Tennessee Nurse Practitioner Licensure Steps - 2025

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner in Tennessee: Licensure Guide

Becoming a nurse practitioner (NP) in Tennessee is a structured process designed to ensure practitioners are fully prepared to provide advanced, independent care. From securing your initial RN license to gaining national certification, each requirement serves to build your clinical competence and legal eligibility to practice. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how to get licensed in the Volunteer State—with practical tips along the way.

Obtain a Registered Nurse (RN) License in Tennessee

An active RN license is the foundation of NP licensure. If you’re not currently licensed in Tennessee or a compact state, you’ll need to apply by examination or endorsement.

RN by Examination

This route is for applicants who have never taken the NCLEX before.

• Submit an online application to the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
• Upload required documents:
  • Declaration of citizenship
  • Passport photo with legal signature and date
• Complete a criminal background check (CBC). If you have prior offenses, include:
  • Certified copies of arrest warrant, disposition, and completion of judgment
  • Letter of explanation
• Request your transcripts and degree to be sent directly from your nursing program to the Board.
• Register for the NCLEX exam via Pearson VUE (Fee: $200). You’ll receive your Authorization to Test (ATT) via email.
• Tip: Submit all documents together and monitor your status. Incomplete submissions delay processing (which can take up to 6 weeks).

Why this matters: The NCLEX ensures you meet national competency standards for safe nursing care before moving on to advanced practice roles.

RN by Endorsement

This path is for nurses already licensed in a non-compact state.

• Complete a CBC using Tennessee’s fingerprinting process.
• Verify your license via Nursys, or submit a verification form from your state if not listed.
• Apply online and pay the $115 non-refundable fee.
• Upload the following:
  • Passport-style photo (signed and dated)
  • Proof of citizenship and declaration form
  • Certified academic transcripts sent directly from your school
  • Documentation for any criminal history (disposition, warrant, explanation letter)

Tip: California, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Louisiana-PN do not participate in Nursys—plan for extra processing time if you’re licensed there.

Complete Advanced Nursing Education

To become an NP in Tennessee, you must complete a board-approved graduate program—typically a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)—with a specialty recognized by the state.

Educational Requirements Include:

• 500+ clinical hours appropriate to your population focus
• Advanced Pharmacology (required for prescriptive authority)
• Graduate-level coursework in health assessment and pathophysiology

Tip: Choose a program that aligns with your intended certification agency’s standards—this avoids delays when seeking national certification.

Waiver Note: If you were nationally certified as an NP before July 1, 2005 and held a valid Tennessee RN license at that time, the master’s degree may not be required.

Earn National Certification

After completing your graduate program, you must become certified in your specialty area by a national certifying body approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

Accepted Certification Agencies:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
• American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
• Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB)
• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
• American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
• National Certification Corporation (NCC)
• National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)

Why this matters: Certification demonstrates your readiness to independently diagnose, treat, and manage patients within your NP role and population focus.

Apply for Tennessee Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Licensure

To officially practice as a nurse practitioner, apply for APN licensure with the Tennessee Board of Nursing.

What You’ll Need:

• Completed APN application with $210 fee (check or money order)
• Signed passport-style photo (signature must not obscure your face)
• Affidavit signed before a Notary Public (page 3 of the application)
• Official transcripts sent directly from your graduate program
• Verification of national certification sent from your certifying agency
• Copy of your Tennessee RN license
• Completed Mandatory Practitioner Profile Questionnaire

Mail all application materials to:
Tennessee Board of Nursing
227 French Landing
Suite 300, Heritage Place, Metro Center
Nashville, TN 37243

Prescriptive Authority:

Pharmacology coursework is mandatory for prescriptive authority. If not included in your graduate education, your license will be issued without this privilege until fulfilled.