(a) The Department of Public Health may issue an advanced practice registered nurse license to a person seeking to perform the activities described in subsection (b) of section 20-87a, upon receipt of a fee of two hundred dollars, to an applicant who: (1) Maintains a license as a registered nurse in this state, as provided by section 20-93 or 20-94; (2) holds and maintains current certification as a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist or a nurse anesthetist from one of the following national certifying bodies that certify nurses in advanced practice: The American Nurses' Association, the Nurses' Association of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Certification Corporation, the National Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Associates or the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, their successors or other appropriate national certifying bodies approved by the Board of Examiners for Nursing; (3) has completed thirty hours of education in pharmacology for advanced nursing practice; and (4) (A) holds a graduate degree in nursing or in a related field recognized for certification as either a nurse practitioner, a clinical nurse specialist, or a nurse anesthetist by one of the foregoing certifying bodies, or (B) (i) on or before December 31, 2004, completed an advanced nurse practitioner program that a national certifying body identified in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section recognized for certification of a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse anesthetist, and (ii) at the time of application, holds a current license as an advanced practice registered nurse in another state that requires a master's degree in nursing or a related field for such licensure. No license shall be issued under this section to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint.

(b) During the period commencing January 1, 1990, and ending January 1, 1992, the Department of Public Health may in its discretion allow a registered nurse, who has been practicing as an advanced practice registered nurse in a nurse practitioner role and who is unable to obtain certification as a nurse practitioner by one of the national certifying bodies specified in subsection (a) of this section, to be licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse provided the individual:

(1) Holds a current Connecticut license as a registered nurse pursuant to this chapter;

(2) Presents the department with documentation of the reasons one of such national certifying bodies will not certify him as a nurse practitioner;

(3) Has been in active practice as a nurse practitioner for at least five years in a facility licensed pursuant to section 19a-491;

(4) Provides the department with documentation of his preparation as a nurse practitioner;

(5) Provides the department with evidence of at least seventy-five contact hours, or its equivalent, of continuing education related to his nurse practitioner specialty in the preceding five calendar years;

(6) Has completed thirty hours of education in pharmacology for advanced nursing practice;

(7) Has his employer provide the department with a description of his practice setting, job description, and a plan for supervision by a licensed physician;

(8) Notifies the department of each change of employment to a new setting where he will function as an advanced practice registered nurse and will be exercising prescriptive and dispensing privileges.

(c) Any person who obtains a license pursuant to subsection (b) of this section shall be eligible to renew such license annually provided he presents the department with evidence that he received at least fifteen contact hours, or its equivalent, eight hours of which shall be in pharmacology, of continuing education related to his nurse practitioner specialty in the preceding licensure year. If an individual licensed pursuant to subsection (b) of this subsection becomes eligible at any time for certification as a nurse practitioner by one of the national certifying bodies specified in subsection (a) of this section, the individual shall apply for certification, and upon certification so notify the department, and apply to be licensed as an advanced practice registered nurse in accordance with subsection (a) of this section.

(d) A person who has received a license pursuant to this section shall be known as an “Advanced Practice Registered Nurse” and no other person shall assume such title or use the letters or figures which indicate that the person using the same is a licensed advanced practice registered nurse.

(P.A. 89-389, S. 3, 22; P.A. 91-106, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 99-168, S. 2; P.A. 00-135, S. 7, 21; P.A. 04-221, S. 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 197; P.A. 11-242, S. 77; P.A. 12-197, S. 48.)

History: P.A. 91-106 amended Subsec. (b) to extend until January 1, 1992, the department's discretion to license under Subsec. (b) and to change the continuing education requirements of Subdiv. (5) to be 75 contact hours in the preceding five years and amended Subsec. (c) to increase from 8 to 15 hours the continuing education requirements; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-168 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by requiring maintenance of a registered nurse license rather than eligibility for licensure and amended Subsec. (a)(2) to include successor organizations or other appropriate national certifying bodies and to make a technical change; P.A. 00-135 amended Subsec. (a) by making a technical change and changing “maintains a license” to “is eligible for a license” in Subdiv. (1), effective May 26, 2000; P.A. 04-221 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by changing requirement from eligibility for a license to maintenance of a license; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (a) to increase fee from $100 to $200; P.A. 11-242 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by substituting “graduate degree” for “master's degree”; P.A. 12-197 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by deleting provision re certification after December 31, 1994, designating existing provision re qualifications as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re alternative qualifications.