Approval to Practice

North Carolina nurse practitioners are licensed as Registered Nurses by the NC Board of Nursing (NCBON) and then registered (authorized to use the title ‘nurse practitioner’) and ‘approved to practice’ (i.e., authorized to perform medical acts) by the Joint Subcommittee of the BON and the NC Medical Board (NCMB). Online applications for registration and approval to practice are available on the NCBON website at http://www.ncbon.com/NursePractitioner/default.aspx?id=1562.

To be registered as a nurse practitioner an individual must have an RN license, proof of  graduation from an approved NP education program, and proof of national certification consistent with NP education. To be approved to practice, NPs must have a specific practice setting, a designated primary supervising physician and a Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA). State practice regulations for nurse practitioners, commonly referred to as ‘NP Rules’, define these and other important terms and explain in detail all NP practice requirements. To access NP Rules, a sample CPA and other important information about NP practice go to the NCBON website at http://www.ncbon.org. Using the navigation links on the left, click on Practice>>APRN>>NP

The Joint Subcommittee (JSC) meets 5 times per year and is composed of 3 NCBON members and 3 NCMB members. The JSC is authorized by state law to propose changes to NP Rules and to discipline NPs after an investigation of any practice complaints. Meetings are 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. and, except for business requiring a closed session, are open to all NPs and other interested members of the public. A JSC meeting schedule is available in the NCBON website (see above).

Approval to practice must be renewed annually during the NP’s birth month. Fifty hours of continuing education is required for annual renewal.