- Guide Introduction
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Alaska NP Licensing & Scope of Work
Nurse Practitioner Licensing Guide for the state of Alaska
Nurse practitioners are an essential part of the healthcare system in any state, due in part to their experience and the skills they possess through training and practice. The duties of a nurse practitioner go beyond what a registered nurse (RN) or practical nurse (LP) are required to do. In a state like Alaska where nurse practitioners are allowed to practice without physician supervision, only qualified and competent persons must be allowed to practice at such a level. To practice as a certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) in Alaska, you must be a registered nurse and be certified by the appropriate national body for your practice specialty.
The chief licensing authority/regulatory agency for nurse practice in Alaska is the Alaska Board of Nursing (ABN). To practice as a CRNP in Alaska, you must be licensed by this board on the premise of your valid RN license, national certification for your specialty, in addition to the requisite training and educational qualifications which are discussed in more detail on the licensing steps link listed below.
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) allows nurses to practice in member states with a multi-state license issued in one of the states. The updated version of the NLC was adopted in 2015 and has progressively been enacted by up to 30 states in the U.S., enabling the smooth transfer of the nursing workforce from state to state, as needed. According to the NLC status map here, Alaska has no pending legislation as regards the NLC. At present, nurses and other health practitioners in Alaska are lending their voices towards the enactment of the NLC by writing to the Representative and Senator assigned to their district, in support of the SB 67 and HB 83 bills. These letters are also forwarded to the head of the committee where the bill is being heard. You can email your letter to SHSS@akleg.gov.