2011 Hawaii Code
DIVISION 2. BUSINESS
TITLE25. PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
457. Nurses
§457-8.5 Advanced practice registered nurse; qualifications; recognition; endorsement; fees; eligibility.

§457-8.5 Advanced practice registered nurse; qualifications; recognition; endorsement; fees; eligibility. (a) Effective October 1, 2009, the board shall grant recognition as an advanced practice registered nurse to a nurse who has:

(1) A current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse in this State;

(2) An unencumbered license as a registered nurse in all other states in which the nurse has a current and active license;

(3) An unencumbered recognition as an advanced practice registered nurse or similar designation in all other states in which the nurse has a current and active recognition as an advanced practice registered nurse;

(4) Completed an accredited graduate-level education program leading to a master's degree as a certified registered nurse anesthetist, a nurse midwife, a clinical nurse specialist, or a nurse practitioner;

(5) A current, unencumbered certification of having passed a national certification examination that measures role and population-focused competencies and is recognized by the board;

(6) Maintained continued competencies through recertification in role and population-focused competencies through a national certification program recognized by the board;

(7) Acquired advanced clinical knowledge and skills preparing the nurse to provide direct care to patients through a significant educational and practical concentration on the direct care of patients;

(8) Demonstrated a greater breadth of knowledge, a greater synthesis of data, greater complexity of skills and interventions, and greater role autonomy than demonstrated by a registered nurse;

(9) Been educationally prepared to assume responsibility and accountability for health promotion and maintenance and to assess, diagnose, and manage patient problems through the use and prescription of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions;

(10) Acquired clinical experience of sufficient depth and breadth to reflect the intended license; and

(11) Paid the appropriate fees.

(b) Any person recognized as an advanced practice registered nurse prior to October 1, 2009, whose recognition was granted based on a master's degree in nursing or a current certification for specialized and advanced nursing practice from a national certifying body recognized by the board shall be eligible to renew that recognition; provided that all nurse licenses, recognitions, and prescriptive authorities or similar designations held by the person in any jurisdiction are unencumbered.

(c) Any person applying for advanced practice registered nurse recognition by endorsement shall be granted recognition as an advanced practice registered nurse; provided that:

(1) The person applying is licensed as a registered nurse in this State; and

(2) All nurse licenses, recognitions, and prescriptive authorities or similar designations held by the person under the laws of this State, another state, or a United States territory are unencumbered, and the originating state's requirements were equal to or greater than the board's advanced practice registered nurse requirements which were in effect prior to October 1, 2009.

An advanced practice registered nurse shall be eligible to renew the recognition granted under this subsection; provided that all nurse licenses, recognitions, and prescriptive authorities or similar designations held by the person in this State, another state, or a United States territory are unencumbered.

(d) Only a person who has a current, unencumbered recognition from the board to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse shall use the title "Advanced Practice Registered Nurse" and the abbreviation "A.P.R.N.". No other person shall assume the title "nurse" or in any manner imply that the person is a nurse except as defined in section 457-2 or as provided in sections 457-7 and 457-8 or use the abbreviation "A.P.R.N." or any other words, letter, sign, or device to indicate that the person using the same is an advanced practice registered nurse. Nothing in this section shall preclude a registered nurse who is not recognized by the board as an advanced practice registered nurse and who is currently certified by a national certifying body recognized by the board from using another title designated by certification. [L 1994, c 277, §1; am L 1995, c 88, §4; am L 1996, c 150, §4; am L 1998, c 279, §2; am L 2000, c 8, §1; am L 2004, c 88, §4; am L 2009, c 169, §9]

Case Notes

To the extent plaintiffs alleged that the nurse practitioners were not "licensed", the court rejected the claim; because an advanced practice registered nurse title is a "recognition" granted by the board--not a license--the nurse practitioners with registered nurse licenses were "licensed" under Hawaii law. 560 F. Supp. 2d 988.