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 | Get your Graduate Degree in Michigan |
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 | Apply for your Certificate in Michigan |
 | Renewing your Certificate in Michigan |
The Michigan Board of Nursing (517-335-0918 or [email protected]) certifies qualified registered nurses to work within nursing specialties in the state. These specialists are commonly known as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
The Board recognizes three nurse specialty certifications: Nurse Anesthetist, Nurse Midwife, and Nurse Practitioner (the Board accepts Clinical Nurse Specialist certification for Nurse Practitioners).
Before applying for nurse specialty certification in Michigan, you must hold a Michigan RN license.
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- If you have never held an RN license in Michigan or any other state, complete the Application for Registered Nurse License by Examination to obtain a Michigan RN license.
- If you attended nursing school outside of the United States, you must either have a course-by-course report completed by the Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS); or be certified by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).
- If you hold an RN license in a state other than Michigan, complete the Application for Registered Nurse License by Endorsement to obtain a Michigan RN license.
- If your Michigan RN license has expired, complete the Application for Registered Nurse Relicensure.
If you wish to seek nurse specialty certification in Michigan, read on.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
Prior to receiving nurse specialty certification, you must obtain at least a master’s degree in nursing with a concentration in advanced practice nursing or a certificate in advanced practice nursing.
Qualified Graduate Programs
The Michigan Board of Nursing places responsibility for ensuring you have the proper advanced practice education on the national certifying organization that offers certification in your specialty role. It is, therefore, not necessary to send transcripts to the Board, as the onus for making sure that you have completed the necessary advanced nursing education is placed upon your national certification agency.
- Nurse Anesthetist: your graduate nurse anesthetist program must be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs to meet the standards of the National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists.
- Nurse Midwife: your graduate nurse midwifery program must be accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education to meet the standards of the American Midwifery Certification Board.
- Nurse Practitioner: your graduate nursing program must be accredited by one of the national accreditation agencies for nurse education schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). This will ensure that the program meets the standards of one of the following national certification organizations that are recognized by the Michigan Board of Nursing: American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Pediatric Nurse Certification Board (PNCB), National Certification Corporation (NCC), American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), or the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC).
Course Requirements
- Nurse Anesthetist: coursework will include topics such as:
- Anesthesia physiology and pathophysiology
- Chemistry and physics of anesthesia
- Health assessment for nurse anesthesia
- Perioperative technology
- Pharmacology for anesthesia practice
- Practicum/clinical experience (most programs require at least 500 hours of supervised clinical experience)
- Nurse Midwife: coursework will include topics such as:
- Advanced health assessment
- Health promotion and risk reduction
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Antepartum care of normal women
- Intrapartum, postpartum and newborn care
- High-risk perinatal nursing
- Advanced pharmacotherapeutics
- Well women/GYN care
- Practicum/clinical experience (most programs require at least 500 hours of supervised clinical experience)
- Nurse Practitioner: coursework will be based upon your population specialization (i.e., pediatric, family, geriatric) but will usually include topics such as:
- Statistics
- Advanced pathophysiology
- Advanced health assessment
- Advanced pharmacology
- Primary care management
- Practicum/clinical experience (most programs require at least 500 hours of supervised clinical experience within your specialty area)
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
The Michigan Board of Nursing certifies three titles of APRN nurse specialists. However, they will only do so after you have met the qualifications of the national certification board applicable to your nursing specialty. Each national certification agency maintains its own educational, experience and examination requirements. In order to maintain Michigan certification as an APRN, you must maintain your national certification through fulfilling the continuing education requirements of your national organization.
The Michigan Board of Nursing certifies the following APRN titles:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Nurse midwife (NM)
- Nurse anesthetist (NA)
Certification Programs
These national certification agencies are approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing to set standards for the respective APRN generalist and specialty roles:
- ANCC (American Nurses Credentialing Center):
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Child & Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
- ONCC (Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation):
- Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner
- Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist
- AANP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners):
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- NCC (National Certification Corporation):
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner
- PNCB (Pediatric Nurse Certification Board):
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
- AMCB (American Midwifery Certification Board):
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- NBCRNA (National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists):
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
You must obtain national certification in order to obtain Michigan certification as an APRN. Make sure to contact the appropriate agency for information on this process before continuing with Michigan’s nurse specialty certification process.
Step 3. Apply for your Certificate
You must provide your US social security number on your application for nurse specialty certification, under both Michigan and federal law. Failure to do so will delay processing your application. Contact the Michigan Board of Nursing at 517-335-0918 for further information.
Your national certification organization, rather than the Michigan Board of Nursing, is responsible for making sure that you have completed the necessary advanced practice nursing education. Therefore, it is not necessary to send any transcripts to the Board, as it is assumed by the Board that your national certification agency has already thoroughly verified your education.
Regardless of the nurse specialty certification for which you are applying, you will use the Application for Nurse Specialty Certification and follow the instructions for your specific certification.
Nurse Practitioner:
If you are seeking certification as a Nurse Practitioner, complete Section 1 of the Nurse Practitioner Specialty Certification Form (found in application packet) and forward it to your national certification agency. This agency must provide the information requested and forward it directly to the Michigan Board of Nursing. (The only exception is if you hold certification from the National Certification Corporation (NCC), in which case you must simply provide your NCC ID number on the application and the Board will obtain verification of your certification). Addresses for NP national certification agencies approved by the Board are:
- American Nurses Credentialing Center, P.O. Box 8785, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8785
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, 125 Enterprise Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program, P.O. Box 12926, Austin, TX 78711
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, 800 South Frederick Ave, Suite 204, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4152
Complete the rest of the Application for Nurse Specialty Certification. You must also enclose the proper application fee (see below) via check or money order payable to the State of Michigan. Return these items to the Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 30193, Lansing, MI 48909.
Nurse Midwife:
If you are seeking certification as a Nurse Midwife, complete Section 1 of the Nurse Midwife Specialty Certification form (found in application packet) and forward it to the American Midwifery Certification Board. They must complete the form and return it to the Michigan Board of Nursing to verify your national certification. Their address is American Midwifery Certification Board, 849 International Drive, Suite 205, Linthicum, MD 21090.
Complete the rest of the Application for Nurse Specialty Certification. Also enclose the proper application fee (see below) payable to the State of Michigan (check or money order only). Send these items to the Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 30193, Lansing, MI 48909.
Nurse Anesthetist:
If you are seeking certification as a Nurse Anesthetist, complete Section 1 of the Nurse Anesthetist Specialty Certification form (found in application packet) and forward it to the National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists. They will complete the form verifying your national certification status and return it to the Michigan Board of Nursing. Their address is NBCRNA, 222 S. Prospect Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068-4001.
Complete the rest of the Application for Nurse Specialty Certification and return it, along with the proper application fee (see below) payable to the State of Michigan (check or money order only), to the Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 30193, Lansing, MI 48909.
Application Fee
The application fee that you will be charged when you submit your Application for Nurse Specialty Certification is based upon when your current Michigan RN license expires. If your RN license expires 13 to 24 months from the date you are filing your Application for Nurse Specialty Certification, enclose $52. If your RN license expires in 5 to 12 months, enclose $38. If your RN license expires in 0 to 4 months, enclose $52. Remember that all fees must be paid via check or money order only and be payable to the State of Michigan. (If your RN license expires within 120 days, pay the $52 fee and your current RN license will be renewed when your specialty certification is issued).
Application Processing Time
The Michigan Board of Nursing recommends that you allow six to eight weeks to process your application. If you have any questions about your application, wait at least three weeks before calling the Board.
Criminal History Background Check
When you apply for nurse specialty certification in Michigan, you do not need to undergo a criminal history background check. You should already have already submitted to one when you applied for your Michigan RN license. The Michigan Board of Nursing will have record of your original background check on file.
Collaborative Practice Agreement/Prescriptive Authority
The state of Michigan does not require APRNs to have a collaborative practice agreement with a physician on file in order to be able to practice. However, if in your APRN role you are requesting prescriptive authority, you must have a written authorization established with a supervising physician who practices within your specialty. This authorization must be kept on file at the physician’s practice and at your practice. It must contain the effective date, any limitations on your prescriptive authority that have been established, and must be reviewed by both parties and updated annually.
- Controlled Substances:
- Schedule 3 to 5 controlled substances are included within prescriptive authority for APRNs. If you wish to prescribe Schedule 2 controlled substances, this authority can only be granted if both you and your supervising physician are practicing in a hospital, outpatient surgical facility, or hospice.
- If you are applying for prescriptive authority including controlled substances, you must obtain a DEA number from the Drug Enforcement Agency. Contact the regional Michigan DEA office at 800-230-6844.
Scope of Practice
The Michigan Board of Nursing has not developed a scope of practice for APRNs. However, you must abide by the following scopes of practice, as determined by Michigan law for registered nurses as well as by your national certification organization:
- Nurse practitioner: Because a NP is a licensed RN in Michigan, there is not a separate written scope of practice for NPs in Michigan law. Anything beyond the RN scope of practice must be supervised by a physician (such as performing surgeries, invasive procedures, ordering physical therapy, and prescribing medications). The duties of a NP may include:
- Treating common and chronic illnesses
- Health maintenance
- Disease prevention
- Counseling and patient education
- Providing primary care services
- Nurse anesthetist: The role of a NA includes care for basic anesthesia needs of the patient before, during and after surgery or labor and delivery. Under Michigan’s scope of practice for NAs, (as there is no written scope of practice beyond that of a RN), all activities and/or medical functions must be performed under the supervision of a qualified physician.
- Nurse midwife: Under the scope of practice of the American College of Nurse Midwives, NMs may manage women’s health care, pregnancies, childbirth, postpartum period, newborn care, and family-planning and gynecological care of women. This scope of practice is followed in Michigan as well.
Step 4. Renewing Your Certificate
Your APRN specialty certification expires every two years, on the same day as your Michigan RN license. Your Michigan RN license must be current and active before you can renew your specialty certification.
Continuing Education
The state of Michigan does not require APRNs to satisfy continuing education requirements, but does mandate that you keep your national certification active. Each national certification organization has its own continuing education requirements. Contact your certification agency for more information:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- Requires 75 contact hours within your specialty to maintain certification
- Renews every five years
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Renewed every five years
- Must complete 75 contact hours in Category I CE, including 25 contact hours in pharmacology
- Must complete other professional development activities to meet CE requirements
- For more information see the 2012 Certification Renewal Requirements
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation
- Renews every four years
- May be renewed through a combination of practice hours and professional development points
- More information is available at oncc.org/renew
- National Certification Corporation
- Renews every three years
- Currently requires 45 hours of CE in your specialty area, but this is changing after 2014
- See Certificate Maintenance for more information
- Pediatric Nurse Certification Board
- Renews on a seven-year cycle
- You must complete 15 contact hours of CE or equivalent activities each year of your seven-year cycle
- See CPNP Recert for more details
- National Board of Certification & Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- Requires you to complete 40 CE credits in a two-year period
- See the Application for Recertification for more information
- American Midwifery Certification Board
- Requires you to meet continuing competency requirements
- Requires you to complete 20 hours of continuing education during its five-year certification period
Recertification
Regardless of your nursing specialty, you may use the Application for Recertification of a Nursing Specialty. You must complete Section 1 of the application and forward it to your national certification agency so that they can verify your certification status to the Board.
- For nurse practitioners, send the verification form to one of the following agencies in which you hold national certification:
- American Nurses Credentialing Center, P.O. Box 8785, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8785
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, 125 Enterprise Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program, P.O. Box 12926, Austin, TX 78711
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, 800 South Frederick Ave, Suite 204, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4152
- For nurse anesthetists, send the verification form to NBCRNA, 222 S. Prospect Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068-4001.
- For nurse midwives, send the verification form to American Midwifery Certification Board, 849 International Drive, Suite 205, Linthicum, MD 21090
Complete the rest of the application and mail it along with the appropriate renewal fee (see below) to Michigan Department of Licensing & Regulatory Affairs, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 30193, Lansing, MI 48909.
Recertification Fee
Your recertification fee is based upon when your RN license expires. If it expires in 13 to 24 months from the time you are filing your recertification application, the fee is $72. If it expires in 5 to 12 months, the fee is $58. If it expires in 0 to 4 months, the fee is $72. Pay the application fee via check or money order only, payable to the State of Michigan.
Expired Certificate Renewal Application
If your APRN certificate has expired, you may still use the same renewal form. However, if your certificate has been expired for more than three years, you must re-submit fingerprints and undergo a criminal history background investigation. Contact the Board at 517-335-0918 for more information.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in Michigan
You might consider joining one of the following organizations in Michigan that offer continuing education and professional support to APRNs:
- Michigan Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners
- Michigan Nurses Association
- Michigan Organization of Nurse Executives
- Michigan State Medical Society
Michigan Nurse Practitioner Salary
If you want to make six figures as a nurse, it’s certainly doable. Especially if you’re a nurse practitioner in Michigan. NPs in this state report an average salary of $109,150 per year, with the top 10 percent making north of $136,570.
Registered Nurse Salary
RNs in Michigan make a comfortable $73,980 per year, on average. As time goes on, they make more. The top-earning RNs in this state make at least $98,080 annually.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
If you ever want to transition out of the field and into the classroom, becoming a nursing instructor pays well. In Michigan, these professionals report an average annual salary of $83,020.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
If you have the mind for management, consider becoming a nurse administrator. In Michigan, admins make $108,660 per year, on average. The highest paid nurse administrators report earning a minimum $169,770 annually.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Nurse anesthetists make an incredible $199,870 per year. That’s just the average. The top earners likely make well over the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reporting threshold, which is $208,000 annually.
Nurse Midwives Salary
Midwives in Michigan report an average yearly salary of $103,870 per year. So, if you choose to specialize in natal care, it will pay off. The top 10 percent of midwives reported making $158,510 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.