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 | Get your Graduate Degree in Massachusetts |
 | Earn your National Certification in Massachusetts |
 | Apply for Your APRN Authorization in Massachusetts |
 | Renewing Your Authorization in Massachusetts |
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing (800-414-0168 or 617-973-0900 or email) grants authorization to registered nurses who qualify to work in expanded roles as advanced practice registered nurses (APRN). The board recognizes four general categories under the APRN umbrella:
Before applying for APRN authorization, you must hold an active Massachusetts RN license.
Take the following steps to become an APRN authorized to practice in Massachusetts.
You must complete a formal advanced nursing education program beyond the basic RN level to achieve APRN authorization in Massachusetts. A national accreditation body recognized by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing must have accredited the program.
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Qualified Graduate Programs
Under Nursing Regulation 244 CMR 4.00, advanced practice registered nurse preparation programs must meet the following qualifications:
Course Requirements
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing requires all aspiring APRN to complete core APRN coursework:
Additional coursework you take will be specific to the scope of practice of the APRN category in which you seek authorization:
Prescriptive Authority
Prescriptive authority (or the authority to issue written or oral prescriptions for drugs or substances) is an option available to qualified APRNs in Massachusetts. To obtain initial prescriptive authority, and for renewal of prescriptive authority thereafter, you must have completed education in the following areas:
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing does not specify a minimum number of contact hours for these courses.
Specialization
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing authorizes APRNs by category, not by specialization within the category. (Categories include nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, and nurse anesthetist). However, specialization is available within your advanced nursing education program and may be beneficial to your future APRN career options. Examples of specialized tracks include nurse leadership, nurse administration, business administration combined with nursing, and nurse education. Other areas of specialization dealing with the specific patient populations with which you may work, such as pediatric or geriatric, may also be beneficial to complete at this time.
A requirement for obtaining authorization to practice in one of the four expanded APRN roles is national certification.
Every national certification agency has its own education and experiential minimums required to be eligible to sit for their national certification exam.
Certification Programs
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing grants authorization for APRNs to practice in the following expanded roles:
The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing recognizes the following national certifying agencies for the certification of qualified APRNs in the state:
Nurse practitioner (RN/NP):
Psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist (RN/PC):
Nurse anesthetist (RN/NA):
Nurse midwife (RN/NM):
You must become nationally certified within the APRN authorization category you seek before moving forward in the Massachusetts APRN authorization process. Contact the appropriate agency above for further information.
Professional Credential Services, Inc. (PCS) has been contracted by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing to facilitate the application process for new licensees and those seeking APRN authorization.
Application and Supporting Documentation
If you are licensed as an RN in a state other than Massachusetts and your state does not use the NURSYS verification system, complete the license verification form (included on page 6 of the application packet). Submit this form directly to the Board of Nursing in the state in which you hold an RN license. The Board must be instructed to return the form directly to PCS. State boards of nursing that are currently not on the NURSYS verification system are California, Kansas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Alabama, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Connecticut
If the state in which you hold an RN license is on the NURSYS verification system, go to www.nursys.com and complete the instructions to have your RN license verified. Currently, 46 state boards of nursing are on the NURSYS system.
If you hold APRN authorization in another state, you must have that state’s board of nursing verify this authorization. Complete the authorization verification form (included on Page 7 of the application packet). Contact your state board of nursing to determine the fee they charge for this service, and send that fee along with the authorization verification form to your state board of nursing. Instruct them to return results directly to PCS.
Mail all of the above to Professional Credential Services, Inc., ATTN: MA Nurse Coordinator, P.O. Box 198788, Nashville, TN 37219. Allow three business days for PCS to review and approve your application. Your letter of authorization will be sent to you via postal mail within one week of PCS approval. At the same time, PCS will send electronic notification to the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. You may check for your license verification online prior to receiving your APRN letter of authorization.
Determination of Good Moral Character
In lieu of a criminal history background check, the APRN authorization application has a six-question section entitled “Determination of Good Moral Character.” These questions relate to disciplinary actions and criminal convictions against you. If you answer yes to any of these questions, additional documentation must accompany your APRN authorization application. A list of required documentation for various “yes” answers may be found here.
Based upon your answers, you may be asked to complete a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) form, authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services to conduct a criminal background investigation. You must answer each question truthfully, as lying on the application will result in you being excluded from being authorized to practice as a nurse for five years. Only conviction for violent crimes will permanently exclude you from licensure in Massachusetts. If you have been convicted of a crime within the past five years, you may be temporarily excluded from licensure. More information on the Determination of Good Moral Character and its consequences may be found here.
Practice and Prescriptive Guidelines/Collaborative Agreement
As an authorized APRN in Massachusetts, you must practice in accordance with written guidelines. Guidelines must be created in collaboration with a physician recognized as an expert within your area of practice, and then approved by the Board of Nursing. The following information must be included within your guidelines:
If you also have prescriptive authority, you must include Guidelines for Prescriptive Practice:
Guidelines must be reviewed and signed by all parties every two years. You must have your written guidelines handy to produce upon request.
The nursing and medical leadership of the institution in which you work must approve your guidelines. If you work in a setting with no such leadership, you must submit the original, signed and dated practice and prescriptive guidelines to the Board for audit and approval. When your guidelines are renewed every two years, the same approval process applies.
Prescriptive Authority
After authorization as an APRN in Massachusetts, you may seek prescriptive authority. To do so, make sure your prescriptive guidelines are in place. Then submit the application for Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration (MCSR) at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health- Drug Control Program (DPH-DCP). If you plan to prescribe controlled substances in Schedules II-V, you also need a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) number. After you have your state CSR number, apply online for your DEA number.
Your APRN authorization and RN license expire on your birthday in even numbered years. To maintain APRN authorization, you must maintain a current, valid Massachusetts RN license, maintain national certification, and meet all continuing education requirements.
Approximately 90 days before your license and authorization is set to expire, you will receive a renewal reminder by mail. This will include information on renewing online or by mail, if desired. You must pay the $180 APRN authorization renewal fee and $120 renewal fee for your RN license by check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Write your license number and your name on the front of your check or money order.
FIND SCHOOLS Sponsored ContentIf you no longer wish to hold APRN authorization, complete the Request to Remove Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Authorization form at least six weeks before your expiration date.
Continuing Education
To maintain your RN license, you must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years. Rules and regulations for this continuing education may be found here.
APRNs must demonstrate competence in order to maintain authorization in Massachusetts. This is achieved by completing continuing education and by maintaining national certification. You must complete the continuing education requirements of your national certification organization in order to maintain APRN authorization. Contact your agency for more details:
Additionally, if you have prescriptive authority, you must complete and document continuing education in the following areas every two years:
Expired Authorization Renewal
If you do not renew your license and/or authorization by 5:00 p.m. on its expiration date, your license/authorization automatically expires. Your license and/or authorization may not be placed on inactive status in Massachusetts. If your RN license and/or APRN authorization have expired, you may not legally practice in Massachusetts. Contact the Board for information on reinstating them.
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Associations in Massachusetts
Consider joining one of the local associations that provide continuing education and professional support in Massachusetts:
Those pursuing careers as NPs in Massachusetts can expect to make well over $100,000 a year. NPs earn an average of $126,050 a year in this state. What’s more, those in the top 10 percent report earning $167,850 annually.
