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Advanced Practice and Public Health Nurse Certification

The Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) certifies public health nurses and advanced practice nurses. Advanced practice nurses include nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse anesthetists. The BRN also maintains a listing of psychiatric/mental health nurses. In each of these categories, the individual must first have a California registered nurse license before obtaining the certificate.

Submission of Transcripts and Documents

Transcripts: Advanced Practice and PHN transcripts can be sent to our Board electronically from a certified third-party electronic transcripts vendor such as Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse*, or directly from your school. Electronic transcripts must be sent to BRN.APRN.eTranscripts@dca.ca.gov.

*If requesting transcripts via National Student Clearinghouse, please use these instructions to ensure proper delivery of your electronic transcripts to the Board.

Required Documents: Additional required documents and forms will be accepted electronically. Required advanced practice and PHN forms and documents will not be accepted from applicants and will only be accepted from the appropriate school, national organizations, and associations electronically to the following Board email address: BRN.APRN.eDocs@dca.ca.gov.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

The clinical nurse specialist is a BRN certified RN who is an advanced practice nurse providing expert clinical practice, research, education, consultation and clinical leadership with an identified patient population. The scope of clinical nurse specialist practice includes patients, nursing personnel and organization systems. Clinical nurse specialists work in direct patient care and indirect patient care activities that affect a broad range of patients.

There are three methods to qualify for certification as a clinical nurse specialist with the BRN. General reporting of prior disciplines are required for all methods.

Nurse Anesthetist

The nurse anesthetist is a registered nurse who provides anesthesia services ordered by a physician, dentist, or podiatrist, and is certified by the BRN in this specialty.

Nurse-Midwife

The nurse-midwife is a registered nurse who, having received a certificate from the BRN, attends cases of normal childbirth and provides prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care, including family planning care for mothers and immediate care for the newborn.

There are three methods to qualify for certification as a nurse-midwife with the BRN. General reporting of prior disciplines are required for all methods.

Nurse-Midwife Furnishing Number

A furnishing number is issued by the BRN to a nurse-midwife which allows him or her to "order" or furnish drugs and devices to patients within their scope of practice. The nurse-midwife with a furnishing number may obtain a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number if he or she wants to order controlled substances as needed for patient care, using approved standardized procedures.

Nurse Practitioner

The nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who possesses additional preparation and skills in physical diagnosis, psychosocial assessment, and management of health and illness needs in primary health care.

There are three methods to qualify for certification as a nurse practitioner with the BRN. General reporting of prior disciplines are required for all methods.

Nurse Practitioner Practicing Without Standardized Procedures in a Group Setting (103 NP)

A Nurse Practitioner who practices without standard procedures in a group setting as defined in 16 CCR 1480 k and BPC 2837.103 (2)(A-F) may perform the functions listed in Section 2387.103(c) of the code in which the applicant has a National Certification as a Nurse Practitioner.

Nurse Practitioner Furnishing Number

The BRN issues a furnishing number to a nurse practitioner that allows him or her to "order" or furnish drugs and devices to patients using approved standardized procedures. A nurse practitioner with a furnishing number may obtain a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number if they want to order controlled substances as needed for patient care.

Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse

Pursuant to Insurance Code Section 10176, the BRN maintains a listing of registered nurses who possess a master's degree in psychiatric/mental health nursing plus two years of supervised experience providing services as a psychiatric/mental health nurse and who have applied to the BRN to be listed. This voluntary listing enables the certificate holder to receive direct reimbursement from insurance carriers for counseling services.

There are two methods to qualify for listing as a psychiatric/mental health nurse with the BRN. General reporting of prior disciplines are required for both methods.

Public Health Nurse

The public health nurse is a registered nurse who has received a certificate from the BRN. He or she is an integral part of the public health community and provides direct patient care as well as services related to maintaining public health.

  • If you are applying to be a Public Health Nurse after completing a baccalaureate nursing program or a specialized public health nursing program outside of California, please submit proof of the seven hours of training in the prevention, early detection, intervention, California reporting requirements, and treatment of child neglect and abuse by attaching a copy of your certificate of completion with your application.
  • Click to open the Public Health Nurse application instructions. Application instructions also include associated forms that may be attached to online application as needed.
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