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The Wisconsin Board of Nursing under the umbrella of the State of Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing and through the State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (phone: 877-617-1565, DSPS@wisconsin.gov), grants approval for qualified registered nurses to work as either certified nurse-midwifes (CNMs), or as Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers (APNP). The Board recognizes three different types of Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers:
- Nurse practitioner (NP)
- Certified nurse anesthetist (CNA)
- Clinical nurse specialist (CNS)
In Wisconsin, advanced practice nursing involves holding prescriptive authority as a matter of standard protocol. Only pursue APNP certification through the Wisconsin Board of Nursing if you wish to hold prescriptive authority.
Wisconsin Job Statistics
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To be approved to work as an APNP or CNM, you must have a valid, unencumbered Wisconsin RN license. If you do not have an active RN license in Wisconsin, you can obtain one by completing one of the following steps:
- If you are a new graduate, you can complete the Registered Nurse Licensure by Examination application
- If you currently hold an RN license in another state, you can complete the Registered Nurse Licensure by Endorsement application
- If your RN license is expired in Wisconsin, you can apply again using the Application for Re-Registration of Registered Nurse License
Nurse Licensure Compact
Wisconsin is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Compact offers practice privileges for registered nurses in all compact states. Participating Nurse Licensure Compact states are Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The Compact privileges only apply to RNs and not to Wisconsin’s advanced practice nurses, including Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers and Certified Registered Nurse Midwives.
With your RN license, you can follow these steps to become an Advanced Registered Nurse Prescriber or Certified Registered Nurse Midwife in Wisconsin.
Step 1. Get your Graduate Degree
To qualify for APNP certification in Wisconsin, you must hold a master’s degree in nursing or a related health field from a college or university that obtained accreditation by a regional accreditation agency approved by the Board of Education in the state where the institution is located, or from a program that has received programmatic accreditation by the nationally recognized advanced nursing practice accrediting agencies. Review accreditation agencies recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE). Regional accrediting agencies can be found under “Institutional Accrediting Agencies.” Nursing-specific programmatic accrediting agencies can be found under “Specialized or Programmatic Accrediting Agencies.
Course Requirements
The Wisconsin State Board of Nursing requires the following core courses for APNPs:
- Pathophysiology (all general principles applicable across the human lifespan)
- Advanced pharmacology (includes pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics of broad categories of agents)
- Physical evaluation/assessment (includes assessment of all systems of the body, advanced assessment methods, techniques and concepts)
Prescriptive Authority Requirements
Within three years of applying for a national certificate, you must complete and submit proof of at least 45 contact hours in clinical pharmacology/therapeutics. The proof submitted must include the title of the course, the number of pharmacology hours per course, and the date you completed the course.
As an APNP who anticipates the need to prepare prescription orders for controlled substances in addition to medication, you must also register with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). You can contact the DEA at 1-800-882-9539 for more information.
CNM Education Requirements
To work toward a CNM certificate in Wisconsin, you must complete an educational program that results in a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in nurse-midwifery. The program must be an American College of Nurse-Midwives accredited program.
Step 2. Earn your National Certification
After you complete your graduate education, you are then eligible to take an exam to become nationally certified in your nursing specialty:
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CNA)
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)
- Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM)
To be state-certified as an Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber by the Wisconsin Board of Nursing, you must first hold national certification through one of these certifying bodies:
- National Board of Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists
- American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- School Nurse Practitioner
- Gerontological Nurse Practitioner
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (community health, child and adolescent psychiatric and mental health, adult psychiatric and mental health, home health, gerontology, and medical/surgical
- Pediatric Nursing Certification Board
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
- American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP
- Adult Nurse Practitioner
- National Certification Corporation
- Ob/Gyn Nurse Practitioner (Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner)
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- American Association of Critical Care Nurses
Clinical Nurse Specialist (acute and critical care)
- American Midwifery Certification Board
- Certified Nurse Midwife
Step 3. Apply for your APNP or CNM Certification
APNP Certification
To apply for your APNP certification in Wisconsin as a Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CNA), or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), you must complete an application packet that includes the following forms:
- Application for Certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber. The following documentation must also be submitted:
- Evidence of malpractice insurance coverage (copy of insurance card) or form #2157 if you do not carry personal liability insurance coverage
- Verification of current national certification letters from all appropriate national certifying boards. To provide verification of your current national certification as a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or certified nurse anesthetist, contact the appropriate national certifying board and ask them to send the verification directly to the Department of Safety & Professional Services, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935.
- Copies of malpractice suits, with attached court documents, if applicable
- Social Security form (page 6 of the application, Form #2124)
- Current employment verification. Ask your employer to submit a letter directly to the Department of Safety & Professional Services, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935.
- Application Form for Advanced Practice Nurse Prescribers Who Do Not Carry Personal Liability Insurance Coverage (as applicable) (Form #2157). You should fill this form out if you are either: (a) covered under a group liability policy providing individual coverage; (b) covered under a group liability policy providing group coverage; or (c) if you are an advanced practice prescriber who practices as an employee of the state or governmental subdivision.
- Application for Certification of Master’s Degree (Form #2367). This application should be completed and forwarded to the college or university where you received your graduate education. The college or university should then complete the form and return it directly to the Department of Safety & Professional Services, Wisconsin Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935. Your application will be rejected if you send this information yourself.
- Convictions and Pending Charges form (as applicable). Complete this form if you have been convicted of a crime or you have criminal charges pending against you and send it with your application. An additional fee of $8.00 is required to process this form. This form cannot be faxed.
- Verification of License form (as applicable) (Form #741). This form must be completed if you are currently licensed or have ever been licensed in another state or country. Forward this form to the other state board(s) and ask them to return the form(s) directly to the Department of Safety & Professional Services, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8395, Madison, WI 53708-8935.
Wisconsin Statutes and Rules Examination
All candidates for certification must pass a jurisprudence examination on Wisconsin Statutes and Rules relating to the practice of APNPs. This exam can be accessed after the Board has received your application. Once the Board receives your application and related fees, you will receive your exam access information (name, password, and applicant ID). You can then access and take this exam online.
CNM Certification
To apply for your CNM certification in Wisconsin, you must complete an application packet that includes the following forms:
- Application for Certification as Nurse-Midwife
- Certification Form for Malpractice Insurance Coverage for Nurse-Midwife
- Application for Certification of Nurse-Midwifery degree. This application should be completed and forwarded to the college or university where you received your graduate education. The college or university should then complete the form and return it directly to the Department of Safety & Professional Services, Wisconsin Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935. Your application will be rejected if you send this information yourself.
- Convictions and Pending Charges form (as applicable). Complete this form if you have been convicted of a crime or you have criminal charges pending against you and send it with your application. This form cannot be faxed.
- Request for a Temporary Permit for Nurse-Midwife (as applicable). The Board may grant you a temporary permit if you are awaiting national certification verification. A temporary permit is granted for a six-month period, but must be renewed after three months. If the Board determines hardship, you may extend your temporary permit up to 12 months. An additional fee of $10 is charge for a temporary permit, and all applicable forms must be completed, along with the appropriate documentation. Once you receive a temporary permit, you must practice under the supervision of a certified nurse-midwife or physician and can use the title “Graduate Nurse-Midwife,” or GNM.
- Verification of National Certification – You must request the American College of Nurse-Midwives to send verification of your certificate. The ACNM must send the verification directly to the: Board of Nursing, Department of Safety and Professional Services, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708-8935.
Application Status and License Look-up
Upon receipt of your application, the Board will send you a check sheet that will include your identification number. This number will allow you to check on the status of your application online by clicking on the “applications status” link). An application is not complete until the Board receives all the required documents and fees. Once your certificate application is processed, you can look up your official credential number and grant date by clicking on the “license lookup” link.
Application Fees
Once you have completed all applicable forms, mail your packet, along with the following fees:
- $75.00 initial credential fee (applicable to ARNPs and CNMs)
- $75.00 state law exam fee (applicable to ARNPs)
- $10.00 temporary permit fee (as applicable to CNMs)
- $8.00 convictions and pending charges fee (as applicable)
You should make the check payable to the “Department of Safety & Professional Services” and mail it, along with your completed applications and forms, to: Department of Safety & Professional Services, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 57308-8935.
Step 4. Renew your Certification
APNP Certification Renewal
As an Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber classified as a Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CNA), or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), your APNP certification must be renewed before September 30 of every EVEN-numbered year. You can expect to receive a renewal application in the mail about six to eight weeks before the renewal date.
The renewal of your APNP certification is a separate action from the renewal of your professional nurse license, and requires an additional fee of $82.00 (if late, the fee is $107).
You can also renew your professional nurse license and APNP certification online through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services online application system.
CNM Certification Renewal
Your CNM certification in Wisconsin must be renewed before March 1 of every EVEN-numbered year. You can expect a renewal application in the mail about six to eight weeks before the renewal date.
The renewal of your CNM certification is a separate action from the renewal of your professional nurse license, and requires an additional fee of $86.00 (if late, the fee is $111).
You can also renew your professional license and CNP Certification online through the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services online application system.
Malpractice Insurance Verification
All APNPs must submit proof to the Board of Nursing every year by October 1 of their malpractice insurance coverage for prescriptive authority. Send a copy of your insurance coverage to: Department of Safety & Professional Services, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 57308-8935.
Continuing Education
To continue practice as an APNP in Wisconsin you must provide documentation for the completion of at least eight contact hours each year in clinical pharmacology/therapeutics in your area of practice. You must provide your continuing education documentation on a schedule that is consistent with the continuing education requirements of your national certifying body.
You are required to provide evidence to the Board of your continued education for a minimum of five years. Send proof of your continued education requirements to the: Department of Safety & Professional Services, Board of Nursing, P.O. Box 8935, Madison, WI 57308-8935.
There are no continuing education requirements for CNMs in Wisconsin.
Advanced Practice Nurse Prescriber Associations in Wisconsin
There are a number of professional organizations that support APNPs and CNMs in Wisconsin:
- Wisconsin Nurses Association
- Wisconsin League for Nursing
- Wisconsin Center for Nursing
- Milwaukee Nurses Association
- Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals
- Southeastern Wisconsin Association of Occupational Health Nurses
- Wisconsin Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Wisconsin Guild of Midwives
- Wisconsin Association of Nurse Anesthetists
Wisconsin Nurse Practitioner Salary
If you want to earn a six-figure salary as a nurse, becoming an NP will get you there. NPs in Wisconsin report earning $113,030 a year, on average. Those in the top 10 percent gross more than $137,580 per year.
Registered Nurse Salary
RNs in Wisconsin make a comfortable living: $74,760 per year, on average. Those who climb up the ladder fair well, too, grossing $99,060 annually.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers Salary
See yourself educating the next generation of nurses? Become a nurse instructor, and you can expect to make an average of$83,520 per year in WI.
Nurse Administrator Salary
(Includes Nurse Managers, Directors, and Chief Nursing Officers)
Management positions pay well in almost any industry, and nursing is no exception. In WI, nurse administrators make an average of $119,220 per year. Those who have worked their way to the top report earning $177,960 annually, at minimum.
Nurse Anesthetists Salary
Saying anesthetists make good money in Wisconsin would be an understatement. On average, these professionals make $231,250 per year. As such, it’s not impossible for the top earners to make close to $300,000 annually.
Nurse Midwives Salary
A six-figure salary awaits those who become midwives in Wisconsin. On average, midwives in this state make $110,380 per year, with the top-paid nurses earning more than $156,500 annually.
2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for 1) Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives; 2) Medical and Health Services Managers (Nurse Administrators); 3) Registered Nurses; and 4) Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers reflect state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. 2019 US Census Bureau figures for state median household income provided for comparison. Data Accessed December 2021.