Oregon Nurse Practitioner Licensure Steps - 2023

Nurse Practitioner Licensure Requirements in Oregon

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

Initial Registered Nurse (RN) License

Already have your RN License?  Skip to the next section

Nurse practitioners (NPs) will work with healthcare teams at an advanced level, however they are still nurses. Therefore, all NPs must hold valid and unencumbered RN licenses to eventually practice as NPs in Oregon. If you do not have an RN license issued in Oregon, you must apply for one by examination or endorsement.

RN by Examination

This is the application route for graduates of board-approved nursing programs who have never been licensed as registered nurses in Oregon or any state in the U.S.

Requirements:

• For a prospective NP, a bachelor’s degree is smart choice to move yourself closer to the advanced degree requirements of NP licensure. However, an associates degree can earn you an initial RN license in Oregon.
• You must request that your awarding institution send an original copy of your transcript to the board. The transcript should contain the degree awarded and your date of graduation.
• You must complete an application form online and submit the required supporting documents.
• Applicants are also required to take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) which you should register for at PearsonVue for $200.
• If you fail the NCLEX-RN, you will only be eligible to retake it on the 46th day from your last examination date. Re-take candidates must re-register for the examination and reapply for initial licensure, paying all the required fees.
• Licenses will only be given to applicants who write and pass the NCLEX-RN within two years of graduation from their nursing program in addition to fulfilling other requirements.
• Foreign applicants are to have their academic credentials evaluated for equivalence with what is obtainable in Oregon by the CGFNS or other recognized credential evaluation services. Such reports must be sent to the board for evaluation.
• Unless you were trained in English, with English texts and your clinical experience was largely in English, you will be required to provide proof of having passed an English Proficiency test. The passing scores are shown in 2b, (B), (d), (C) here.

RN by Endorsement

Applicants who have been licensed in another state but are seeking endorsement of said license in Oregon are to apply via this route. The application process is completed online.

Requirements:

• Applicants are required to verify initial licensure using the Nursys platform or directly from the appropriate board of nursing, if the board does not report to Nursys.
• It is expected that they obtained such licensure after having fulfilled the requirements for an RN license by examination in the said state. They must have taken the NCLEX-RN or an equivalent entry level examination not more than two years from their graduation from a board approved nursing program.
• The board requires that an original copy of your transcript detailing the degree awarded and your date of graduation from a pre-licensing program be sent directly to them from the institution concerned.
• Foreign-educated applicants must have their credentials and programs evaluated for equivalence as was covered in the previous section.
• Finally, you are required to provide proof of having practiced for at least 400 hours in the two years immediately preceding the date of submission of your application.

All applications are valid for one year. If you do not complete the process before then, you will need to reapply. Applicants are mandated by law to take part in a fingerprint-based background check and declare any disciplinary actions they are currently facing.

A personalized link to the OSBN Fieldprint website will be sent to you once your application is accepted. You will then schedule an appointment for your fingerprinting for a fee of $70.50. Finally, all applicants must attest to having at least two hours of cultural competency education within the immediate past two years from the application date.

Advanced Education Requirement

NPs are required by the nursing board to obtain post-graduate nursing education that prepares them to function in their role serving a specific population focus. These programs must award at least a master’s degree (MSN).

There are also programs that equip you to perform dual roles in which case you must fulfill all criteria for each NP role.

Your program must include didactic and clinical components. All applicants are expected to have had at least 400 hours of clinical exposure through externships. These programs must be recognized by national certifying agencies that certify their graduates for practice. The Board of Nursing in Oregon recognizes the following specialties for NPs:

• Neonatal
• Pediatric Primary Care/Pediatric Acute Care
• Family/Adult
• Geriatric
• Pediatric
• Psychiatric/ Mental Health
• Nurse Midwife
• Acute Care
• Adult-Gerontology Primary Care/ Acute Care.

National Certification

The Oregon licensing board now requires verification of your current board certification from a national certification examination when applying for an APRN-NP license. This is the stage where your NP education is evaluated for sufficiency in relation to NP specialty practice in Oregon. Your knowledge will be tested through an examination organized by board-recognized national certifying agencies. You are also required to maintain this certification as long as you practice legally in Oregon. Here is a list of certifying agencies recognized and approved by the OSBN for certifying NPs:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
• American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM)
• American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN)
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
• National Certification Corporation (NCC)
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)

Getting Licensed to Practice as a Nurse Practitioner in Oregon

Once you have fulfilled all fundamental requirements including possessing a valid RN license to practice in Oregon, an NP education, and national certification, you can now apply for an APRN-NP license to practice in the state.

The application involves the submission of a filled form and provision of supporting documents as required. The board requires all applicants to have an original copy of their masters or doctoral degree sent to the board by the awarding institution. The transcript must contain the type of degree given and the date of award. This program must have been completed no more than two years immediately preceding the date of application.

You are also required to submit verification of current national certification which must be maintained throughout practice. The board requires all applicants to have completed at least 400 hours of APRN practice in their specific role within the last two years. If you are applying for an APRN-NP license by endorsement, you must verify your licensure in the other state with the Nursys platform or by sending for such verification directly from the board.

All NPs are eligible for prescriptive privileges as long as they have completed a minimum of 45 contact hours of advanced pharmacology over the past two years. This requirement could have been completed as part of your NP training. Those who hold prescriptive authority in another state will also be considered. The application for prescriptive authority is free for NPs.