NP Practice Information

Nurse Practitioner (NP) practice in Virginia is regulated by the Board of Nursing and the Board of Medicine under a Committee of the Joint Boards. The title “Licensed Nurse Practitioner” (LNP) is used for NPs, Certified Nurse Midwives and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists. NPs engage in the practice of medicine in collaboration with a licensed physician as outlined in their practice agreement. NPs with prescriptive authority may prescribe within the scope of a written practice agreement.

National Organizations

Additional Resources

NP Reimbursement

  • Reimbursement Information (member login required)

Commonly Asked Questions About Practicing in Virginia

Q.  Where can I get the current rules and regulations for nursing and advance practice nursing in Virginia?

A.  Contact the Board of Nursing at 804-367-4515 or check their website at dhp.virginia.gov/

Q.  Who do I contact about work related problems such as scope of practice?

A.  Contact the Virginia Board of Nursing at 804-367-4515

Q.  Where can I get written information on Medicare reimbursement rules?

A.  Check the websites for the American Nursing Association and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners

Q.  How do I go about applying for prescriptive authority? Is it separate from licensure?

A.  Yes, it is a separate application and costs $50. The paperwork can be obtained through the Virginia Board of Nursing.  Applicants must hold a current, unrestricted license as a nurse practitioner in the Commonwealth of Virginia and provide evidence of the following:

  • Continued professional certification as required
  • Satisfactory completion of a graduate level course in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutices obtained as part of their nurse practitioner program within 5 years prior to submission of application
  • Practice as a nurse practitioner for no less than 1000 hours and 15 continuing education units related to the area of practice for each of the two years immediately prior to submission of the application, or thirty contact hours of education in pharmacology or phamacotherapeutics acceptable to the boards taken with five years prior to submission of application.
  • The 30 contact hours may be obtained in formal academic setting as discrete or noncredit continuing education offering and shall include: applicable federal and state laws, prescription writing, drug selection, dosage and route, drug interactions, information resources and clinical application of pharmacology related to specific scope of practice.
Q.  What is the supervisory ratio of doctors to nurse practitioners in Virginia?

A.  1:6

Q.  I am a nurse practitioner from another state. How do I obtain a license in Virginia?

A.  First, contact the Virginia State Board of Nursing at 804-367-4515. You will need licensure as an RN and as an advanced practice nurse. After you complete the applications, you will need to contact your home state and have them send confirmation of your licensure.

Prescriptive authority is site specific. You will need to submit a practice agreement to the State Board of Nursing prior to obtaining prescriptive authority.

Q.  How many contact hours are needed to recertify for licensure as a nurse practitioner?

A.  There are some alternatives depending on when someone was initially licensed.  It is laid out in Regulations 18 VAC 90 -30 -105 for NP’s and there are additional requirements for NP’s with prescriptive authority that can be found in 18 VAC 90-40-55.  You can access these from our website dhp.virginia.gov and then go to Board of Nursing.

Adult Immunization Schedules and Adult Cancer Screening Schedules

Adult Immunization schedules can be found here: cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules and Cancer screening schedules can be downloaded HERE.

CE/CME Website Addresses Available

The educational subcommittee has identified FREE online continuing education sites to fill the void created by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) guideline changes resulting in inability of regions to offer accredited CME dinner programs. The CE website links will be posted on the VCNP webpage for convenience. These sites are easy to use and offer a wide spectrum of educational opportunities. Exams are graded online and your certificate is instantly available for print. Please note that you must be a member of the AANP to use their website. Other sites will be added as identified.