition as an APN.
- If you have never been a licensed RN in Indiana or any other state, use the Application & Instructions for Licensure by Examination for US Graduates to apply for RN licensure in Indiana.
- If you are a licensed RN in a state other than Indiana, use the Application for Licensure by Endorsement to obtain an Indiana RN license.
- If you attended a foreign nursing school, use the Application & Instructions for Licensure by Examination for Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.
- If your Indiana RN license has expired, use the RN Renewal Form and pay the late fee.
If you wish to become a recognized APN in Indiana, proceed with the following steps.
Step 1. Get Your Degree
There are two educational options leading to APN recognition in Indiana:
- Obtain a master’s degree or higher in nursing
OR
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing plus national certification
Qualified Programs
The Indiana State Board of Nursing accredits bachelor’s degree nursing programs, a list of which may be found here. Not all of these schools are accredited by national nurse education accrediting organizations. Some employers will only hire you if you graduate from a program accredited by National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
If you decide to earn a graduate degree, the program must be accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Indiana State Board of Nursing does not accredit nor review graduate nursing programs.
Course Requirements
Under rules of the Indiana State Board of Nursing, education for advanced practice nurses (regardless of whether it is at the undergraduate or graduate level) must include the following:
- Biological science (as relates to an APN within your category)
- Behavioral science (as relates to an APN within your category)
- Medical science (as relates to an APN within your category)
- Nursing science (as relates to an APN within your category)
- Legal, ethical and professional responsibilities of advanced practice nursing
- Supervised clinical practice in an APN specialty role
- Patient assessment
- Identifying abnormal conditions
- Diagnosing health problems
- Developing and implementing nursing treatment plans
- Evaluating patient outcomes
- Collaboration with a physician in a plan of care
- State and federal drug laws and regulations
- State and federal confidentiality laws and regulations
- State and federal medical records access laws
- Counseling individuals, families, and groups about health, illness, and health promotion
- Conducting and applying research findings to your scope of practice
Prescriptive Authority
If you intend to hold prescriptive authority in your APN role, you must also have completed a two-credit master’s level graduate course in pharmacology within five years of applying for your APN license.
Specialization
Although your Indiana APN acknowledgement will not list any specializations, many advanced practice nursing students choose specialized programs. In addition to the master’s degree in nursing science with the option to pursue a variety of concentrations specific to specialized patient populations (i.e., neonatology, pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health, etc), you may also choose to pursue the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
While it is not necessary for APNs with graduate degrees to seek national certification in the state of Indiana, you may still elect to become nationally certified.
To work as a certified nurse midwife, you must become nationally certified through the American Midwifery Certification Board.
If you are seeking APN recognition with a bachelor’s degree, you must become nationally certified within the category in which you intend to practice. You must satisfy all education requirements maintained by the certification agency through which you pursue certification, which may require a graduate degree at minimum or significant coursework beyond that included in traditional bachelor’s programs in nursing.
Advanced Practice Nursing Designation Options
The Indiana State Board of Nursing recognizes three categories of APN:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse-midwife (CNM)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
Certification Programs
The Indiana State Board of Nursing does not list national certification organizations that are acceptable (with the exception of the American Midwifery Certification Board). However, the Board does specify that if you are going to become nationally certified, certification must be granted by an organization that requires a national examination. The following list shows all advanced practice nursing certification agencies and related credentials:
- American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB):
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA):
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
- Certification Board of Urologic Nurses & Associates (CBUNA):
- Urologic Nurse Practitioner (UNP)
- Urologic Clinical Nurse Specialist (UCNS)
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC):
- 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 (PMHNP)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Child & Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing (PMHCNS)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing (PMHCNS)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist in Gerontology Nursing (GCNS)
- Cardiac and Vascular Nurse (RN-BC)
- Ambulatory Care Nursing (RN-BC)
- Diabetes
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- National Certification Corporation (NCC):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner (NNP)
- Women’s Health OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)
- Inpatient Obstetric Nursing (RNC-OB)
- Maternal Newborn Nursing (RNC-MNN)
- Low Risk Neonatal Nursing (RNC-LRN)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Nursing (RNC-NIC)
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board (PNCB):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care (ACPNP)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care (PCPNP)
- Pediatric Nurse (CPN)
- Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)
- Pediatric Primary Care Mental Health Specialist (PMHS)
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN):
- Adult, Pediatric & Neonatal Critical Care Nurse Specialist (CCNS)
- Rehabilitation Nursing Certification Board (RNCB):
- Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse – Advanced (CRRN)
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC):
- Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse (AOCN)
- Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse (CPON)
- American College of Cardiovascular Nurses (ACCN):
- Cardiovascular Critical Care Nurse (CVRN-BC)
- American Association of Neuroscience Nurses (AANN):
- Certified Neuroscience Registered Nurse (CNRN)
- American Board of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc.
- Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S)
- American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation (AHNCC):
- Advanced Holistic Nurse, Board Certified (AHN-BC)
- American Board of Perianesthesia Nursing Certification, Inc:
- Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN)
- Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA)
- American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses (ASPSN):
- Certified Plastic Surgical Nurse (CPSN)
- HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board (HANCB):
- AIDS Certified Registered Nurse (ACRN)
- Board of Certification of Emergency Nurses (BCEN):
- Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN)
- Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN)
- Certified Transport Registered Nurse (CTRN)
- Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse (CPEN)
- Competency and Credentialing Institute (CCI):
- Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA)
- American Board of Certification for Gastroenterology Nurses (ABCGN):
- Certified Gastroenterological Registered Nurse (CGRN)
- Dermatology Nursing Certification Board (DNCB):
- Dermatology Nurse Certified (DNC)
- International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE):
- International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
- International Nurses Society on Addictions (INTNSA):
- Certified Addictions Registered Nurse (CARN)
- Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC):
- Certified Registered Nurse Infusion (CRNI)
- National Board for Certification of School Nurses, Inc. (NBCSN):
- National Certified School Nurse (NCSN)
- National Board of Certification of Hospice and Palliative Nurses:
- Advanced Practice Hospice and Palliative Nurse (APHCN)
- National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE):
- Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE)
- National Certifying Board for Ophthalmic Registered Nurses (NCBORN):
- Ophthalmic Registered Nurse (O-RN)
- Board of Nephrology Examiners Nursing and Technology (BONENT):
- Certified Hemodialysis Nurse (CHN)
- Certified Peritoneal Dialysis Nurse (CPDN)
- Orthopaedic Nursing Certification Board (ONCB):
- Orthopaedic Clinical Nurse Specialist – Certified (OCNS-C)
- Vascular Nursing Certification Board (VNCB):
- Cardiac Vascular Nurse (CVN)
- Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Certification Board (WOCNCB):
- Certified Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse, Advanced Practice (CWOCN-AP)
- Certified Wound Ostomy Nurse, Advanced Practice (CWON-AP)
- Certified Wound Continence Nurse, Advanced Practice (CWCN-AP)
- Certified Ostomy Continence Nurse, Advanced Practice (COCN-AP)
National certification is optional based upon your level of education (except for CNM). Contact the appropriate national certification organization for more information on obtaining credentials.
Step 3. Apply for CNM Limited License/APN Prescriptive Authority
It is mandatory that you disclose your social security number on all APN applications. Contact the Board if you do not have a social security number.
Certified Nurse Midwife
You must apply for limited licensure with the Board in order to practice as a CNM in Indiana. Use the Application for a Limited License to Practice Nurse-Midwifery. Along with your completed application, include:
- Application fee payable to the Indiana State Board of Nursing
- Copy of your current Indiana RN license
- Have your nursing program send an official transcript directly to the Board, indicating completion of a CNM program
- Have the American Midwifery Certification Board forward proof of your national certification to the Board
- If you are seeking prescriptive authority, you must first receive your CNM limited license, then proceed with the Application for Prescriptive Authority as an Advanced Practice Nurse (steps are detailed below)
Send all of the above to the Indiana State Board of Nursing, Professional Licensing Agency, 402 West Washington St., Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Prescriptive Authority
Once you have earned your RN license, there is no specific application to become an APN unless you are also pursuing prescriptive authority. If you are, you may use the Application for Prescriptive Authority as an Advanced Practice Nurse. Along with your completed application, include:
- A 2” x 3” photograph of your face
- Application fee payable to the Indiana State Board of Nursing
- Copy of your current Indiana RN license
- Have your nursing program send an official transcript directly to the Board, indicating completion of the appropriate APN program
- If you have a bachelor’s degree, have your national certification agency send verification of your national certification directly to the Board
- Written collaborative practice agreement, specifying how you will cooperate, coordinate, and consult with a licensed practitioner
- If you wish to prescribe controlled substances you must pursue Indiana controlled substance registration and federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration
Mail all of the above to the Indiana State Board of Nursing, Professional Licensing Agency, 402 West Washington St., Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Allow four weeks for processing of your application. The Indiana State Board of Nursing does not issue pocket licenses or wall certificates as part of the initial licensure process. You can check the current status of your license with the Board’s online status verification service.
Criminal History Background Check
Once you have received notification that the Board has received your application, you must undergo a criminal history background check. This includes a fingerprinting process. Instructions for your criminal history background check may be found here.
Step 4. Renewing Your Prescriptive Authority/Limited License
Your APN prescriptive authority and CNM limited license in Indiana expires on October 31 of every odd-numbered year. They may be renewed online or by mail.
You may not renew your APN prescriptive authority or CNM limited license until 60 days before it is set to expire.
Certified Nurse Midwives must complete the Nurse Midwife Renewal Form. APNs with prescriptive authority must complete the APN Prescriptive Authority Renewal Form. Send the completed form along with the proper fees to the Board at Indiana State Board of Nursing, Professional Licensing Agency, 402 West Washington St., Room W072, Indianapolis, IN 46204.
The Indiana Professional Licensing Agency does not issue pocket license cards at license renewal. If you wish to purchase a pocket card, you may do so online.
Continuing Education
If you are an APN with prescriptive authority, you must complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, with at least 8 hours in pharmacology. Proof of continuing education must be maintained in case of Board audit.
Expired License Renewal Application
If your APN authority or CNM limited license has expired, you must add a late fee to your renewal application. Licenses that have been expired for more than three years may not be renewed. Contact the Board for information on reinstatement.
Advanced Practice Nurse Associations in Indiana
Consider joining one of the professional associations that support advanced practice nurses in Indiana:
- Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses of Indiana
- Indiana State Nurses Association
- Society of Nurses in Advanced Practice
Indiana Nurse Practitioner Salary
The average annual salary for a nurse practitioner in Indiana is $109,940 per year. So, if you’re looking to make six figures out of the gate, this career will help you get there. That’s just the beginning, too. The top earners in this specialty report bringing in at least $137,480 annually.
Registered Nurse Salary
You can make a comfortable living as a registered nurse (RN) in Indiana. On average, RNs in this state make $67,490 per year. Over time, RNs work their way up to more than $88,310 annually.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
Nursing instructors make a good salary in Indiana: The average is $91,310 per year. So, if you ever want to be an educator, this is a lucrative path to take.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Nurse anesthetists arguably make the best living of the specialties listed above. Indiana’s anesthetists make $169,620 per year, on average. The top earners report bringing in at least $187,930 annually.
Indiana Nurse Midwife Salary
Have a passion for natal care? It pays well to be a midwife in Indiana: $112,510 per year. That’s a fantastic living for a state with a moderate cost of living. In addition, the top 10 percent in this profession report earning more than $140,540 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.