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The South Carolina Board of Nursing (phone: 803-896-4550, [email protected]), a branch of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, grants approval for qualified registered nurses to work as advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) in the following categories:
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
To be approved to work as an APRN in South Carolina, you must hold a valid, unencumbered South Carolina (or Compact state) RN license.
South Carolina Statistics
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- If you are a new graduate of a Board-approved RN program, or if you are a foreign educated student and the Board determines your education is equivalent to Board-approved programs, you may apply using the License by Exam Online Application (you will first be asked to register in order to access the application).
- If you currently hold an RN license from another state (other than a Compact state), you may apply using the License by Endorsement Online Application or the License by Endorsement paper application. *
- If you were previously licensed as an RN in South Carolina, you must complete a Reactivation/Reinstatement Application.
*Nurse Licensure Compact
South Carolina is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Compact offers practice privileges for registered nurses in all compact states (Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin). If your primary state of residence is another Compact state, you need not apply for RN licensure in South Carolina.
Step 1. Get Your Graduate Degree
To work toward APRN licensure in South Carolina, you must hold a doctorate, post-nursing master’s certificate or a master’s degree that includes advanced education composed of didactic and supervised clinical practice in a specific area of advanced practice registered nursing.
You are exempt from the minimum master’s degree requirement from an accredited college or university by satisfying one of the following requirements:
- Provide documentation showing that you completed an advanced, organized formal education program before December 31, 1994
- Show evidence that you graduated from an advanced, organized formal education program for nurse anesthetists accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) before December 31, 2003 (CRNAs who graduate after December 31, 2003 must graduate with a master’s degree from a formal CRNA education program for nurse anesthetists accredited by COA).
Prescriptive Authority
If you are an APRN applying for prescriptive authority in South Carolina, you must be licensed by the Board as a NP, CNM, or CNS. If you are applying for initial prescriptive authority, you must:
- Provide evidence of the completion of 45 contact hours of education in pharmacotherapeutics within the two years prior to applying for prescriptive authority
- Provide evidence that at least 15 hours of the 45 hours of contact education involved education in controlled substances
If you already hold prescriptive authority in another state, you must:
- Provide evidence of prescriptive authority in another state that results in at least 20 hours of contact education in pharmacotherapeutics within the two years prior to applying for prescriptive authority
- Provide evidence that at least 15 of the 20 hours of contact education involve education in controlled substances
Prescriptive authority in South Carolina is valid for two years unless terminated by the Board, and expires at the same time as your APRN license.
CRNAs are not required to obtain prescriptive authority to deliver anesthesia.
Step 2. Earn Your National Certification
After you complete your graduate education, you are then eligible to take an exam to become nationally certified in your general area of specialty:
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
To apply for APRN licensure in South Carolina, you must declare a specialty area of nursing practice and the specialty title you use must be the same title granted by the board-approved credentialing organization for the area in which you received your advanced educational preparation.
All APRN graduates must achieve and maintain a specialty certification from a board-approved credentialing agency. If you are a new graduate, you must also provide evidence that you obtained your national certification within one year of the completion of your advanced practice nursing program. If you are a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist, however, you must provide evidence of your national certification within two years of completing your program.
The following national certifying bodies are recognized by the Board:
- National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Clinical Specialist in Medical-Surgical Nursing
- Clinical Specialist in Gerontological Nursing
- Clinical Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
- Clinical Specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
- Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Adult and Family)
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- National Certification Corporation
- Ob/Gyn Nurse Practitioner (Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner)
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (in acute and critical care or in acute care)
- American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
- Certified Nurse Midwife
Step 3. Apply for Your Certificate
To apply for your APRN license as a holder of a South Carolina-issued RN license, complete the APRN Update (with or without prescriptive authority).
You must include the following documents with your completed application:
- A recent, 2”x2” full-faced color passport photo that is signed, dated, and taped to the top edge of the application
- A copy of your birth certificate or valid passport
- A copy of your social security card, permanent residence card, or resident alien identification card if you do not possess a social security card
- If you are licensed in another state, a copy of your current license (must show an expiration date)
- Documentation of your graduate or post-graduate degree – you must contact the Registrar of the college or university where you obtained your graduate education and submit a request for them to send an official transcript directly to the Board of Nursing
- A copy of your current specialty certification from a board-approved national credentialing organization
- Provide a completed Affidavit of Eligibility (found in the application)
- Obtain all necessary physician signatures and license numbers in the application, if applicable
- If you are an NP, CNM or CNS applying for prescriptive authority, provide your prescriptive authority application (see prescriptive authority below), and documentation of your pharmacotherapeutics education hours
- Application fees paid with a check or money order made payable to the “LLR SC Board of Nursing”
Application fees are as follows:
- APRN Initial License (for those applicants with a current South Carolina RN license): $30
- APRN initial License and Temporary License: $40
- Prescriptive authority $20.00
All forms, documentation, fees and your signed and dated application must be mailed to the South Carolina Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 12367, Columbia, SC 29211.
You can expect the Board to process your application within about 10 days after receiving your application. You can check the status of your APRN application here (you will need to provide your login information).
Licensure by Endorsement
If you are licensed in another state, or if your RN license is inactive in SC, you must complete the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse License by Endorsement application.
You must also submit the Verification Form (found in the application) to your original state board of licensure if your original state of licensure is not listed on the NURSYS list found in the application. If your original state of licensure is listed on the NURSYS online verification form, you can process your verification online through NURSYS.
Application fees are as follows:
- APRN License by Endorsement: $130.00
- Temporary and Permanent License by Endorsement: $140.00
- Prescriptive authority $20.00
Temporary APRN License
If you want to apply for a temporary APRN license along with your initial APRN license, you must show evidence to the Board that you have met educational requirements that satisfy the national certification agency through which you will be certified . A temporary application is valid for up to 60 days, pending the completion and approval of your APRN license.
Application fees are as follows:
- APRN initial License and Temporary License: $40
- Prescriptive authority $20.00
Prescriptive Authority
If you are already a licensed APRN in South Carolina or are applying for prescriptive authority with your initial APRN license application, use the Application for Prescriptive Authority.
In addition to a completed application, you must also submit evidence that you have completed at least 45 contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics in the two years preceding your application for prescriptive authority.
Submit your completed application for prescriptive authority and pharmacotherapeutics requirements, along with a $20 check or money order made payable to “LLR SC Board of Nursing,” to the South Carolina Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 12367, Columbia, SC.
Notification of Initial Employment
As an APRN, you must inform the Board of your initial employment using the APRN Initial Employment form within 15 business days of securing employment.
Undeclared employment may be considered misconduct resulting in disciplinary action.
Criminal Background History Check
In order to practice nursing in South Carolina, you are required to submit to a criminal history background check.
If you apply for APRN licensure within a year after you received your RN license, you do NOT need to apply for an additional background check. If more than a year has passed since you received your RN license, you must submit to a new criminal background check to become licensed as an APRN.
The background check process requires a full set of fingerprints and additional information. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will conduct the criminal history background check.
To start the process, you must schedule an appointment with L-1 Enrollment Services (866-254-2366). If you are a South Carolina resident, you must show your South Carolina state-issued photo driver’s license. If you are an out-of-state applicant and you do not hold a South Carolina driver’s license, you must submit two forms of identification, which may include a state-issued photo driver’s license, a social security card, a passport, a birth certificate, or a marriage license.
Non-Resident Fingerprinting Instructions
If you are a non-resident of South Carolina and you do not live near an L-1 Enrollment Services/IBT fingerprinting center, you must follow the Non-Resident Card Scan Processing procedures found on the second page of the Background Check form within the application for APRN. You can visit L-1 Enrollment Services’ website to see if there are any fingerprinting centers located near you.
Step 4. Renewing Your Certificate
All South Carolina nursing licenses, including RN and APRN licenses, must be renewed by April 30 of every even-numbered year. All South Carolina nursing licenses can be completed using the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation Online Renewals system. Fees for renewal can be paid online using a credit card through the system’s secure server. Fees for biennial renewal are as follows:
- APRN License Renewal $20
- Prescriptive Authority Renewal $20
- RN Renewal $50
Demonstration of Competency for APRN License Renewal
To qualify for renewal of your active APRN license, you must provide evidence of at least one of the following requirements:
- The completion of 30 contact hours from a continuing education provider recognized by the Board
- The maintenance of certification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board
- Verification of competency and the number of hours practiced from an employer on a Board-approved employer certification form
Request for Inactive Status
You may apply for inactive status if you do not meet the minimum competency requirements for renewal, or if you want to take a temporarily hiatus from APRN practice.
To apply for inactive status, complete the Request for Inactive Status form and send it along with a check or money order in the amount of $15 made payable to LLR SC Board of Nursing,” to the South Carolina Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 12367, Columbia, SC.
Request for Reinstatement/Reactivation
To apply for reactivation of an inactive APRN license or reinstatement of a lapsed license, you must submit an APRN Reactivation/Reinstatement application (and prescriptive authority application, if applicable), and pay a reinstatement fee for the current period.
You may also apply for a temporary license that is valid for up to 90 days if you are participating in a refresher course seeking the reinstatement of your lapsed or inactive APRN license.
The following must accompany your APRN Reactivation/Reinstatement application:
- A completed Affidavit of Eligibility
- A completed Criminal Background check
- A recent, 2”x2” full-faced passport-type color photo that is signed, dated and taped along the top edge of the application
- A copy of your current state license
- A copy of your current specialty certification by a board-approved credentialing organization
- If you are an NP, CNM or CNS applying for prescriptive authority, provide your prescriptive authority application, documentation of your pharmacotherapeutics education hours, and documented evidence of prescriptive authority in another state (if applicable)
- Submit the application fee in a check or money order made payable to the “LLR SC Board of Nursing”
Reinstatement/Reactivation application fees are as follows:
- APRN Reinstatement of lapsed license $70.00
- APRN Reinstatement of lapsed license with Prescriptive Authority $90.00
- APRN Reactivation of inactive license $50.00
- APRN Reactivation of inactive license with Prescriptive Authority $70.00
Submit your completed application for reinstatement/reactivation, prescriptive authority application, your supporting documents, and the required fee to the South Carolina Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 12367, Columbia, SC.
Notification of Change in Practice
As an APRN, you must notify the Board of a change in employment (physician or place of practice) or the discontinuation of your employment using the APRN Change of Practice Request form within 15 business days. Undeclared changes may be considered misconduct and be subject to disciplinary action.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in South Carolina
There are a number of professional organizations that support APRNs in South Carolina:
- South Carolina Nurses Association
- South Carolina Association of School Nurses
- South Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists
- South Carolina Emergency Nurses Association
- South Carolina Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
- South Carolina Association of Occupational Health Nurses
- South Carolina Perinatal Association
- South Carolina Nurses Foundation
- South Carolina Faith Community Nurses Association
South Carolina Nurse Practitioner Salary
In South Carolina, nurse practitioners earn an average of$101,190 per year – a pretty good living in one of the lower-cost states in the nation. What’s more, the top 10 percent of earners bring in more than $129,560 annually.
Registered Nurse Salary
RNs in South Carolina earn 26 percent more than the state’s median household – $67,140 per year, on average. Those who climb to the top 10 percent earn $86,150 a year or better.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
Nursing instructors in South Carolina earn an average of$77,650 per year – about $24,000 more than the state’s median household.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
On average, nurse administrators in SC earn $106,360 per year. Those in the top 10 percent make quite a bit more – at least $165,370 annually. Either income will set you up very well in the Palmetto State.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Nurse anesthetists make a very pretty penny in SC, with the average salary being $185,850 per year. We can only guess at what the top earners make, but we know it’s at or greater than the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ reporting threshold: $208,000 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.