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General
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The 4 types of New York nursing professions are:

  • Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)
  • Registered Professional Nurses (RNs)
  • Nurse Practitioners (NPs). New York State certifies NPs in the following specialty areas: Acute Care; Adult Health; Family Health; Pediatrics; Women's Health; Psychiatry; Gerontology; Neonatology; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Oncology; Perinatology; School Health; College Health; Holistic Health; Community Health and Palliative care.
  • Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) New York State certifies CNSs in the following specialty areas: Adult Health; Pediatrics; Psychiatric/Mental Health; and Oncology.

Note: In New York, midwifery is not considered a nursing profession. Midwifery is a separately licensed profession.

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New York Law requires the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to charge the following fees:

  • Licensed Professional Nurses (LPNs)
    • If you are applying for an LPN license - you must pay a $143 fee to NYSED. This fee covers your license and your initial LPN registration.
    • If you are also applying for a limited permit - you must pay an additional $35 fee to NYSED.
    • If you are renewing your LPN registration - you must pay a $73 fee to NYSED.
  • Registered Professional Nurses (RNs)
    • If you are applying for an RN license - you must pay a $143 fee to NYSED. This fee covers your license and your initial RN registration.
    • If you are also applying for a limited permit - you must pay an additional $35 fee to NYSED.
    • If you are renewing your RN registration - you must pay a $73 fee to NYSED.
  • Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs)
    • If you are applying for a CNS certificate only - you must pay an $80 fee to NYSED. This fee covers your CNS certificate and your initial CNS registration.
    • If you are applying for an RN license and a CNS certificate - you must pay a $223 fee to NYSED.
    • If you are renewing your CNS and RN registrations, you must pay to NYSED $30 for each CNS certificate that you hold and an additional $73 fee for your RN registration.
  • Nurse Practitioners (NPs)
    • If you are applying for an NP certificate only - you must pay an $85 fee to NYSED. This fee covers your NP certificate and your initial NP registration.
    • If you are applying for an RN license and an NP certificate - you must pay a $228 fee to NYSED.
    • If you are renewing your NP and RN registrations - you must pay to NYSED $35 for each NP certificate that you hold and an additional $73 fee for your RN registration.
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You are legally required to notify the New York State Education Department (NYSED) of your name and/or address change within 30 days. More information on how to notify NYSED of your name or address change.

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When you apply for a nursing license or to renew your nursing registration, you will be required to answer the following questions:

  • Have you been found guilty after trial, or pleaded guilty, no contest or nolo contendere to a crime (felony or misdemeanor) in any court?
  • Are criminal charges pending against you in any court?
  • Has any licensing or disciplinary authority refused to issue you a license or ever revoked, annulled, cancelled, accepted surrender of, suspended, placed on probation, refused to renew a professional license or certificate held by you now or previously, or ever fined, censured, reprimanded, or otherwise disciplined you?
  • Are charges pending against you in any jurisdiction for any sort of professional misconduct? Has any hospital or licensed facility restricted or terminated your professional training, employment or privileges or have you ever voluntarily or involuntarily resigned or withdrawn from such association to avoid imposition of such measures?

You must report all criminal convictions and disciplinary actions against you, regardless of whether it occurred in New York State or elsewhere. You do not have to disclose "youthful offender" offenses, if your records have been sealed.

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Not necessarily. As part of the review of your license or registration application, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) will review your background including your prior conviction(s). NYSED decides on a case by case basis whether your prior criminal conviction(s) will disqualify you from being licensed as a nurse in New York.

Note: Courts often notify NYSED when nurses are convicted of a crime.

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No. US citizens and other persons lawfully in the US may qualify for a nursing license.

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No. You are not required to have a social security number. However, if you have a social security number, you must disclose it on your nursing license application and on your nursing registration renewal applications.

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In New York State, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) is responsible for "approving" (registering) nursing education programs. A list of NYSED registered nursing education programs is available at www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1.html. All out-of-state and online nursing education programs must be registered or approved by NYSED in order to place students in clinical rotations in New York State (except in federal U.S. Armed forces or Veteran's Administration facilities).

Internationally Educated
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There are 5 methods for applying for licensure as an RN in New York State. If you were granted the BN, BSN, or BScN degree after January 1, 2015 from a university in a Canadian province (except Quebec), you may apply for licensure as a recent Canadian graduate (using RN method #4). If you don’t qualify, you may apply for licensure as an internationally educated applicant (using RN method #5).

For instructions for applying for licensure as an RN in New York State, click here.

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There are 5 methods for applying for licensure as an RN in New York State. If you graduated from a nursing school in another country, you can apply for licensure as an internationally educated applicant (using RN method #5).

For instructions for applying for licensure as an RN in New York State, click here.

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Before you will be allowed to take the NCLEX-RN, the following sequence of events must happen:

  1. You must:
    1. apply for licensure as an RN with the New York State Education Department (NYSED);
    2. either have CGFNS verify your nursing education credentials or use Forms 2F and 3F for that purpose; and,
    3. register to take the NCLEX-RN with Pearson Vue.
  2. NYSED must review your RN license application, including your education credentials. If NYSED determines that you are eligible, NYSED will inform Pearson VUE that you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN.
  3. Pearson VUE must issue an "Authorization to Test" or "ATT" to you. The ATT will include an ATT number. You must have an ATT number in order schedule an appointment with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX-RN. Additionally, you must present the ATT and an acceptable form of identification at the test center to take the NCLEX-RN.
Nurse Practitioners
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In New York State, an NP is a registered professional nurse who has completed advanced nursing education (usually a master's or doctorate degree) in a nurse practitioner specialty area and is certified by the NYSED as a "Nurse Practitioner" or "NP". NYSED certifies NPs to practice in the following specialty areas: Adult Health; Family Health; Gerontology; Neonatology; Obstetrics; Oncology; Pediatrics, Perinatology; Psychiatry; School Health; Women's Health; Holistic Care; and Palliative Care. NPs manage the medical and nursing care of their patients. An NP may diagnose illnesses and prescribe treatment for patients only within the specialty area(s) for which the nurse practitioner is certified and the NP must be personally competent to provide the patient care.

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To be certified and registered as an NP in New York State, you must:

  • be registered and licensed as Registered Professional Nurse (RN) in New York State;
  • be a graduate of an NP education program acceptable to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) or be certified as an NP by a national certifying organization acceptable to NYSED or be licensed or certified as an NP by another state or jurisdiction and have met the substantial equivalent of the New York State requirements for NP certification, as determined by NYSED; and
  • apply to be certified as an NP and pay applicable fees to NYSED.
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To practice as an NP, you must be licensed and registered as an RN by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) and certified and registered as an NP by NYSED. Every three years you must renew your NP registration and your RN registration with NYSED to continue practicing as an NP. NYSED mails notices with instructions on renewing registrations five months prior to the expiration each nurse’s current registration. If your address changed and you did not notify NYSED, the notice will not be forwarded to your new address. Please see Question 4 for information on how to change your address.

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Not necessarily. If you are already a New York State licensed RN, New York Law does not specifically require that you pass an additional license exam to be certified as an NP. If you graduate from an NP education program registered by NYSED, you do not have to pass an examination to be certified as an NP. However, if you are trying to meet New York State criteria for certification as NP by being certified by a national certifying organization, you may have to pass an examination in order to obtain the NP certification from the national certifying organization.

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All newly certified NPs are required to file Form 4NP-Verification of Collaborative Agreement and Practice Protocol, with NYSED within 90 days after starting professional practice, except for NPs who opt to practice and have collaborative relationships as allowed by law. The Form 4NP is a signed document verifying that an NP has a written collaborative practice agreement with a physician. An NP is not required to file any additional Form 4NP with NYSED. A completed Form 4NP is not a collaborative practice agreement. You can download copies of Form 4NP from NYSED's website.

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No. In New York State, the criteria for certification as a nurse practitioner are different from the criteria for certification as a clinical nurse specialist.

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Your nurse practitioner education program must be registered by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in order to place students in clinical rotations in New York State (except in federal Veteran's Administration or US Armed Forces facilities). To find out whether an out-of-state or online nursing education program is registered by NYSED, e-mail NYSED at: opprogs@nysed.gov. Please be sure to provide the name and address the nursing education program that you are enrolled in. If you are not enrolled in an NYSED registered nurse practitioner education program, it could also be illegal for you to do nurse practitioner clinical rotations in New York State (except in federal Veteran’s Administration and US Armed Forces facilities).

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Newly certified NPs must obtain additional governmental approvals to prescribe medications and medical devices in New York State. Information on requirements for prescribing are available in the NP Practice section of this web site. Questions may also be referred to the Nursing Board Office by e-mailing nursebd@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 120.