Maryland Nurse Practitioner Licensure Steps - 2024

Nurse Practitioner Licensure Requirements in Maryland

Follow below to learn how to become a nurse practitioner (NP) in Maryland.

Initial Registered Nurse (RN) License

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The registered nurse (RN) license is the first requirement for applying for an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) license, or NP license, in Maryland. If you hold a single state license from another state (NLC member or not), you must apply for an RN license to practice in Maryland.

The application process involves submitting an application form, paying the required fees, and providing supporting documents. There are two major routes of application which are RN by Examination and RN by Endorsement.

RN by Examination

This is the most frequented route for recent graduates of nursing programs from board-approved institutions. Applicants who choose this route have never been licensed as RNs in any territory or state in the US.

• The minimum academic qualification for a prospective RN is an associate’s degree. Proof of completing such a program is required in form of your transcript particularly if you completed the program in another state.
• Only original copies of supporting documents from the relevant institutions are accepted during the application process. Hence, your transcript must be mailed from the awarding institution and contain your date of graduation and the type of degree awarded.
• All applicants who choose this route are also supposed to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) which you can register for at PearsonVue for $200. You are allowed to take the examination 45 days after your initial attempt if you fail. Registration for the examination should be done immediately after filling out the online application for a non-refundable fee of $100. This is because the board must report to the exam vendors concerning your eligibility for the test. Once your eligibility is confirmed, you will receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) by email.
• You are required to provide a declaration of your primary state of residence. This is necessary because applicants who live in NLC member states will not be granted RN licenses in Maryland.
• Foreign-trained nurses and those trained in Puerto Rico are required to have their credentials evaluated by the CGFNS and the reports of such evaluation must be made available to the board. They are also required to provide proof of English proficiency by passing such tests as TOEFL-iBT (score of 26) or IELTS (speaking score of 7 and 6 on all other modules and an overall score of 6.5).

RN by Endorsement

This is the application route for holders of a valid RN license to practice in a non-NLC member state.

• It is expected that applicants via this route have completed a board-approved nursing program or an equivalent and have taken and passed the NCLEX-RN or any equivalent entry-level test for registered nurses before obtaining such license.
• The application is done online for a non-refundable fee of $100. This route is also used for graduates of nursing programs that do not have the clinical component.
• The board requires verification of your current license which can be done using the Nursys platform if your board of nursing reports to Nursys. If not, you will need to contact your board of nursing concerning licensure verification.

All applicants must make their social security number available as well as a passport-style photograph. No license will be issued without these. Applicants are also mandated by the law to take part in a fingerprint-based criminal background check (CBC) at the state and federal levels. You are to request the CBC pack mdbon.nbexam@maryland.gov. You will need the 12-digit number beneath the barcode on your purple fingerprint card during the application process.

Advanced Education Requirement

Prospective APRNs, and NPs, must have had advanced training at a graduate level (master’s or higher). A nurse practitioner training program usually has the coursework and clinical component and trains participants to provide services to specific population foci.

Additionally, Here is a list of approved programs by the board. This list is progressive and it contains programs in institutions within and outside Maryland. The list contains programs that past successful APRN license applicants have presented. If your program is not on the board list, you can apply for your program to be reviewed for approval using this form.

All NP programs must include at least three coursework components including advanced physiology/pathophysiology, advanced clinical/physical assessment, and advanced pharmacology/pharmacotherapy. Your NP training should equip you with enough pharmacology and pharmacotherapy skills to prescribe medications as prescriptive authority is usually issued with the Maryland NP license.

National Certification

Following the completion of your NP postgraduate education, you should seek national certification from the appropriate national certifying agency for professionals in your chosen specialty area.

The certification is usually examination based which is why your NP program should have been accredited by the certifying agency or any other accrediting agency recognized by the USDE. Certification evaluates the quality of your NP education.

You are required to contact the appropriate agency for your certification to get information about the requirements and procedure for getting certified and maintaining certification.

Here are the approved certifying agencies for NPs in Maryland:

• National Certification Corporation (NCC)
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

Getting Licensed to Practice as a Nurse Practitioner in Maryland

Application for licensure as an NP in Maryland is completed online for a non-refundable fee of $50 with an additional $25 for each population focus added to the license. Applicants are required to submit a correctly filled form and pay the required fee.

A prospective NP must have a valid RN license to practice in Maryland of an NLC multistate license issued from a member state. You are required to attach a copy of your NLC license which will also double as a declaration of your state of residence.

Proof of your APRN education must also be submitted in the form of original transcripts mailed from the awarding institution. If you were trained in multiple institutions for different population foci, for example, you must have transcripts submitted for each of them. Your transcripts must show proof of having taken advanced pharmacology, advanced physiology, and advanced physical assessment courses.

National certification is also an important requirement for the application process. You must have a copy of the verification sent to the board for each population focus by each certifying agency.

Applicants will also be required to do a CBC as is the case for RN certification.

Your license should be ready in 2-4 weeks. However, incomplete applications take more time to process.