Important: New NP Graduates May Not Apply for Autonomous APRN using education hours

Posted almost 2 years ago by Vicky Stone-Gale

If you are graduating from an NP program and are considering applying for an Autonomous license you may not do so until you have completed 3000 clinical hours under a NP protocol with a physician. Your school clinical training practice hours DO NOT count towards these hours. ONLY faculty that are doing clinical instruction can use those hours towards the 3000 required hours. You must read the statute carefully and be aware of requirements of this rule.

If a new APRN graduate has applied for and received an autonomous practice registration, then this means the affirmation was checked on the BON application and the individual verified they met the requirements above. If a new APRN graduate did this and does not meet the requirements, they should email the Board of Nursing (MQA.Nursing@FlHealth.gov) and ask to have their Autonomous APRN registration voluntarily relinquished immediately or may face disciplinary action from the BON for having obtained the Autonomous Practice registration by misrepresentation.

If you know anyone who has applied right out of school and received an autonomous license they need to relinquish it with the Board of Nursing immediately and ask to maintain their APRN license only.

The 2023 Florida Statutes

Title XXXII
REGULATION OF PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS

Chapter 464
NURSING

View Entire Chapter

464.0123 Autonomous practice by an advanced practice registered nurse.—

(1) REGISTRATION.—The board shall register an advanced practice registered nurse as an autonomous advanced practice registered nurse if the applicant demonstrates that he or she:

(a) Holds an active, unencumbered license to practice advanced nursing under s. 464.012.

(b) Has not been subject to any disciplinary action as specified in s. 456.072 or s. 464.018 or any similar disciplinary action in another state or other territory or jurisdiction within the 5 years immediately preceding the registration request.

(c) Has completed, in any state, jurisdiction, or territory of the United States, at least 3,000 clinical practice hours, which may include clinical instructional hours provided by the applicant, within the 5 years immediately preceding the registration request while practicing as an advanced practice registered nurse under the supervision of an allopathic or osteopathic physician who held an active, unencumbered license issued by any state, jurisdiction, or territory of the United States during the period of such supervision. For purposes of this paragraph, “clinical instruction” means education provided by faculty in a clinical setting in a graduate program leading to a master’s or doctoral degree in a clinical nursing specialty area.