Autonomous APRN (AAPRN)
A clear, active licensed APRN in FL can apply for autonomous authorization.
The first process, and required for all APRNs regardless of pathway, is the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) licensure. This is a supervisory licensure pathway with the credential of APRN. As a CNM, the Florida Board of Nursing licenses all CNMs as an APRN.
For Registration as an Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, the requirements are as follows and can be found in Section 464.0123, F.S.
You must hold a Clear, Active, Florida APRN License.
You must have completed at least 3000 clinical hours under the supervision of an allopathic or osteopathic physician within the past 5 years. These hours may include clinical instructional hours as faculty. See 464.123(1)(c), F.S. for complete requirements.
You must submit proof of three graduate-level semester hours (or the equivalent) in differential diagnosis, and three graduate-level semester hours (or the equivalent) in pharmacology completed within the last five years.
Three graduate-level semester hours are equivalent to forty-five (45) Continuing Education credits offered by the entities set forth in Section 464.013(3)(b), F.S. and Rule 64B9-4.002(2), F.A.C.
The pharmacology course content must address the therapeutic uses and biological effects of drugs.
The differential diagnosis course content must address advanced health assessment, differential diagnosis, critical thinking, or diagnostic reasoning.
Courses may be completed at any time within the 5 years before applying for Autonomous APRN Registration.
You must not have been subject to disciplinary action as specified in s. 456.072, F.S. or s. 464.018, F.S., or any similar disciplinary action in any state or jurisdiction within the past five years.
Applications are valid for 1 year. After that time, the application will be expired if not approved. Once an application is expired a new paper application may be submitted. PDF versions of applications can be found at https://floridasnursing.gov/resources/.
Autonomous Certified Nurse Midwife
Emergency Plan-of-Care for Delivery
Pursuant to section 464.0123(3)(b), Florida Statutes, in order to provide out-of-hospital intrapartum care, a certified nurse midwife engaged in the autonomous practice of nurse midwifery must maintain a written policy for the transfer of patients needing a higher acuity of care or emergency services. The policy must prescribe and require the use of an emergency plan-of-care form, which must be signed by the patient before admission to intrapartum care.
The client should keep the plan readily available, and the midwife should maintain a copy in the client’s file.
Emergency Plan of Delivery Reporting Requirements
In the event that an Emergency Plan of Delivery is executed, please complete an Adverse Medical Incident Report and submit it to the Florida Board of Nursing at the address below:
Department of Health
Consumer Services Unit4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-75
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3275
This report is essential to ensure compliance and proper documentation of adverse medical incidents. The adverse incident report must be in writing, sent to the department by certified mail, and postmarked within 15 days after the occurrence of the adverse incident.