APRN stands for advanced practice registered nurse. An APRN is a registered nurse with an accredited graduate degree or post-graduate certificate, a national certification, and a state license in one of four roles: certified nurse practitioner (CNP), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM), or clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Every nurse practitioner is an APRN, but not every APRN is a nurse practitioner.
What does APRN stand for?
APRN stands for advanced practice registered nurse, the licensing title for registered nurses prepared at the graduate level to give direct patient care in one of four roles. The standard definition comes from the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation, dated July 7, 2008 and completed by the APRN Consensus Work Group and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) APRN Advisory Committee.
Under that document, an APRN is a nurse who:
- Completed an accredited graduate-level program preparing them for one of the four APRN roles.
- Passed a national certification exam in the role and a population focus, and keeps that certification current.
- Is prepared to give direct care to patients; the Model calls a significant focus on direct care of individuals the defining factor for all APRNs.
- Practices with greater depth, complexity and autonomy than a registered nurse (RN), building on RN competencies.
- Is prepared to assess, diagnose and manage patient problems, including prescribing pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
- Has clinical experience of sufficient depth and breadth for the intended license.
- Holds a license to practice as an APRN in one of the four roles.
Graduate-prepared nurses in informatics, public health, education or administration do essential work, but because their practice does not focus on direct care of individuals, the Model states they are not APRNs.
What are the four APRN roles?
The four APRN roles are certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife and clinical nurse specialist. The table summarizes each role as the Consensus Model describes it, with the body that certifies it.
| Role | What the role does | Typical settings | Certifying body | Population focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified nurse practitioner (CNP, usually called NP) | Diagnoses and treats acute and chronic illness, orders and interprets tests, prescribes medication, and provides primary or acute care | Primary and acute care across settings, including family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, geriatrics and women's health | Depends on the population focus; for family NPs, ANCC (FNP-BC) or AANPCB, operating as NPCB (FNP-C) | Any of the six foci; in pediatrics and adult-gerontology, primary care and acute care NPs certify separately |
| Certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | Provides the full spectrum of anesthesia and anesthesia-related care | Surgical suites, obstetric delivery rooms, critical access hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management centers, dental and podiatry offices | NBCRNA | Individuals across the lifespan |
| Certified nurse-midwife (CNM) | Provides primary health care to women, including gynecologic care, family planning, prenatal and postpartum care, childbirth and newborn care | Hospitals, birth centers, homes, private offices, community and public health clinics | AMCB | Women throughout the lifespan, including care of the newborn |
| Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) | Diagnoses and treats patients and improves outcomes across three spheres: patient, nurse and system | Across the care continuum; the Model defines the role by its spheres of influence rather than by setting | For adult-gerontology CNSs, ANCC (AGCNS-BC) or AACN Certification Corporation (ACCNS-AG) | One of the six foci, for example adult-gerontology |
Nurse practitioners are by far the largest of the three APRN occupations the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) profiles together: BLS reports 336,300 NP jobs in 2025, against 54,500 nurse anesthetist jobs and 8,200 nurse midwife jobs. BLS covers clinical nurse specialists, which it also considers a type of APRN, in its registered nurses profile. For NP certification letters by specialty, see the NP certification overview.
What are the six population foci and LACE?
A population focus is the patient group an APRN is educated, certified and licensed to care for. The Consensus Model names six:
- Family/individual across the lifespan
- Adult-gerontology
- Pediatrics
- Neonatal
- Women's health/gender-related
- Psych/mental health
The Model requires role and focus to line up: "Education, certification, and licensure of an individual must be congruent in terms of role and population foci." Specialties such as oncology or dermatology add depth, but APRNs "cannot be licensed solely within a specialty area." An NP who works in dermatology is licensed in a population focus, such as family/individual across the lifespan, not in dermatology itself.
The list may change. At NCSBN's 2026 APRN Roundtable, presenters described two proposals for new population foci, emergency nurse practitioner and acute care across the lifespan, for discussion in the LACE Network, which the organizations behind the Model formed to communicate with one another. One presenter called the discussion "only the beginning of the conversation." They are proposals, not changes to the Model.
LACE is the Model's shorthand for the four parts of APRN regulation: licensure, accreditation, certification and education.
| LACE element | What it means | Who handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Licensure | The granting of authority to practice | State boards of nursing (the Model notes that some states regulate nurse-midwives through a midwifery board) |
| Accreditation | Formal review and approval of education or certification programs | Nursing accreditors for programs; national accreditors for certification programs |
| Certification | Formal recognition of knowledge, skills and experience against professional standards | National certifying bodies such as ANCC, NPCB, NBCRNA and AMCB |
| Education | Formal preparation in graduate degree or post-graduate certificate programs | Accredited graduate programs |
The Model set 2015 as its target for full implementation, but each state adopts its elements through its own law, so APRN licensure details still differ from state to state.
APRN vs NP: what is the difference?
APRN is the umbrella title, and nurse practitioner is one of the four roles under it. Every licensed NP is an APRN. A CRNA, a certified nurse-midwife or a clinical nurse specialist is also an APRN but is not an NP.
Postings and badges may say "APRN, FNP-BC," "NP," or both. The Consensus Model says an APRN must, at a minimum, legally represent themselves, including in a legal signature, "as an APRN and by the role," and may add the population and a specialty title. The letters after a name can combine the license title (APRN plus the role), the national certification (for example FNP-BC from ANCC or FNP-C from NPCB), and the degree (MSN or DNP). The exact title you must use is set by the law of the state that licenses you.
APRN vs RN
An RN is licensed to practice registered nursing; an APRN holds an RN license plus graduate education, national certification and an APRN license in a role and population focus. The Model describes APRN practice as building on RN competencies with "greater role autonomy" and responsibility for diagnosis and management, including prescribing. What a given APRN may prescribe, and under what agreement, is set by state law.
How do you become an APRN?
You become an APRN by adding graduate education, national certification and a state APRN license to an RN license. BLS lists the same requirements and notes that "States' requirements for APRNs vary." The usual sequence:
- Earn an RN license. BLS lists a registered nursing license first among APRN requirements.
- Complete an accredited graduate program in one role and population focus. The Consensus Model counts master's and doctoral degrees and post-graduate certificates, and requires three separate graduate courses in advanced physiology/pathophysiology, health assessment and pharmacology.
- Pass the national certification exam for that role and focus, from the certifying bodies in the table above.
- Apply for an APRN license from the board of nursing in the state where you will practice (or, for nurse-midwives in some states, a midwifery board).
Do APRNs need a doctorate? It depends on the role. For nurse anesthesia, yes: the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA) states that "On January 1, 2022 and thereafter, all students matriculating into an accredited program must be enrolled in a doctoral program," and its requirements page says all US programs are at the doctoral level, with a 36-month minimum. For the other roles, the Consensus Model accepts master's or doctoral degrees and post-graduate certificates, and BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for its APRN occupations. Some NPs choose a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP); check your state board before assuming either degree is required or sufficient.
State licensure is specific to each state. As one example, Minnesota Statutes section 148.211 requires an APRN applicant to hold a current Minnesota professional nursing license (or show eligibility for one), to have completed an accredited graduate-level APRN program, and to be currently certified in the APRN role and population foci that match their education. For your own state, use the licensure checker. For the NP route step by step, read how to become a nurse practitioner.
What can APRNs do, and where can they practice?
What an APRN may do is set by the state where they practice, not by the title alone. The Consensus Model calls for boards to license APRNs "as independent practitioners with no regulatory requirements for collaboration, direction or supervision," but each state decides whether to do so.
For nurse practitioners, 27 states and the District of Columbia grant full practice authority (AANP, 2026), although many full practice states still require a set number of transition-to-practice hours before an NP practices without a collaborative agreement. See the state by state list on our scope of practice reference. That count covers nurse practitioners; rules for CRNAs, CNMs and CNSs can differ.
An APRN license is also tied to a state. The APRN Compact is designed to let APRNs "have one multistate license with the ability to practice in all compact states," according to NCSBN's APRN Compact site. Whether and when it takes effect depends on state enactments, so check our APRN Compact states explainer for its current status.
What this means for students, job seekers and employers
For RNs and students choosing a path. Pick the role first, then the population focus, because your education, certification and license must match. A family/individual across the lifespan focus covers patients of all ages; a narrower focus such as neonatal or psych/mental health ties you to that population. Adding a focus later means graduate education in it (a post-graduate certificate is one route) and its certification exam. For NP job seekers. Read the certification line in every posting. "FNP-BC or FNP-C" means either board is acceptable; if a posting names only one, ask the recruiter whether the other is accepted before you rule yourself out. Browse family practice NP jobs and filter by setting, job type and location. On pay, the national median for nurse practitioners was $132,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and BLS projects NP employment to grow 41% from 2025 to 2035, a national projection rather than a forecast for your local market. For your state and specialty, use the salary guide. For CRNAs, CNMs and CNSs. See nurse-midwife jobs and clinical nurse specialist jobs, and compare pay on the nurse anesthesia and midwifery salary pages. For employers. Write the role and population focus you need, not just "APRN." An adult-gerontology acute care NP and a family NP are both APRNs, but their certifications and licensed populations differ. Verify the APRN license with the issuing state board and the certification with the certifying body. When the description is ready, you can post the job on NP Hiring.Frequently asked questions
What does APRN stand for?
APRN stands for advanced practice registered nurse. It is the licensing title, defined in the 2008 Consensus Model for APRN Regulation, for registered nurses with accredited graduate education, national certification and a state license in one of four roles: certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife or clinical nurse specialist. Each APRN is also educated in at least one of six population foci, such as pediatrics.
Is a nurse practitioner an APRN?
Yes. A nurse practitioner is one of the four APRN roles, so every licensed NP is an APRN. The reverse is not true: certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives and clinical nurse specialists are also APRNs but are not nurse practitioners. You will often see both titles together, for example "APRN, FNP-BC," where APRN is the license title and FNP-BC is the national certification from ANCC.
What is the difference between an APRN and an RN?
An RN holds a state license to practice registered nursing. An APRN holds that RN license and adds an accredited graduate degree or post-graduate certificate, a national certification, and an APRN license from the state in a role and population focus. The Consensus Model describes APRN practice as building on RN competencies with greater autonomy and responsibility for diagnosing and managing patient problems, including prescribing, within the limits of state law.
What are the four types of APRNs?
The four APRN roles named in the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation are certified nurse practitioner (CNP), certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM) and clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Each has its own education, certification exam and scope. Every APRN is educated in at least one of six population foci, such as adult-gerontology or pediatrics.
Is a CRNA an APRN?
Yes. A certified registered nurse anesthetist is one of the four APRN roles in the Consensus Model. CRNAs provide anesthesia and anesthesia-related care across the lifespan and certify through the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA). Under Council on Accreditation policy, students matriculating into an accredited nurse anesthesia program on or after January 1, 2022 must be enrolled in a doctoral program.
Do APRNs need a doctorate?
It depends on the role. Nurse anesthesia programs accredited by the Council on Accreditation have required doctoral enrollment for students matriculating on or after January 1, 2022. For nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives and clinical nurse specialists, the Consensus Model accepts master's or doctoral degrees and post-graduate certificates, and BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for its APRN occupations. Confirm current requirements with your state board of nursing.
Sources
- NCSBN: Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: Licensure, Accreditation, Certification and Education (July 7, 2008)
- NCSBN: 2026 APRN Roundtable, Evolution of the APRN Consensus Model: A Brief Overview and Key Updates (video transcript) (2026)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners (last modified August 27, 2026; wages May 2025; projections 2025 to 2035)
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs: Position Statements (accessed October 6, 2026)
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs: Requirements to Practice as a Nurse Anesthetist in the United States (2025)
- NBCRNA: National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (accessed October 6, 2026)
- AMCB: American Midwifery Certification Board (accessed October 6, 2026)
- NPCB: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), operating as NPCB (accessed October 6, 2026)
- ANCC: Family Nurse Practitioner Certification (FNP-BC) (accessed October 6, 2026)
- ANCC: Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist Certification (AGCNS-BC) (accessed October 6, 2026)
- AACN Certification Corporation: ACCNS-AG Certification (accessed October 6, 2026)
- Minnesota Statutes section 148.211: Licensing (2025 Minnesota Statutes)
- AANP: State Practice Environment (2026)
- NCSBN: APRN Compact (accessed October 6, 2026)