IMPORTANT MESSAGE from Jay Douglas, Executive Director of the Virginia Board of Nursing
Posted 11 months ago by Sarah Taylor in Legislative Update
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Virginia Board of Nursing
Subject: IMPORTANT MESSAGE from Jay Douglas, Executive Director of the Virginia Board of Nursing, on behalf of the Joint Boards of Nursing and Medicine, Virginia Department of Health Professions
SB975 All Statutes Containing Nurse Practitioner will be changed to Advanced Practice Registered Nurse as appropriate
On March 22, 2023, Governor Youngkin signed into law SB975 which amends the terminology in Virginia Code from “nurse practitioner” to “advanced practice registered nurse”. The terminology change goes into effect on July 1, 2023.
The regulatory changes that are required in response to this statutory change are going through the administrative process, the progress of which can be followed on Virginia Regulatory Townhall. It is important to note that the Virginia Code has no requirements that address the use of titles or credentials in the professional setting.
The license will only reflect the license number and the license type – “Advanced Practice Registered Nurse”. The applicable specialization – NP, CNM, CRNA, CNS – will be listed on License Lookup in accordance with 18VAC90-30-70 along with the other details, such as issue date, expiration date, specialization, prescriptive authority, and the autonomous practice designation. Verification of licensure as an APRN will continue to be available through License Lookup on the Board of Nursing website.
Since the Board went paperless, hard copies of the license reflecting the terminology change will be available for purchase with your next renewal.