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The Pennsylvania Department of State, State Board of Nursing (phone: 717-783-7142, [email protected]) recognizes and grants certification for two different types of advanced practice nurse: certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) and clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
Holding an active and unrestricted RN license is a prerequisite to CRNP and CNS certification in Pennsylvania.
- If you are applying for a graduate temporary practice permit, choose “graduate registered nurse permit” for the license type. If you are applying for initial licensure by examination, choose “registered nurse” for the license type. The application forms for both can be found here.
- If you hold an RN license outside of the state of Pennsylvania, you can apply for RN licensure by endorsement in two ways: Licensure by endorsement with temporary practice permit or licensure by endorsement with examination and temporary practice permit. The application forms for both can be found here.
- If you are an internationally educated RN, you can apply for licensure by endorsement with exam by downloading the application here.
- If you have ever held a Pennsylvania nurse license, your license must be reactivated. Do not complete the endorsement application. Instead, contact the board at 717-783-7142.
The following steps describe the process for becoming certified as a CRNP or CNS in Pennsylvania.
Step 1: Get Your Graduate-Level Education
To be considered for CRNP or CNS certification, you must complete an accredited, Board-approved graduate-level CRNP or CNS program that awards an advanced degree. All advanced practice nursing programs are either master’s programs, RN to master’s programs, RN to nursing doctorate programs, graduate certificate programs, or pilot/accelerated programs that award master’s degrees at minimum.
You can download a complete list of existing in-state Board approved CRNP and CNS programs here.
All programs recognized by the Board must be from a regionally accredited college or university, or have current national accreditation through the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), or the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA)
Course Requirements
All CRNP and CNS graduate programs must contain the following components:
- Graduate nursing core
- Research
- Health care policy and organization
- Ethics
- Professional role development
- Human diversity and social issues
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Advanced nursing practice core
- Advanced health/physical assessment
- Advanced physiology and pathophysiology
- Specialty content specific to the chosen patient populations
- Neonatal
- Pediatrics
- Family/lifespan
- Adult/Gerontology
- Women’s health
- Psychiatric/Mental Health
Applicable to CRNPs only:
- Advanced pharmacology – Your CRNP education will include a well-grounded understanding of pharmaceutical principles, including the cellular response level. This area must also include both pharmacotherapeutics and pharmacokinetics.
Clinical Experience
You must receive advanced clinical experience in your chosen specialty or patient population. As such, you are required to meet the minimum national certification requirements (minimum of 500 clinical hours). You will need additional hours if your specialty provides care to multiple age groups or if you will practice in multiple care settings. Your expected graduate competencies maintained by the national certification agencies will be the main determining factor in determining the length and specifics of the clinical component of your education.
Prescriptive Authority for CRNPs
You may practice as a CRNP with prescriptive authority when you have successfully completed at least 45 hours of coursework specific to advanced pharmacology and successfully received prescriptive authority approval in Pennsylvania.
The coursework must be either part of your CRNP education program or completed as continuing education outside of your CRNP education program.
Step 2: Earn Your National Certification
After receiving your postgraduate education, you must become certified through a Board-recognized national certification organization:
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Family Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- National Certification Corporation
- Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Oncoloy Nursing Certification Corporation (NCC)
- Oncology Nurse Practitioner
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Acute Care
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Primary Care
- Orthopedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
If you hold an unrestricted certification to practice, you may also apply for certification in an additional specialty. To be granted certification in an additional specialty, you must meet the educational and national certification requirements for that particular specialty.
National certification examination areas of specialty include:
- Acute Care
- Adult
- Adult Psych/Mental Health
- Family
- Family Psych/Mental Health
- Gerontological
- Neonatal
- Oncology
- Pediatric
- Pediatric Acute Care
- Pediatric Primary Care
- Women’s Health
Step 3: Apply for Your State Certification
To apply for CRNP or CNS certification in Pennsylvania, you must submit an application to the Board for review and approval. You can download all CRNP and CNS applications here.
Initial CRNP Licensure by Examination
In addition to a completed application for initial CRNP certification, you must also include the following:
- Proof of completing a Board-approved education program and official transcript
If you graduated from an out-of-state nursing program, you should request that the official transcript be sent directly from that program to the registrar of the State Board of Nursing. No student copies or student-submitted copies will be accepted. The transcripts must also designate the degree or certificate awarded, as well as the month, day and year the program was completed.
- Proof of your current national certification in your area of specialty
- Personal check, cashier’s check or money order for $100 made payable to the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” A check or money order drawn on a foreign bank is no accepted unless “U.S. Funds” is identified on the check or money order
Mail application, supporting documents and fee to: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, CRNP Applications, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
CRNP Licensure by Endorsement
If you are applying for certification by endorsement, you must include your completed application and the following:
- Verification of your current, unrestricted licensure or certification as a nurse practitioner by the proper licensing authority of the territory, state, or foreign country
- A copy of the licensure or certification requirements that were in force when you were initially licensed or certified by another jurisdiction along with a copy of the criteria – provided by the jurisdiction’s board of nursing or licensing authority – under which you were initially licensed or certified
- An official transcript from your nurse practitioner program
- If you graduated from an out-of-state nursing program, you should request that the official transcript be sent directly from that program to the registrar of the State Board of Nursing. No student copies or student-submitted copies will be accepted. The transcripts must also designate the degree or certificate awarded, as well as the month, day and year the program was completed.
- Proof of your national specialty certification.
- Personal check, cashier’s check or money order for $100 made payable to the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Cash and credit cards are not accepted. A check or money order drawn on a foreign bank is no accepted unless “U.S. Funds” is identified on the check or money order.
Mail application, supporting documents and fee to: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, CRNP Applications, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
Your application will remain on file for one year if you are missing the required documentation or if you fail to complete the application in full. If you fail to complete the application within the one-year period, you will need to submit a new application.
You can check to see if your CRNP certification has been issued by visiting the Pennsylvania online license verification service page.
Prescriptive Authority (CRNP)
If you are applying for prescriptive authority, you must include the following with your completed application:
- Evidence that you have completed the required 45 hours of course work in advanced pharmacology
- Personal check, cashier’s check or money order for $50 made payable to the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
- Each additional application for CRNP prescriptive authority is $30 and does not require verification of advanced pharmacology
Mail application, supporting documents and fee to: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, CRNP Applications, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
If you want to apply for a CNS designation, you must complete a Board-approved clinical nurse specialist program or an educational program in a related discipline previously recognized for national certification by one of the Board-approved CNS national certification organizations:
- American Nurse Credentialing Center (ANCC)
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
- Orthopedic Nurses Certification Board (ONCB)
- Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC)
To apply for CNS certification in Pennsylvania, you must request that verification of your national certification be sent directly to the State Board of Nursing from the appropriate national certification organization (non-official transcripts, such as student copies or copies submitted by the student, are no acceptable).
If you have not been nationally certified by one of the agencies recognized by the Board, you must submit:
- An official transcript of the NLNAC or CCNE accredited program along with course descriptions
- Work history in the CNS role
- Three professional recommendations from individuals familiar with your work in the CNS role
- Transcripts detailing any additional advanced nursing
- Proof of national certification(s) currently held
The Application for Clinical Nurse Specialist form can be found here. The completed application must be sent with a personal check, cashier’s check or money order for $100 made payable to the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Cash and credit cards are not accepted. A check or money order drawn on a foreign bank is no accepted unless “U.S. Funds” is identified on the check or money order.
Mail the application, supporting documents and fee to: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
Step 4: Renewing Your License and Certification
Your CRNP certification (and prescriptive authority approval) or CNS certification will expire at the same time as your registered nurse license on a biannual basis. A notice of your application renewal will be forwarded to your address before the biannual period ends.
Biannual Renewal
In order to renew your CRNP or CNS license, you must:
- Verify the completion of required Board-approved general and pharmacological (as applicable) continuing education
- Submit proof of your current national certification (for those certified after February 7, 2005)
- Complete the appropriate renewal application found here
- Biannual renewal fee made payable to the “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Cash and credit cards are not accepted.
- $75 for CRNP and $25 for prescriptive authority (as applicable)
- $50 for CNS
Send renewal application, fees, and documents to the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, CRNP Applications, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
Continuing Education Requirements
During each biannual renewal period, you’ll be required to complete 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education. You must complete your continuing education requirements before the end of each biannual renewal cycle. If you fail to meet these requirements, you will be subject to formal disciplinary action. The Board may, however, waive the continuing education requirements in the event of illness or undue hardship.
If you are renewing your prescriptive authority, you must complete a minimum of 16 of the 30 hours in pharmacology. All pharmacology continuing education activities must deal with pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of board categories of drugs or drugs used in your specialty, and to analyze the relationship between pharmacologic agents and physiologic/pathologic responses.
Your continuing education should be specifically related to your specialty. All continuing education activities should meet the Boards standards of approval:
- Board-approved CRNP or CNS educational programs that hold current accreditation issued by a national nursing accreditation organization
- National and international nursing organizations and their state and local affiliates
- National and international medical and osteopathic organizations and their state and local affiliates
- National pharmaceutical organizations and their state and local affiliates
- National nursing specialty organizations
- Continuing education programs approved by other state boards of nursing for advanced practice nurses or nurse practitioners
Inactive Status Reactivation
If you place your CRNP or CNS certification on inactive status, you do not need to meet your continuing education requirements during the inactive period. However, before re-activating your certification, you must show proof that you met the continuing education requirements.
If your Pennsylvania CRNP or CNS certification has been inactive or has lapsed for five years or longer, but you have a current RN license and meet the continuing education requirements, you’ll need to provide proof of your current national certification in the specialty area for which you are seeking reactivation and show evidence that you have practiced in another jurisdiction within the last five years under a current license or certification.
Prescriptive Authority Reactivation
If you have placed your prescriptive authority on inactive status for less than three years, you are not required to meet the continuing education requirements while in active status. However, upon reactivation of your prescriptive authority approval application, you must show proof that you have met the continuing education requirements.
If your prescriptive authority approval has been in inactive status or lapsed for three years or longer, you may reactivate it by either completing at least 45 hours of coursework in advanced pharmacology or by providing evidence that you have practiced as a CRNP with prescriptive authority in another jurisdiction for at least one of the last three years. The scope of the prescriptive authority in the other jurisdiction must be equivalent to the prescriptive authority in Pennsylvania.
Contact the Board for applications for reinstatement. Send the completed application(s), along with your inactive certification renewal fee of $100 and your inactive prescriptive authority approval fee of $50 (if applicable) to: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 2649, CRNP Applications, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649.
Advanced Practice Nursing Associations in Pennsylvania
Consider joining one of the professional associations that support the profession in your state:
- Pennsylvania State Nurses Association
- Nurse Practitioners of Northeast Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
- Pennsylvania Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- Northwest Pennsylvania Nurse Practitioner Association
- Pennsylvania Emergency Nurses Association
- Nurse Practitioners Association of Southwest Pennsylvania
- American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Pennsylvania Chapter
- Pennsylvania Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
- Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals
Pennsylvania Nurse Practitioner Salary
In Pennsylvania, NPs make an average of$111,560 per year. The top 10 percent bring in more than $158,290 annually. Long story short: both incomes will get you far in the Keystone State.
Registered Nurse Salary
An RN can make a comfortable life in PA. On average, RNs make $74,170 per year in this state. As they acquire more experience, they edge toward six figures: $99,870 per year or better.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
Considering a career in education? Nursing instructors in Pennsylvania make an average of$78,360 per year.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
Envision yourself leading a team? Nurse administrators in PA make $107,710 annually, on average. As their responsibilities expand, senior admins make more than $165,300 per year.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
An anesthetist can make a great living in PA. On average, anesthetists bring in $185,090 per year. The annual salaries for the top 10 percent aren’t clear, but it’s above the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reporting threshold of $208,000.
Nurse Midwives Salary
Want to make a career bringing new life into the world? Midwives in Pennsylvania make an average of$103,230 per year. With time, that rate only goes up. Midwives in the top 10 percent gross $132,110 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.