Note from Your VCNP President
I hope you all were able to take some time for yourself over the holiday weekend. As we shared on VCNP’s social media accounts earlier this week, it’s more important than ever to check in on yourself and your well-being. Here are a few tips – drink plenty of water, spend time outside, take 10 deep breaths, lean on family and friends for support, appreciate all of the work you have done, and focus on what you can control.

Check out these websites for additional resources.
CDC
CRNA & NP prescriptive authority updates
Effective July 1, CRNAs gained the authority to prescribe Schedule II-VI drugs and are not required to have a practice agreement. No application is necessary, and CRNAs will not receive a separate Rx Authority designation.

Retroactive to March 4, NPs and CNMs no longer have separate NP and prescriptive authority licenses, and renewal of prescriptive licenses is no longer necessary. However, you must renew your RN license before renewing your NP license. NPs must comply with continued competency requirements for prescriptive authority, which is designated on licenses and can be viewed through License Lookup.
If you do not have prescriptive authority, a paper application ($35 application fee) can be completed.
Members offer assistance with autonomous practice applications
Do you have questions about the autonomous practice licensure process, completing the application, or how this licensure will impact your practice? Contact vcnp@vcnp.net to be connected with a VCNP member who will answer your questions and guide you through the application process.
If you’ve received your license or know of someone who did then let us acknowledge them and/or celebrate with you! Please share your/their photo and why you/they applied – but be sure to get their permission first.
How can Executive Order 57 benefit you?
If you meet the requirements under Executive Order 57, you are able to volunteer without a collaborative agreement and may be able to provide telehealth services through your employer or one of the telehealth companies that serve Virginia. This order, which allows NPs with two or more years of clinical experience to practice without a collaborative agreement during Virginia’s state of emergency, also allows you to take on new roles outside of your current one and to continue practicing if your collaborating physician retires, moves or passes away. The order remains in effect through September 8.

If you’re able to practice autonomously because of this order, please let us know. We’d like to share these examples with the Board of Nursing and our legislators as we continue to promote the safety and value of NP-provided care.
 I know these continue to be challenging and stressful times. Please reach out to your NP colleagues for support, and let me know how VCNP can be a resource for you.
Becky Compton, DNP, RN, FNP-BC
President, VCNP Board of Directors