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If you are unable to reach us by phone, submit your inquiry via email at customerservice.dpr@delaware.gov. More Info
How do I become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?
Answer: The Division of Professional Regulation does not license CNA’s. Contact the Division of Long Term Care Residents Protection at (302) 577-6661 or visit the division’s website.
Do I have to have a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN) to apply for a Nursing license?
Answer: If you have a U.S. SSN, you must enter it when you register for an account in DELPROS, our online portal. You cannot move forward in the application process unless you provide it. If you have never been issued a U.S. SSN, you just have to answer a few questions about not having a SSN and agree that you will report are later issued a U.S. SSN, you must report it to the Board office.
What is the cost of a Nursing license?
Answer: All fees are listed on the Fee Schedule.
How do I place my Nursing license on inactive status?
Answer: See Requesting Inactive Status/Reactivating.
Do I need a job offer to receive a temporary permit?
Answer: Yes. The Board office must verify the position offered.
How long is a temporary permit good for?
Answer: The temporary permit is good for 90 days for the first period. A permit can be extended for a total of six months. The second period is for 60 days and the third period is for 30 days. You can only use the permit at the facility you indicated on your application. We will send you a notification each time your temporary permit is extended and you may print your own permit.
Do the same rules apply for graduate nurses in regard to temporary permits?
Answer: No. In addition to a job offer document and the temporary permit fee, you must provide proof of meeting the educational requirements for your degree. The permit is valid for up to 90 days from the date your degree was awarded. However, if you are unsuccessful on the NCLEX, the permit expires.
What is a compact state?
Answer: For information and FAQs about Multistate licenses under the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact, see Multistate Licensure.
I am a new graduate. How do the compact state rules affect me?
Answer: See NLC Information for New Grads.
How many contact hours of continuing education do I need to renew my RN or LPN license?
Answer: For full information about the continuing education (CE) requirements, see Section 9.0 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations. The number of hours of CE you need depends on whether you are an RN or LPN, when your Delaware license was issued and how you were licensed.
| IF your license was issued by this method: | AND IF you’ve had your Delaware license… | THEN you need this number of hours: |
| examination | less than two years | 0 – you don’t need any CE for the first renewal only |
| two or more years | RN – 30 LPN – 24 |
|
| endorsement or reinstatement | less than one year | 0 – you don’t need any CE for the first renewal only |
| at least one year but less than two years | RN – 15 LPN – 12 |
|
| two or more years | RN – 30 LPN – 24 |
I am applying for RN/LPN licensure in another state. They require verification of my DE license. What do I need to do?
Answer: If you are an RN or LPN, ask your state for the NurSys form or go to NCSBN License Verification to complete the process online. Delaware does not issue written verifications for RNs and LPNs. If you are an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, see the Nursing License Verification section under License Verification.
I am a new graduate who has submitted my application to both Delaware and the testing company. When will I receive my approval to test (ATT)?
Answer: The Board office will make you eligible to test when the official transcript from your school is received and your application is in order.
I was unsuccessful at taking the NCLEX. How often can I re-take the test?
Answer: You may re-apply to take the NCLEX every 45 days for a maximum of eight times a year for five years.
I held a nursing license that has lapsed. How do I reinstate it?
Answer: Log into your account in DELPROS, the online portal, and choose the option to reinstate your RN or LPN License. If you were an RN, you must submit proof of 30 hours of continuing education along with the application and fee. If you were an LPN, submit proof of 24 hours of continuing education.
Who offers refresher courses for nurses?
Answer: See DE Nursing Programs.
Am I allowed to take the licensure exam if my undergraduate nursing education did not include the required hours of clinical experience?
Answer: No. Section 2.4.1.7.4 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations requires nursing programs to include minimum hours of clinical experience. To take the NCLEX-PN, your LPN program must include at least 200 hours. To take the NCLEX-RN, your RN program must include at least 400 hours. In addition, Section 2.4.1.7.2 requires both LPN and RN programs to include concurrent or correlated theory and clinical practice in the physical and/or mental health care of individuals of all ages, the nursing care of mothers and newborns, children, adults, the aged, individuals with mental health problems, and individuals in diverse settings, not necessarily in separate courses.
Can I be licensed by endorsement if the pre-licensure program I took within the past two years did not include the required minimum hours of clinical experience—200 hours in an LPN program and 400 hours in an RN program?
Answer: It is determined on an individual basis. Your application would be presented to the Board for a decision regarding an appropriate action.
If I am applying for licensure by endorsement, do I have to meet a practice hour requirement?
Answer: Yes. If you are applying for an RN or LPN license by endorsement, you must have practiced 1,000 hours in the past five years or 400 hours in the past two years. If you have not practiced the required hours, the Board may consider alternate methods of evaluating your current knowledge in professional and practical nursing.
What constitutes patient abandonment?
Answer: In general, patient abandonment means that a nurse…
Note that acceptance of a patient assignment varies from setting to setting and requires a clear understanding of workload and the agreement to provide care.
Examples of patient abandonment include, but are not limited to:
Some situations are not considered patient abandonment because they involve employer-employee or contract issues (such as salary, work conditions, or hiring and termination policies) over which the Board has no jurisdiction. Examples of these situations include:
Can a hospital or other employer receive notification when nurses that it employs are disciplined or their licenses expire?
Answer: If you represent an institution or another nurse employer, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing offers E-Notify, a service that will notify you by email about license status changes (e.g., expirations) and disciplinary actions against RNs and LPNs that you employ. The information comes from NurSys, a national database which receives its data from participating boards of nursing nationwide, including the Delaware Board of Nursing. To start tracking licenses, go to Nursys E-Notify and click As an Institution.
What is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)?
Answer: See 24 Del. C. § 1902 (c)(1) and Sections 8.0 of the Board’s Rules and Regulations. Advanced practice roles include the C.R.N.A., C.N.M., C.N.S. and C.N.P. Population foci include: adult/gerontology, family/individual across the lifespan, neonatal, pediatric, psychiatric/mental health, or women’s health/gender related..
I am a new graduate from an APRN program. Can I get a permit to practice before I am nationally certified?
Answer: Yes. Before you are certified as a certified nurse practitioner, clinical nursing specialist, certified nurse midwife, or certified registered nurse anesthetist, you may apply for a temporary permit. See Temporary APRN Permit.
How long is the temporary permit for APRNs?
Answer: A temporary permit is valid for 90 days. Permits can be extended, in 90-day increments, up to two years. It is your responsibility to request an extension of your temporary permit.
Can I have prescriptive authority while practicing with a temporary permit?
Answer: No. To have prescriptive authority, you must be a licensed APRN. See Prescriptive Authority.
Is an APRN applicant required to apply for prescriptive authority?
Answer: No. Prescriptive authority is granted with licensure.
I am an APRN with prescriptive authority and a Delaware-issued controlled substance registration (CSR). Will the three hours of substance abuse continuing education required to renew my Delaware RN license also count for the two credits of substance abuse continuing education required to renew my CSR?
Answer: Yes. If you meet the requirements to renew your RN license, which includes three contact hours in substance abuse, the CSR requirement is also met. See Section 3.1.3 of Controlled Substance Registration Rules and Regulations.
I was previously licensed as an APRN in Delaware. However, I do not meet the practice requirement of 600 hours in the past two years or 1,500 hours in the past five years. How do I reinstate my APRN license?
Answer: You must complete a Board-approved supervised practice plan. To do this, log in to DELPROS online portal and submit all of the following for review at the next Board meeting:
Do I need a collaborative agreement?
Answer: No. Full practice authority without a collaborative agreement is granted with licensure.
Related Topics: board, Board of Nursing, Department of State, faqs, frequently asked questions, nursing, professional, professional licensees, professional regulation, State of Delaware
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