1
NR 500
APN Professional Development Plan
Chamberlain University College
NR 500: Foundational Concepts and Advanced Practice Roles
APN Professional Development Plan
The healthcare industry recognizes advanced practice nurses (APN) as respected and
essential professionals (Zhang et al., 2020). APNs are in an influential position to advocate for
positive change, improve patient care, and improve patient health outcomes (Zhang et al., 2020).
Understanding what it means to become an APN requires preparation and exploration of the
APN field. It is essential to have a professional development plan to understand the requirements
of an APN. The professional development plan will help a successful transition from a registered
nurse and help facilitate a thriving career. When I graduate, I plan to practice as an NP in the
state of California. In this paper, I will elaborate on the NP's education process, licensure,
regulatory requirements, core competencies, and the types of leadership skills.
APN Scope of Practice
There are defined rules and regulations that set laws in the practicing state to guide the
APN towards safe nursing practice and competent care known as the Nursing Practice Act
(California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). In California, the Board of Registered Nursing
is the body that governs the scope of practice and responsibilities for all nurses (California Board
of Registered Nursing, 2020). All APNs must meet the educational, licensure, and regulatory
requirements to practice. As of January 1, 2008, to meet the qualifications of an NP in California,
, 2
the applicant must possess a valid and active RN license, have a master's degree in nursing, and
satisfactorily complete an accredited NP program that is approved by the board of nursing
(California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). To have an RN license, the student must at least
possess an associate's degree in nursing to qualify for RN licensure. This process can take about
four years, while two years are in the RN program. The applicant will need to pass the state
board exam known as the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to earn an RN
license. If the RN did not graduate with a bachelor's degree, they would have to bridge into a
bachelor's in the nursing curriculum to obtain the degree, taking an average of one and a half
years to complete. The RN with a bachelor's degree is then eligible to apply to the master's
program to graduate as an NP, which on average, can take two to three years.
There is two organization known as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
(AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) that offers certifying exams for
NPs (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). The AANP exam and ANCC exam differs
from question styles, question content, amount of questions, allocated test times, and type of
examinations for different specialties (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). The final
step after the NP passes the examination is to apply for licensure. In California, the licensure
laws restrict NPs to practice independently (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020).
However, there is a bill (AB 890) sitting on the governer's desk to be signed by September 30,
2020, to allow NPs to practice without a physician (California Legislative Information, 2020).
Until then, the restrictions will remain depending on the outcome of the bill. In California, the
prescriptive authority of NPs may order, administer, dispense, and prescribe drugs, as well as II-
V controlled substances. Still, they will do so under the physician's supervision (California Board
of Registered Nursing, 2020).
NR 500
APN Professional Development Plan
Chamberlain University College
NR 500: Foundational Concepts and Advanced Practice Roles
APN Professional Development Plan
The healthcare industry recognizes advanced practice nurses (APN) as respected and
essential professionals (Zhang et al., 2020). APNs are in an influential position to advocate for
positive change, improve patient care, and improve patient health outcomes (Zhang et al., 2020).
Understanding what it means to become an APN requires preparation and exploration of the
APN field. It is essential to have a professional development plan to understand the requirements
of an APN. The professional development plan will help a successful transition from a registered
nurse and help facilitate a thriving career. When I graduate, I plan to practice as an NP in the
state of California. In this paper, I will elaborate on the NP's education process, licensure,
regulatory requirements, core competencies, and the types of leadership skills.
APN Scope of Practice
There are defined rules and regulations that set laws in the practicing state to guide the
APN towards safe nursing practice and competent care known as the Nursing Practice Act
(California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). In California, the Board of Registered Nursing
is the body that governs the scope of practice and responsibilities for all nurses (California Board
of Registered Nursing, 2020). All APNs must meet the educational, licensure, and regulatory
requirements to practice. As of January 1, 2008, to meet the qualifications of an NP in California,
, 2
the applicant must possess a valid and active RN license, have a master's degree in nursing, and
satisfactorily complete an accredited NP program that is approved by the board of nursing
(California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). To have an RN license, the student must at least
possess an associate's degree in nursing to qualify for RN licensure. This process can take about
four years, while two years are in the RN program. The applicant will need to pass the state
board exam known as the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to earn an RN
license. If the RN did not graduate with a bachelor's degree, they would have to bridge into a
bachelor's in the nursing curriculum to obtain the degree, taking an average of one and a half
years to complete. The RN with a bachelor's degree is then eligible to apply to the master's
program to graduate as an NP, which on average, can take two to three years.
There is two organization known as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners
(AANP) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) that offers certifying exams for
NPs (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). The AANP exam and ANCC exam differs
from question styles, question content, amount of questions, allocated test times, and type of
examinations for different specialties (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020). The final
step after the NP passes the examination is to apply for licensure. In California, the licensure
laws restrict NPs to practice independently (California Board of Registered Nursing, 2020).
However, there is a bill (AB 890) sitting on the governer's desk to be signed by September 30,
2020, to allow NPs to practice without a physician (California Legislative Information, 2020).
Until then, the restrictions will remain depending on the outcome of the bill. In California, the
prescriptive authority of NPs may order, administer, dispense, and prescribe drugs, as well as II-
V controlled substances. Still, they will do so under the physician's supervision (California Board
of Registered Nursing, 2020).
