Nebraska Nurse Practitioner Licensure Steps - 2024

Nurse Practitioner Licensure Requirements in Nebraska

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

Initial Registered Nurse (RN) License

Already have your RN License?  Skip to the next section

An RN license is necessary for prospective nurse practitioners applying for an APRN license as they are fundamentally nurses. One can apply for APRN licensure with a single state RN license or a multi-state type as long as it is valid and unencumbered.

Nebraska is a party to the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) so applicants who hold a valid multi-state RN license from one of the compact states need not apply for an RN license to practice in Nebraska unless they want to change their primary state of residence. The NLC facilitates the transfer of the nursing workforce from state to state and holders of these multi-state licenses are required to only practice within the confines of the law in whichever state their services are required.

The board receives applications for RN license via two routes namely: RN by Examination and RN by Endorsement.

RN by Examination

Recent graduates of board-accredited nursing programs from approved colleges or universities who have never been licensed to practice as RNs in the US are eligible for this route of application.

• You can apply via the paper application or online for a fee of $123. Prospective RNs should hold at least an associate’s degree. The board requires proof of completion of such a program as one of the supporting documents for the application process. Hence, you are to request for a copy of your transcript to be sent from your educational institution to the board. The transcript will only be recognized if it is sent directly from the awarding institution and it contains important information like the degree awarded and date of graduation.
• Foreign students are required to have their credentials evaluated by the CGFNS and the resulting report sent to the board.
• All applicants via this route must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) which is the entry-level test for nurses in most US states. You can register for this test at PearsonVue for $200. You should apply for the test after submitting your licensure application as this allows the board to communicate with the test vendor concerning your eligibility. After this, you will receive an authorization to test (ATT) valid for about 90 days in which you are required to take your examination.
• Foreign students trained in another language other than English may be required to take English Proficiency tests such as TOEFL or IELTS.

RN by Endorsement

Endorsement refers to the conferment of a license to practice in a given state on a professional who holds a valid license from another state in the US or a recognized territory at the time of application.

• People who choose this route are required to have taken the NCLEX-RN or any other equivalent entry-level nursing examination and fulfilled all other requirements for an RN license by examination in the state where they were previously licensed.
• The application can be done via paper or online for $123.
• The board requires proof of the possession of a valid and unencumbered license. Note that a photocopy of your license is not acceptable. You can request such verification from the appropriate board of nursing using the Nursys platform for $30. If your board does not report to Nursys, you must contact them concerning the verification process and the associated fees.
• Note that if you hold a multistate RN license from one of the NLC states, you do not need to apply for an RN license in Nebraska unless you intend to change your permanent residency.

Applicants must take part in a fingerprint-based criminal background check (CBC) as mandated by the Nebraska state law. The fee for the CBC is $45.25 and is to be paid with the application fee. The payment can either be made online with a debit or credit card or mailed with the application in form of a personal/cashier’s check or money order.

Advanced Education Requirement

The board of nursing in Nebraska will only issue APRN-NP licenses to applicants who have obtained a postgraduate nursing degree (nurse practitioner master’s degree or higher).

Your nurse practitioner preparatory program must also be accredited by at least one of the national accreditation agencies recognized by the Department of Education (USDE).

Programs should include the didactic component and at least 500 hours of preceptorship. The coursework component must prepare participants to take up NP roles serving one of six population foci:

• Women’s health and gender-related health
• Adult health and gerontology
• Pediatrics
• Mental Health
• Family/Individual Health across one’s lifespan
• Neonatology

The coursework component should include advanced pharmacology, advanced physiology, and advanced clinical assessment. Such areas as pharmacokinetics, diagnosis, clinical management, pharmacodynamics, etc. must be covered.

The program should also include some level of instruction in behavioral, biological, and health sciences. You are more likely to make an informed choice of a program when you contact the national certification body for your desired population foci on the best program features and options.

National Certification

This is how your post-basic APRN-NP education is evaluated for sufficiency to practice in most states in the country, Nebraska inclusive. The board has delegated this task to certain national certifying agencies which certify APRN-NPs for specific population foci.

The certification process is usually examination-based and passing such tests usually proves that your APRN-NP education was sufficient and you are fit, concerning skill and knowledge to practice in such capacity in Nebraska.

It is safe to contact the certifying agency that applies to NPs in your chosen population focus when you are choosing a post-basic program with certification and licensure in view. This way, you pick a program that prepares you adequately for the test they offer. These are the approved certifying agencies for NPs in Nebraska:

• 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 Nebraska

The application for this license can be completed online and the fee can vary from $25 -$68 depending on when you are applying (180 days to or after the renewal cycle).

All applicants are required to have completed a post-basic nurse practitioner preparatory program and received at least a master’s degree on completion. To this effect, the proof is required in the form of an original copy of your transcript to be sent from your awarding institution to the board.

The transcript should specify the kind of degree awarded and your date of graduation. You are then required to request that verification of an active certification be sent to the board from your national certifying agency.

Since all nurse practitioners are fundamentally nurses, the board requires every applicant to hold a valid RN license to practice in Nebraska at the time of application. These licenses may be a single state variant or a multi-state variant from any of the NLC member states.

Verification of an RN license issued outside Nebraska is required. This can be done using the Nursys platform for $30. However, if your board of nursing does not send reports to Nursys, you must contact them concerning the procedure for licensure verification.

If you have practiced as an APRN in another state, you can be licensed to practice as an APRN in Nebraska by endorsement. Your APRN license from the said state will also need to be verified. All applicants are required to have a CBC done on them. The instructions come with the application packet.

Finally, you will be required to develop an Integrated Practice Agreement with a collaborating physician if you have not practiced as an APRN for at least 2000 hours, do not have a master’s/doctorate degree, or are yet to complete 45 contact hours of relevant coursework. The completed application should be mailed to: