Are NP's also RN's?

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I am new here. I am helping a friend of mine who is an NP working for the Federal Government. I am posting here to seek any help or guidance that posters may be able to provide us.

My friend, Jane, worked as an RN for 10 years, and then got her master's as an NP. She accepted a position with an agency, starting in a probationary staus as an RN and then after several months was re-assigned as an NP. She then applied for a tuition assistance program to help defray the cost of her MS.

They accepted her, but then after a year rescinded the award, saying that since she became an NP, she could not be a part of the program, that it was geared for RN's.

My question is: Is anyone out there familiar with either federal law, state law, or practice guidelines that specifically define a NP as an RN, or an RN with additional training.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

An NP is an RN. An NP is an APN, or an Advanced Practice Nurse. There is no way to practice as an APN/NP without first being qualified and licensed as an RN.

The management of this entity is trying to circumvent the issue by saying she wasn't an RN but an NP. What I think they are saying is the tuition assistance program is for RNs and not NPs. The difference being the RN without ADVANCED practice training.

I hope your friend got this in writing and kept a copy as well. Also, I hope the contract she signed outlines the specifics. If none of this was done, she probably is out of luck.

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An NP is an RN. An NP is an APN, or an Advanced Practice Nurse. There is no way to practice as an APN/NP without first being qualified and licensed as an RN.

The management of this entity is trying to circumvent the issue by saying she wasn't an RN but an NP. What I think they are saying is the tuition assistance program is for RNs and not NPs. The difference being the RN without ADVANCED practice training.

I hope your friend got this in writing and kept a copy as well. Also, I hope the contract she signed outlines the specifics. If none of this was done, she probably is out of luck.

Siri, do you still have to keep your RN licensure renewed if you are an NP? Or does the NP license encompass the RN so you don't have to pay for or worry about dual licensure?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Exactly, SMK1,

The NP must have a current, unrestricted RN license in order to practice as an NP. Pay for both licenses as they come due. And, the certifications are in addition, requiring current/unrestricted NP and RN licensure.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Here is the definition of Nurse Practitioner found in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia ~ common knowledge.

A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse who has completed advanced education (generally a minimum of a master's) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses.
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Exactly, SMK1,

The NP must have a current, unrestricted RN license in order to practice as an NP. Pay for both licenses as they come due. And, the certifications are in addition, requiring current/unrestricted NP and RN licensure.

ouch! $$$. Can you still work in an RN non-NP capacity if you choose (say there are more RN jobs than NP jobs etc...) or would you be held to a different standard of care? ( I know I am starting to get the "overly-curious student syndrome lol).

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An NP is an RN. An NP is an APN, or an Advanced Practice Nurse. There is no way to practice as an APN/NP without first being qualified and licensed as an RN.

The management of this entity is trying to circumvent the issue by saying she wasn't an RN but an NP. What I think they are saying is the tuition assistance program is for RNs and not NPs. The difference being the RN without ADVANCED practice training.

I hope your friend got this in writing and kept a copy as well. Also, I hope the contract she signed outlines the specifics. If none of this was done, she probably is out of luck.

Thanks for the reply. Yes I think that they are trying to circumvent the rules by saying she is an NP, not an RN.

The program is a national program, not limited to RN's, but established to attract and retain health care providers in many roles, including Physicians, LPN's, PA's, etc. They list RN, but don't separately list NP; which could mean they already consider NP's to be RN's, or that they did not wish to attract NP's and so left them off the list of qualifying professions. I don't think that that is the case, however.

I appreciate your input, again, and thanks.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Thanks for the reply. Yes I think that they are trying to circumvent the rules by saying she is an NP, not an RN.

The program is a national program, not limited to RN's, but established to attract and retain health care providers in many roles, including Physicians, LPN's, PA's, etc. They list RN, but don't separately list NP; which could mean they already consider NP's to be RN's, or that they did not wish to attract NP's and so left them off the list of qualifying professions. I don't think that that is the case, however.

I appreciate your input, again, and thanks.

If she did not have a contract for tuition assistance, I'm afraid there probably isn't much she can do. I hope that isn't the fact.

If they did not place NP in that list, I'm not sure she can do anything either. It sounds as if they are trying to renig on something and if there isn't a contract, they just might get away with it.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
ouch! $$$. Can you still work in an RN non-NP capacity if you choose (say there are more RN jobs than NP jobs etc...) or would you be held to a different standard of care? ( I know I am starting to get the "overly-curious student syndrome lol).

Yes, it can be rather expensive to keep up ones creds/licenses. And, the time involved to keep these current ~ CEUs. For example: I have dual NP certs, licensed as NP and RN, and a third cert as well as LNC. Also, to keep up the certs in ACLS, ACLS EP, PALS, BLS, Bone Desitometry, EMT, TNCC, ATLS. The list can be long and expensive.

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If she did not have a contract for tuition assistance, I'm afraid there probably isn't much she can do. I hope that isn't the fact.

If they did not place NP in that list, I'm not sure she can do anything either. It sounds as if they are trying to renig on something and if there isn't a contract, they just might get away with it.

Yes, there is a contract and we have a copy of all of the paperwork.

They seem to be saying that, since she came in on a probationary basis as an RN, that would have been okay, but since she changed to an NP, she took herself out of the running.

I am hoping for some sort of statute or something that equates NP with RN; like your definition above. But preferably federal law.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

If the contract states she could not be employed as an NP and receive the tuition assistance, then they win. But, if that is not explained, I see no way they have a leg to stand on. She really needs an attorney to look at the contract.

As for a definition from the federal/state governments? Go to your state BON and you will see the definition is RN required for NP. It will state the definition in black and white for you.

Here are some links that you can use as well:

From NP CENTRAL

http://www.npcentral.net/consumer/about.nps.shtml

Definition from the American College of Nurse Practitioners:

http://www.nurse.org/acnp/facts/whatis.shtml

And, here are the requirements from the American Nurses Credentialing Center:

http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/cert/recert/recertreqs.html

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

And, she can show her employers the requirements by the educating entity/certifying body where she was educated/certified......

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