Nurse Practitioner Licensing Guide for the state of Missouri
The healthcare sector benefits immensely from the services of nurse practitioners (NPs), who are also registered nurses (RNs), licensed to carry out duties considered to be outside the scope of practice for RNs.
These professionals are qualified for such licensure as a result of advanced education and national certification in a given specialty area, to serve specific population foci. Nurse practitioners belong to a group of healthcare professionals referred to as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
Nurse Practitioners obtain their license to practice in Missouri from the Board of Nursing which is under the jurisdiction of the Division of Professional Registration. The board issues licenses to RNs and APRNs who satisfy requirements that can’t be found via the links below.
All applicants for an APRN license to practice as an NP must hold a valid RN license to practice in Missouri. Missouri is a member of the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) which allows nurses to practice in member states as long as they hold a valid multi-state RN license. This compact allows the movement of the nursing workforce between states and was implemented to curb the shortage of nursing staff due to licensing concerns.