AB 154

Nursing practice and licensure

This bill makes various changes to practice, licensure, and certification

requirements for nurses, which are administered by the Board of Nursing.

Licensure of advanced practice registered nurses

Under current law, a person who wishes to practice professional nursing must

be licensed by the Board of Nursing as a registered nurse (RN). This bill creates an

additional system of licensure for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), to

be administered by the board. Under the bill, in order to apply for an APRN license,

a person must 1) hold, or concurrently apply for, an RN license; 2) have completed

an accredited graduate-level or postgraduate-level education program preparing

the person to practice as an APRN in one of four recognized roles and hold a current

national certification approved by the board; 3) possess malpractice liability

insurance as provided in the bill; 4) pay a fee determined by the Department of Safety

and Professional Services; and 5) satisfy certain other criteria specified in the bill.

The bill also allows a person who has not completed an accredited education program

described above to receive an APRN license if the person 1) on January 1, 2024, is

both licensed as an RN in Wisconsin and practicing in one of the four recognized roles;

and 2) satisfies additional practice or education criteria established by the board.

The bill also, however, automatically grants licenses to certain RNs, as further

described below. The four recognized roles, as defined in the bill, are 1) certified

nurse-midwife; 2) certified registered nurse anesthetist; 3) clinical nurse specialist;

and 4) nurse practitioner. The bill requires the board, upon granting a person an

APRN license, to also grant the person one or more specialty designations

corresponding to the recognized role or roles for which the person qualifies.

Under the bill, all APRNs, except APRNs with a certified nurse-midwife

specialty designation, must practice in collaboration with a physician or dentist.

However, under the bill, an APRN may practice without being supervised by a

physician or dentist if the Board of Nursing verifies that the APRN has completed

3,840 clinical hours of advanced practice registered nursing practice in their

recognized role while working with a physician or dentist during those 3,840 hours

of practice. APRNs with a certified nurse-midwife specialty designation are instead

required, if they offer to deliver babies outside of a hospital setting, to file and keep

current with the board a proactive plan for involving a hospital or a physician who

has admitting privileges at a hospital in the treatment of patients with higher acuity

or emergency care needs, as further described below. Additionally, under the bill, an

APRN may provide pain management services only while working in a collaborative

relationship with a physician or, if the APRN has qualified to practice independently,

in a hospital or clinic associated with a hospital.

The holder of an APRN license may append the title “A.P.R.N." to his or her

name, as well as a title corresponding to whichever specialty designations that the