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In Virginia, the state’s Board of Nursing and the Board of Medicine maintains the licensure procedure and practice of Licensed Nurse Practitioners (LNPs).
Nurse-midwives and nurse anesthetists are considered specialties of nurse practitioners.
In Virginia, there are eight other specialties, and each refers to a healthcare worker focuses on various populations and having a specific area of practice.
Nurse practitioners get their licenses according to their graduate education and specialty certification.
Clinical nurse specialists are not recognized as nurse practitioners in Virginia, but they are registered with the Board of Nursing.
To become a nurse practitioner or a clinical nurse specialist, one must hold a registered nurse license.
For out of state nurses who come from the countries that are part of the compact agreement, additional licensing in the new state isn’t required.
Table of Contents
- 1 Nurse Practitioner Specialties in Virginia
- 2 Education Requirements
- 3 NP Certification
- 4 Provisional NP License
- 5 Prescriptive Authority
- 6 Out-of-State Nurse Practitioners
- 7 The Nurse Practitioner Application Process
- 8 License Renewal
- 9 Clinical Nurse Specialist Requirements and Application Process
- 10 Schools
- 11 Salary
Nurse Practitioner Specialties in Virginia
There are several specialties for aspiring nurse practitioners in Virginia.
Those are:
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner
Education Requirements
To become a nurse practitioner, one must complete an approved graduate program in a chosen clinical specialty.
Several agencies are recognized as appropriate in the process of program approval and accreditation.
Those are American College of Nurse-Midwives, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs/Schools, and National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
Additionally, the licensing agency may approve some other programs at schools of nursing, but only if they meet minimum standards.
NP Certification
After a nurse practitioner completes the educational program, he or she may be granted provisional licensure.
However, to gain national certification, a nurse practitioner needs to be certified through a nationally recognized certification agency.
In Virginia, multiple organizations operate and provide certifications in various specialty areas.
The list of appropriate certification agencies is extensive and some of those are American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Certification Corporation, American Midwifery Certification Board, American Nurses Credentialing Center
The National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists, National Certification Corporation, and the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board are also on the list of approved agencies.
The certification is examination based and the nurse practitioners become eligible to take the test after they complete an approved program.
Provisional NP License
Aspiring nurse practitioners may get a provisional license which will allow him or her to practice.
There are three cases in which the provisional license is granted.
One can get a provisional license until he or she is granted a permanent license, or until the notification of the examination failure comes or during six months elapse.
If you are interested in provisional licensure, your certifying agency needs to submit documentation of eligibility to the licensing agency.
Prescriptive Authority
In Virginia, a nurse practitioner with valid certification may earn the prescriptive authority.
Similarly, the authority may be granted due to recent pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics coursework in a duration of 30 contact hours.
Only those NPs who completed the appropriate course work in the last five years can get their coursework as creditable.
Additionally, an experienced NPs may also get prescriptive authority due to recent practice and continuous education.
In this case, the prescriptive authority requirements include 1.000 hours of practice and 15 hours of education within the last two years.
Prescriptive authority is subject to renewal every two years.
To renew the authority, an LPN needs to have a minimum of eight hours of pharmacology/ pharmacotherapeutics continuing education.
Out-of-State Nurse Practitioners
In Virginia out-of-state NPs get their Virginia licenses due to their home state licenses or national certification.
A home-state license needs to be valid at the moment of the granting new license procedure.
The Nurse Practitioner Application Process
In Virginia, aspiring nurse practitioners can apply online for initial NP licensure on the website of the Department of Health.
The documentation includes proof of national certification and appropriate education.
Additionally, aspiring LPNs need to pay a fee of $125.
License Renewal
To renew their license, LPNs need to provide evidence of current certification or continuing education, if they don’t hold national certification.
Clinical Nurse Specialist Requirements and Application Process
Even though clinical nurse specialists are considered LPNs, their pathways are similar.
Aspiring CNSs need to complete graduate education and get nationally certified and apply for registration in Virginia.
Schools
There are quite a few options in Virginia for nurse practitioner education.
For example, Old Dominion University offers online MSN programs with a concentration on Family nurse practitioner, Adult/Gerontology, Neonatal, and Pediatrics.
Shenandoah University in Winchester has DNP, MSN, and Graduate Certificate programs conducted on campus.
The University of Virginia in Charlottesville has a variety of accredited programs including BSN to DNP bridge programs.
If you are interested in hybrid programs, you can choose a program at George Mason University, as the programs include classroom courses and online education.
Check the table for more information.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| George Mason University | 4400 University Dr Fairfax, VA 22030, (703) 993-1000 |
| Hampton University | 100 E Queen St Hampton, VA 23668, (757) 727-5000 |
| Jefferson College of Health Sciences | Southeast, 101 Elm Ave Roanoke, VA 24016, (888) 985-8483 |
| Marymount University | 2807 N Glebe Rd Arlington, VA 22207, (703) 522-5600 |
| Old Dominion University | 5115 Hampton Blvd Norfolk, VA 23529, (757) 683-3000 |
| Radford University | E Main St Radford, VA 24141, (540) 831-5000 |
| Shenandoah University | 1460 University Dr Winchester, VA 22601, (540) 665-4500 |
| South University - Richmond | 2151 Old Brick Rd Glen Allen, VA 23060, (804) 727-6800 |
| University of Virginia | 225 Jeanette Lancaster Way Charlottesville, VA 22903-3388, (434) 924-0141 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 1100 East Leigh Street Richmond, VA 23298, (804) 828-0724 |
Salary
A salary of a nurse practitioner depends on specialization, location, facility, experience, certificates, etc.
An average annual salary of an LPN in Virginia is $108.775.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $104,616 |
| Norfolk | $103,040 |
| Chesapeake | $102,909 |
| Richmond | $109,674 |
| Newport News | $102,515 |
| Hampton | $102,515 |
| Alexandria | $121,108 |
| Portsmouth | $103,040 |
| Roanoke | $101,067 |
| Lynchburg | $100,796 |
Regional Salary in Virginia
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | 110 | $117,300 | $56.39 | $127,980 | $92,930 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 500 | $127,680 | $61.39 | $163,400 | $105,070 |
| Harrisonburg, VA | 80 | $114,470 | $55.03 | $146,450 | $87,910 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 270 | $113,780 | $54.7 | $145,760 | $81,870 |
| Richmond, VA | 1,310 | $125,900 | $60.53 | $150,370 | $102,990 |
| Roanoke, VA | 290 | $113,710 | $54.67 | $133,430 | $97,250 |
| Staunton-Waynesboro, VA | 80 | $124,400 | $59.81 | $159,350 | $97,070 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 1,600 | $118,230 | $56.84 | $134,880 | $96,640 |
| Winchester, VA-WV | 160 | $116,120 | $55.83 | $134,630 | $94,790 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Nurse Practitioner by State