Nursing Trends
The New Mexico board of nursing recognizes the value of continuing education for nurses. It considers CE to be an ongoing, lifelong process that the individual nurse must take to further their knowledge and develop their professional skills. On the renewal application, all licensees must indicate compliance with the CE requirements. The Board of Nursing recommends a diversity of learning activities within nursing to broaden the scope of professional development.
Nurse practitioners
In order to practice as a nurse practitioner in New Mexico, you must complete the application process for licensure.
To apply,
- Complete the application and submit all required documents.
- Your application is reviewed by the Board to ensure that you meet all the requirements for licensure.
- In New Mexico, nurse practitioners cannot practice until they have received their license.
- The Board may appoint you to an advanced practice committee, which provides advice regarding your practice.
To renew your license in New Mexico,
- You must complete continuing education (CE) courses approved by the New Mexican Board of Nursing.
- You must complete at least 30 hours of approved CE each year, including courses in pharmacology and the area of practice.
- CE credit for these courses is prorated so that the total credits correspond to the renewal period.
- The renewal process should be completed every two years.
- You will receive a renewal notice six weeks prior to your license expiration date.
- CE requirements for nurse practitioners in New Mexico are similar to those in other states.
- CE hours earned from approved educational offerings in New Mexico are accepted as CE.
- However, other state boards do not recognize CE hours earned through a local monitoring system.
- Obtain a local monitoring system from the Board and ensure it meets the state’s criteria.
- If you have one, make sure to apply for recertification and submit it during your renewal period.
Before pursuing the advanced practice certification exam, you must complete the licensing process for nurses in New Mexico. In order to practice as a nurse practitioner in the state, you must have a New Mexico RN license and complete all of the requisite training and education. You must be an RN in good standing to qualify for a license as a nurse practitioner in New Mexico. If you have a graduate nursing degree from another state, you may also practice as a nurse practitioner in New Mexico.
read more: Nursing Salary in Mexico
Nurse anesthetists
If you are interested in becoming a nurse anesthetist, you will need to be licensed in New Mexico by the state’s Board of Nursing. CRNAs have licensed nurses who specialize in the administration of anesthesia. Unlike nurses who practice in other fields, nurse anesthetists must complete a graduate program in nursing to become nurse anesthetists. A program for nurse anesthetists is offered by regionally accredited colleges and universities and may be available through the military. Upon completion of a nurse anesthesia school and passing the NBCRNA national qualifying exam, the state may grant a license to a candidate.
To renew their nurse anesthetist license in New Mexico,
- The nurse anesthetists must complete the necessary continuing education requirements.
- This is a lifelong process and the primary responsibility of each nurse.
- It is suggested to participate in a variety of nursing-related learning activities to broaden their scope of knowledge.
- The Board of Nursing requires that all licensees indicate that they have met CE requirements on their license renewal applications.
In addition to meeting the state’s requirements, CRNAs must successfully complete a master’s degree program that has been accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Education Programs. These requirements apply to all nurse anesthetists, except for those who were licensed prior to 2001. The Board requires that nurse anesthetists complete at least 30 hours of approved continuing education each year.
Nurse specialists
The nurse specialist licensing renewal process in New Mexico involves several steps.
- The state will issue a renewal notice approximately six weeks before the license expires.
- A nurse must meet certain minimum requirements for renewal, including passing a nursing examination in English or the NCLEX.
- In addition to this, the nurse must submit an application and fee.
- During this process, the nurse must also submit plans for future practice for five years.
- Once the renewal period has ended, the licensee must reapply for a new license and complete a criminal background check.
The state’s nursing compact allows nurse practitioners to hold more than one license. In order to obtain a nurse license in New Mexico, you must complete the background check that most states require. To obtain a background check, visit the Verification page. Nurses can also enroll in free online CEU courses through Incredible Health. These courses are ANCC-accredited and accepted by the New Mexico Board of Nursing.
read more: New Mexico Board of Medicine: License Lookup and Renewal for NM
Nurse-midwives
The Board of Nursing requires licensed nurse-midwives to complete continuing education units to maintain their license in New Mexico.
To qualify, they must have completed at least 400 hours of work experience prescribing dangerous drugs within the past two years and a six-month prescriptive preceptorship. This information was retrieved from the Nursing Practice Act of New Mexico. The renewal process costs $100. The nurse must complete at least two contact hours of continuing education each year, a total of 30 units.
A nurse-midwife in New Mexico enjoys autonomous practice privileges and does not have to establish collaborative practice agreements with physicians. To practice as a nurse-midwife, aspiring midwives must obtain a graduate degree or post-graduate certificate in nurse-midwifery. The New Mexico Board of Nursing recognizes nurse-midwives with an accredited program. A post-graduate certificate is also required, but many schools now allow students to complete coursework through web-based study.
