The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) protests the National Council State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Aug. 12 passage of an amended APRN Compact and will not support efforts to enact state legislation necessary for implementation.

Although NAPNAP strongly supports the concept of an APRN compact to enable advanced practice nurses to provide quality care across state lines, we oppose the amended APRN Compact’s detrimental, arbitrary and unnecessary requirement for 2,080 practice hours prior to multistate licensure eligibility. The inclusion of minimum practice hours as a requirement for a multistate APRN license directly conflicts with the Consensus Model and with evidence APRNs are prepared to safely enter practice after graduation from an accredited program and passage of a national certification board examination. This barrier significantly and negatively impacts access to high-quality, affordable health care for children and their families. This onerous regulatory barrier will create unreasonable and costly regulatory challenges in states that have not adopted practice hours requirements or are working to retire them.

Further, the absence of an APRN advisory committee to counsel Compact Administrators is detrimental to advanced practice nursing as a profession. The perspectives and expertise of the License, Accreditation, Certification and Education community (LACE Network) are essential to support and assist administrative entities governing the regulation of advanced nursing practice.

NAPNAP strongly believes that, in the midst of a public health pandemic that has exposed oppressive barriers created by arbitrary inconsistencies and unnecessary restrictions in APRN licensure, it is more important than ever for the nursing profession to uphold the principles of the Consensus Model and to speak with a clear, unified voice to patients, regulators and state governments. The amended compact requirements will create greater confusion and misunderstanding regarding APRN education and clinical preparation. Despite the urgent need for APRN compact licensure, we will not endorse adoption of the current requirements.

Sept. 22, 2020

Related: Read the Nurse Practitioner Roundtable Position on Revised APRN Compact Licensure.