Guide to practice nursing in Rhode Island
Are you a registered nurse, or are planning to become one in Rhode Island? Then, you need to follow the below details to learn more about continuing education, licensing information and fees, salary criteria, and the job outlook of nurses in Rhode Island.
What is the licensing information required in Rhode Island?
The fees structure that is required by both registered nurses and first-time nurses to pay to become a nurse and practice in Rhode Island includes the following
The licensing fees that have to be paid by the first-time nursing professional for examination purposes are as follows
- $200 for the NCLEX exam
- $135 as the application fee for every registered nurse (RN) as well as a $45 application fee paid by (LPN)
- $35 included national criminal background checking fees.
The licensing fees required by endorsement for professionals who already has RN license include the following
- $135 application fee for a Registered nurse (RN), $45 for a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and $145 for APRN.
- The CSR registration fee for APRNs includes $200.
- The temporary permit fee for registered nurses (RN) includes $135, $45 for a licensed practical nurse (LPN), and $145 for APRN.
- Besides this, $35 is also required to be paid for the national criminal background check fee.
The license renewal fees include the following.
- $135 application fee paid by Registered nurse (RN), $145 by the APRNs, and $45 by the LPNs. The APRN with no Rx authority has to pay an application fee of $80.
A Nursing compact state enables nursing professionals to hold a license that is approved and allowed to practice in the multi-state. The legislation of Rhode Island is still pending to become a compact nursing state. If you want more information about nursing license requirements or renewal requirements, visit the official NCSBN website.
read more: Rhode Island Board of Medicine – License Lookup and Renewal
What are the steps needed to renew a nursing license in Rhode Island?
Following are the steps that every nursing license applicant must follow to renew their license.
Verifying the nursing license status
The foremost step that you must take is confirming the status of your nursing license by visiting the verification page of the Rhode Island nursing board.
Complete all the continuing education requirements required by the Rhode Island board of nursing prior expiration of your nursing license.
The next step is to complete all Nursing continuing education requirements online within the schedule.
Visit the Rhode Island board of nursing’s official website to get details about renewal applications.
If you want to know about the specific requirements, you can visit the Rhode Island board of nursing’s renewal information page.
What are the continuing education requirements needed for the Renewal of the license?
Registered nurse
Every registered nurse seeking renewal of a license must complete ten contact hours every two years, and they need to complete 2 hours in substance abuse.
Licensed practical nurse
Every LPN who wants to renew their nursing license must complete ten contact hours within two years, and they need to complete two hours in the practice of substance abuse.
APR
Each APRB who seeks their license renewal must complete ten contact hours within two years, and they are also required to complete two hours in the practice of substance abuse and maintain national certification.
What is the job/salary outlook for nurses in Rhode Island?
The Rhode Island board of nursing education approves all nursing course that is ANCC accredited. There is a shortage of nursing professionals in the healthcare sector, so doctors and nursing staff are in great demand in Rhode Island. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports and forecasts, the job opportunity in this field will increase at a 9% rate between the year 2020 and 2030. The mean annual wage of nurses is $82790. All these things make the nursing profession in Rhode Island a suitable place to start your nursing career.
For a licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, and advanced practice registered nurse in Rhode Island state, there are certain license renewal requirements that are determined by the Rhode Island board of nursing. The specific requirements consist of courses designed for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs. Like any other state, Rhode Island requires nurses to pass the National council licensure examination.
read more: Sonography vs. nursing salary
License Expiration
For Registered Nurse:
The RN license in Rhode Island expires every 1st March within two years, followed by the issuance date of the original nursing license. For instance, if a registered nurse license is issued in odd-numbered years, the due date for license renewal will be in an odd-numbered year. If a license is issued in the even-numbered years, the renewal of the license will be due on an even-numbered year
For Licensed Practical Nurse:
The license practical nurse license in Rhode Island expires on March 1 within two years, followed by the issuance day of the original nursing license. If your license is issued in an even-numbered year, then license renewal will be due in an even-numbered year. If the license is issued in an odd-numbered year, then the renewal will also be in an odd-numbered year
For Advanced Practice Registered Nurse:
The license for APRN in Rhode Island also expires on 1st March within a period of every two years, followed by the issue of your original license.
How to Get a Nursing License in Rhode Island
Obtaining a nursing license in Rhode Island starts with a visit to the Rhode Island board of nursing. Before going through the licensing process, you must know that Rhode Island isn’t a compact state as of the year 2018. A temporary license of 90days is issued once and only takes around 4 weeks. The time duration to issue RN permanent license takes only 8 weeks. Like any other state, Rhode Island also has two main ways to obtain a nursing license-
- Examination
- Endorsement
Nursing professionals who already hold active nursing licenses in other states can apply to the Rhode Island board of nursing. In contrast, the new nursing graduate can obtain a nursing license by examination method. The fee included in licensing process is only $135.
What are the documents needed to get a Rhode Island nursing license?
The documents required to provide to renew your license include the following-
- Complete application
- Recent passport size photo
- Transcripts
- A copy of evidence/proof of your primary address
- A photocopy of out of state active
- license
- Verification from all the states of licensure