Vermont Nurse Practitioner Licensure Steps - 2024

Nurse Practitioner Licensure Requirements in Vermont

If you want to begin your nursing career as a nurse practitioner (NP) or upgrade your license from a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) to an NP, there are steps you must follow.

• An initial RN license (for those without an RN)
• Advanced educational requirements
• National certification
• Getting the Vermont state NP license

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

An initial RN license

Already have your RN License?  Skip to the next section

If you don’t already have one, your first step to becoming an NP is the Vermont RN license. You won’t be eligible for the NP license without the RN license.  Again, you will have to apply to the Vermont Board of Nursing to get the RN license. There are two ways to go about this:

1. RN licensure by Examination
2. RN licensure by Endorsement

RN licensure by Examination

• The RN licensure by examination is the RN licensing route for prospective NPs who want to receive the license for the first time.
• To qualify for the RN license by examination, you must be an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) holder from a recognized nursing school in Vermont.

You can see a more detailed list of nursing schools and programs here.

The full-time ADN program will last for 18 to 24 months, while the full-time BSN program will require four years of study. These periods will last longer for part-time study. ADN to BSN bridge programs for ADN holders who want to become BSN holders. ADN to BSN bridge programs will last for between 12 to 18 months.

• Your application for an RN license will begin by completing an online applic+ation form and paying an application fee of $60.
• Your school will send a verification of education form or CES report to the Vermont Board of Nursing.

These documents must be dated, signed, sealed, and placed in an envelope alongside the official transcript (if you attended an institution outside Vermont) to the VBON. Alternatively, you can get these documents from the school and send them along with your application.

If you attended another institution to pass a relevant course, you would need to request a transcript (if you attended an institution outside Vermont) and verification of education form from the institution. You will attach these documents along with those of your primary institution.

If you completed your education program outside the United States, your school would need your CES report through the International Education Research Foundation (IERF) or Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) vendors. These vendors will send the report to the VBON.

You will have to take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX) for RNs (NCLEX-RN). This exam is a computer-based exam overseen by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Pearson VUE a private testing organization, helps the NCBSN organize and administer the NCLEX.

To register for the NCLEX-RN, you must first send an application to the VBON requesting eligibility for the exam. Then, in turn, the VBON will send your eligibility confirmation to the NCSBN, without which you won’t be able to sit for the exam.

Next, register for the NCLEX-RN on the Pearson VUE website. Alternatively, you can send your application by mail to NCLEX Operations via PO Box 64950, St Paul, MN 55164-0950, or place a call on 1-866-49NCLEX.

The Pearson VUE-NCLEX registration attracts an examination fee of $200. You will receive an ATT in your mail after paying the exam fees through the online prepaid, debit card, or credit card online payment platforms. The ATT stands for Authorization to Test.

The ATT will contain your examination details like candidate number, available test centers in Vermont, and test dates and times. You can then schedule a test by choosing a suitable test date and time. Note that the ATT is only valid for 90 days.

The VBON will receive your results from Pearson VUE and forward them to your mail.

RN licensure by Endorsement

BY ENDORSEMENT, the RN licensure is for NP prospects who have RN licenses from other states. The RN qualifications from the state must be similar to those required in Vermont. Here are the steps to acquiring an RN license by endorsement.

• You will begin by completing and submitting the RN by endorsement online application form on the VBON website. Your application will only be valid after you pay the application fee of $150.
• Tender the verification of your original nursing license licensure alongside the practice state you intend to change from.
• If your former practice state is a member of NURSYS, proceed to the NURSYS website to obtain your Vermont nursing license verification. If not, send a request to the state’s nursing board in question.

Advanced Educational Requirements

Vermont nursing board requires a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, or higher, for prospective nurse practitioners.

You may also wish to consider the extra step of acquiring a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). A doctorate will boost your eligibility for leadership roles in the nursing profession.

The MSN program will take you 18 to 24 months, while the DNP will take two to three years to complete.

National Certification

You need national certification to qualify for the NP license in Vermont. There are several national certification bodies for NPs in the country. However, you must take care to only apply to Vermont-accredited bodies. The following is a list of national certification organizations that have won the approval of the VBON.

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

The VBON also requires NP aspirants to garner collaborative practice experience. This process is called Transition to Practice. NP aspirants will have to amass up to two years or 2400 hours of collaborative practice with a physician or an advanced practice nurse. In addition, you will need to enter an agreement with a physician of choice or an APRN. The APRN of choice must share similar nursing roles and population scope with you.

If you have graduated from a nursing school for over two years before applying for NP licensure, you will need to meet recency requirements. VBON requires 50 days of 400 hours within the last two years or 120 days or 960 hours within the last five years.

Applying for the Vermont state NP license

Next, you need to apply to the VBON for the state license. You can download the application from the VBON website. Your application requires the payment of an application fee of $75.

• Get your graduate program to send your transcript, which must include Pharmacotherapeutics and Advanced Pathophysiology courses.
• Send a scanned copy of your national certification
• Send your Transition to Practice start and end dates by filling out this form
• If your Transition to Practice is in progress, scan and send a copy of your collaborative Agreement form jointly signed by you and your collaborator.
• Apply to the board of your former practice state to send your licensure verification to the VBON.