(a) Every advanced practice registered nurse or registered or licensed practical nurse licensed under this chapter shall reregister biennially by filing an application; provided however, that the license of any licensee who is on active military duty with the armed forces of the United States and serving in a theater of hostilities on the date such application or reregistration is due shall be deemed to be current and in full compliance with this chapter until the expiration of 60 days after such licensee is no longer on active military duty in a theater of hostilities. The advanced practice registered nurses’ licensure or prescriptive authority is subject to biennial renewal coinciding with RN license renewal. In the event the applicant has not been actively employed in professional, practical, or advanced practice registered nursing in the past 5 years, the applicant must provide evidence of satisfactory completion of an appropriate board-approved nursing advanced practice refresher program within 1 year before licensure by reinstatement.

APRNs who have been out of active clinical practice more than 2 years but less than 5 years must submit 24 hours of CE with 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics and 12 hours in the clinical management of patients taken within 1 year before application. APRNs who have been out of active clinical practice more than 5 years must submit 45 hours of pharmacotherapeutics CE taken within 1 year before application and the advanced practice refresher program. In the event no advanced practice refresher program is available, the applicant must complete 600 hours of supervised clinical experience in the appropriate advanced practice role and population focus, with a qualified preceptor within 1 year before licensure by reinstatement. A qualified APRN preceptor must hold an active unencumbered license or privilege to practice as an APRN or be a physician who has an active unencumbered license and practices in a comparable practice focus in the clinical setting.

(b) Upon receipt of the application and fee, the Board shall verify the accuracy of the information set forth in the application and issue to the applicant a certificate of renewal of license for 2 years, provided that the applicant has successfully completed continuing education requirements as may be established by the Board. Such certificate shall entitle the holder to engage in the practice of professional, practical, or advanced practice registered nursing for the period stated therein. Any licensee whose license lapses for failure to renew the license may be reinstated by the Board upon satisfactory evidence of active employment in professional, practical, or advanced practice registered nursing within the past 5 years or satisfactory completion of a refresher program within an approved agency within a 1-year period prior to renewal and upon satisfactory explanation for the failure to renew the license and payment of a penalty fee to be determined.

(c) A license may be renewed up to 60 days past the license’s expiration date, by submitting to the Division of Professional Regulation payment of the penalty fee referred to in subsection (b) of this section and proof of completion of continuing education requirements. The license of a nurse who fails to renew on time is considered lapsed and the nurse is not permitted to work until the license is renewed. Licensees who fail to renew during the renewal period or during the 60-day late renewal period must apply for reinstatement.

(d) After a license has lapsed or been inactive for 5 or more years and the applicant has not been in active practice in professional or practical nursing in the past 5 years, the applicant will be required to give evidence of satisfactory completion of a professional or practical nursing refresher program within an approved agency within 1 year prior to reinstatement before licensure by reinstatement will be granted. In the event no refresher course is available the Board may consider alternate methods of evaluating current knowledge in professional or practical nursing.

(e) Any person practicing nursing during the time that person’s license has lapsed shall be considered an illegal practitioner and shall be subject to the penalties provided for violations of this chapter.

(f) Any person licensed under this chapter who desires to retire from practice in this State shall so notify the Board. Upon receipt of such notice, the Board shall place the name of such person on a nonpracticing list. While on this list, such person shall not be required to pay any license fee, and shall not practice nursing in this State. When such person desires to resume practice, application for renewal shall be made under subsection (a) of this section and the license shall be reactivated if the requirements of the Board are met.

(g) Temporary permits to practice nursing may be issued by the Board to persons who have requested reinstatement of their license, if they have practiced nursing within the past 5 years.

(h) Every registered or licensed practical nurse licensed under this chapter primarily engaged in the practice of electrolysis shall be exempt from the requirement in subsection (a) of this section that states in the event the applicant has not been actively employed in professional practical nursing in the past 5 years, the applicant will be required to give evidence of satisfactory completion of a professional or practical nursing refresher program within 2 years prior to renewal before licensure by renewal will be granted.

(i) An individual licensed under this chapter may, upon written request to the Board, be placed in an inactive status in accordance with the Board’s rules and regulations. An individual may reenter practice from inactive status if the individual provides written notification to the Board of the individual’s intent and complies with any relevant provisions of this chapter and the Board’s regulations.

24 Del. C. 1953, § 1917; 54 Del. Laws, c. 153; 57 Del. Laws, c. 668, § 8; 64 Del. Laws, c. 26, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 221, § 2; 65 Del. Laws, c. 466, § 2; 69 Del. Laws, c. 319, § 11; 69 Del. Laws, c. 372, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 482, §§ 17-20, 27, 28; 78 Del. Laws, c. 122, §§ 1, 2; 80 Del. Laws, c. 171; 81 Del. Laws, c. 80, § 9.