1. (a) Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) licensure shall be designated in one (1) of the four (4) roles below and at least one (1) population focus:

   1. (1) Family/individual across the lifespan;
   2. (2) Adult-gerontology;
   3. (3) Neonatal;
   4. (4) Pediatrics;
   5. (5) Women’s health/gender-related; or
   6. (6) Psychiatric/mental health.
2. (b) A current, unencumbered registered nurse license to practice in Arkansas is required for all categories of advanced practice licensure.
3. (c) Effective January 1, 2003, all applicants for advanced practice licensure by examination shall have completed a graduate or post-graduate level advanced practice registered nursing education program.
4. (d) Applicants for advanced practice licensure by endorsement shall have met the educational and certification requirements set forth in Arkansas State Board of Nursing rules at the time of their initial licensure as an advanced practice registered nurse in another jurisdiction.

5. (e) APRN roles and their respective qualifications are:

   1. (1) Certified nurse practitioner:

      1. (A) Successful completion of a nationally accredited graduate or post-graduate APRN education program that prepares nurses for the advanced practice role of nurse practitioner; and
      2. (B) Hold current certification by a national certifying body recognized by the board in the APRN role and population foci appropriate for educational preparation;

   2. (2) Certified registered nurse anesthetist:

      1. (A) Successful completion of a nationally accredited graduate or postgraduate APRN education program that prepares nurses to perform as nurse anesthetists; and
      2. (B) Hold current certification by a national certifying body recognized by the board in the APRN role and population foci appropriate for educational preparation;

   3. (3) Certified nurse midwife:

      1. (A) Successful completion of a nationally accredited graduate or postgraduate APRN education program that prepares nurses for the advanced practice role of nurse midwife; and
      2. (B) Hold current certification by a national certifying body recognized by the board in the APRN role and population foci appropriate for educational preparation; and

   4. (4) Clinical nurse specialist:

      1. (A) Successful completion of a nationally accredited graduate or postgraduate APRN education program that prepares nurses for the advanced practice role of clinical nurse specialist, which shall include supervised clinical practice and classroom instruction in a nursing clinical practice specialty; and
      2. (B) Hold current certification by a national certifying body recognized by the board in the APRN role and population foci appropriate for educational preparation.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules contained the following parenthetical immediately following the list in subsection (a): “(effective 2015)”