An Update on the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation: More Than a Decade of Progress

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 highlighted the need for an agile healthcare work force that is optimally utilized. The wide variance of state laws related to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) acted as a barrier to mobility during this time. The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation, Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (Consensus Model) was developed in 2008 to provide a uniform model for APRN regulation. If adopted, the Consensus Model would align state laws related to APRNs and would clear the way for an APRN Compact, which would allow APRNs to practice across state borders. Although some states have completely adopted the Consensus Model’s elements in the 13 years since its publication, many have not. Without regulatory uniformity, APRNs cannot efficiently provide care where needed throughout the country or practice to the full extent of their education, leaving some without access to quality care. This update provides a review of the elements of the Consensus Model, identifies progress made toward its full adoption, discusses continued barriers to full alignment with the Consensus Model, and describes the proposed APRN Compact that would result from further adoption of the model. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 highlighted the need for an agile healthcare work force that is optimally utilized. The wide variance of state laws related to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) acted as a barrier to mobility during this time. The Consensus Model for APRN Regulation, Licensure, Accreditation, Certification, and Education (Consensus Model) was developed in 2008 to provide a uniform model for APRN regulation. If adopted, the Consensus Model would align state laws related to APRNs and would clear the way for an APRN Compact, which would allow APRNs to practice across state borders. Although some states have completely adopted the Consensus Model’s elements in the 13 years since its publication, many have not. Without regulatory uniformity, APRNs cannot efficiently provide care where needed throughout the country or practice to the full extent of their education, leaving some without access to quality care. This update provides a review of the elements of the Consensus Model, identifies progress made toward its full adoption, discusses continued barriers to full alignment with the Consensus Model, and describes the proposed APRN Compact that would result from further adoption of the model. Michelle Buck, MS, APRN, CNS, is a Senior Policy Advisor, Regulation, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois.