12 AAC 44.400. Requirements for initial authorization

(a) An applicant for initial authorization to practice as an advanced nurse practitioner as defined in AS 08.68.410 (1)

(1) must have satisfactorily completed

(A) a formal one-academic-year educational course of study that

(i) prepares registered nurses to perform an expanded role in the delivery of health care;

(ii) includes a combination of classroom instruction and a component of supervised clinical practice; and

(iii) awards a degree, diploma, or certificate to persons who successfully complete the course of study;

(B) repealed 4/27/97;

(2) must hold a current license to practice as a registered nurse in Alaska; and

(3) must hold a current certification of nurse practitioner in a specialty area of nursing granted by a national certification body recognized by the board; and

(4) shall, in the absence of a continuing education requirement of the certifying body, submit documented evidence of having obtained 30 contact hours of continuing education in the specialty area of the nurse practitioner every two years; and

(5) when delivering health care services to the public, shall have in effect a written plan that is kept current and made available to the board at any time the board considers it necessary for good cause; the plan must

(A) describe the applicant's clinical practice;

(B) identify the expected category of clients, which is within the scope of practice of the applicant;

(C) list the applicant's method of routine consultations and referrals, the method of documenting routine consultations and referrals in the patient record; and the names and titles of health care providers that the applicant will use for routine consultations and referrals, including at least one physician who is appropriate to the applicant's focus of practice if the applicant's practice will include medical diagnosis and treatment;

(D) list the applicant's method for emergency referrals, including the names and contact information of physicians, hospitals, and other medical personnel or facilities to be used in case of emergency;

(E) list the name of the pharmacist for potential use of dispensing privileges; and

(F) describe the process for quality assurance the applicant will use to evaluate the applicant's practice, including

(i) the use of standards that apply to the area of practice;

(ii) present or past review of the practice;

(iii) use of preestablished criteria; and

(iv) a written evaluation of the quality assurance review with a plan for corrective action, if indicated, and follow up;

(6) shall submit a completed application on a form provided by the department; the completed application must include

(A) the names and addresses of three persons who may be contacted as professional references;

(B) one fully completed reference form, signed by one of the persons named under (A) of this paragraph, that indicates that the applicant is competent to practice; and

(C) the applicant's notarized signature certifying that the information in the application is correct to the best of the applicant's knowledge; and

(7) shall submit the initial biennial authorization fee established by 12 AAC 02.280.

(b) Repealed 12/1/84.

(d) To meet the requirements of (a)(3) of this section, an applicant for an authorization to practice as an adult or family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner must submit

(1) certification issued by the American Nurses Credentialing Center before January 1, 2003 certifying that the applicant has passed the examination administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for

(A) psychiatric mental health clinical nurse specialist; or

(B) adult or family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner; or

(2) certification issued by the American Nurses Credentialing Center on or after January 1, 2003 certifying that the applicant has passed the examination administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for adult or family psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

History: Eff. 1/13/80, Register 73; am 5/16/81, Register 78; am 12/1/84, Register 91; am 11/7/87, Register 104; am 4/27/97, Register 142; am 11/2/2001, Register 160; am 11/16/2002, Register 164

Authority: AS 08.68.100

AS 08.68.410

Editor's note: Information on the Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist examination and the Adult or Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner examination referred to in 12 AAC 44.400 may be obtained from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 100 West, Washington, DC 20024-2571; phone (202) 651-7000.

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