1. (a) A nurse practitioner applicant seeking registration or first-time approval to practice after January 1, 2000, shall provide evidence of current certification as a nurse practitioner by a national credentialing body.

2. (b) A nurse practitioner applicant seeking registration or first-time approval to practice who completed a nurse practitioner education program prior to December 31, 1999 shall provide evidence of completion of a course of education that contains a core curriculum including 400 contact hours of didactic education and 400 contact hours of preceptorship or supervised clinical experience. The core curriculum shall contain the following components:

   1. (1) health assessment and diagnostic reasoning including:

      1. (A) historical data;
      2. (B) physical examination data;
      3. (C) organization of data base;
   2. (2) pharmacology;
   3. (3) pathophysiology;

   4. (4) clinical management of common health problems and diseases such as the following shall be included in the nurse practitioner's academic program:

      1. (A) respiratory system;
      2. (B) cardiovascular system;
      3. (C) gastrointestinal system;
      4. (D) genitourinary system;
      5. (E) integumentary system;
      6. (F) hematologic and immune systems;
      7. (G) endocrine system;
      8. (H) musculoskeletal system;
      9. (I) infectious diseases;
      10. (J) nervous system;
      11. (K) behavioral, mental health, and substance abuse problems;
   5. (5) clinical preventative services, including health promotion and prevention of disease;
   6. (6) client education related to Subparagraph (b)(4) and (5) of this Rule; and
   7. (7) role development including legal, ethical, economical, health policy, and interdisciplinary collaboration issues.

3. (c) Nurse practitioner applicants exempt from components of the core curriculum requirements listed in Paragraph (b) of this Rule are:

   1. (1) Any nurse practitioner approved to practice in North Carolina prior to January 18, 1981, is permanently exempt from the core curriculum requirement.

   2. (2) A nurse practitioner certified by a national credentialing body prior to January 1, 1998, who also provides evidence of satisfying Subparagraphs (b)(1) – (3) of this Rule shall be exempt from core curriculum requirements in Sub-paragraphs (b)(4) – (7) of this Rule. Evidence of satisfying Subparagraphs (b)(1) – (3) of this Rule shall include:

      1. (A) a narrative of course content; and
      2. (B) contact hours.

History Note: Authority G.S. 90-5.1(a)(3); 90-18(c)(14);
Eff. January 1, 1991;
Recodified from 21 NCAC 32M .0005 Eff. January 1, 1996;
Amended Eff. May 1, 1999; January 1, 1996;
Recodified from 21 NCAC 32M .0104 Eff. August 1, 2004;
Amended Eff. December 1, 2009; December 1, 2006; August 1, 2004;
Pursuant to G.S. 150B-21.3A rule is necessary without substantive public interest Eff. March 1, 2016;
Amended Eff. June 1, 2021.