Requirements for advanced practice nurses in Arkansas and Tennessee aim at ensuring that only qualified medical specialists are allowed to nursing practice and activity. In many aspects, such registered nursing licensing, issued by the state boards of nursing, are almost identical. However, as for specification, Arkansas State Board of Nursing Rules compiled a more detailed and specified document of requirements for different roles of advanced practice nurses (APN). The requirements of Tennessee State Board of Nursing are more generalized; they do not specify any particular requirements for various licensed registered nurses such as anesthetists, midwives, clinical nurse specialists, etc. According to Arkansas State Board of Nursing Rules …show more content…
Nevertheless, in opposition to ARSBN, TBN does not distinguish different roles of APN. Tennessee code unites all roles, such as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists, without specifying the differences and peculiarities as it is done in Arkansas State Board of Nursing Rules. Similarly to ARSBN, TBN (2013) requires APN to hold “master's degree or higher in a nursing specialty and has national specialty certification”. In this case, the roles of APN are specified and a peculiar certificate is needed for various roles of advanced practice nurses. APN in Tennessee are able to prescribe and issue prescriptive drugs as well as their colleagues in Arkansas as long as an additional certification is obtained and maintained by the individual. The significance of maintenance of the certificate is emphasized in TBN, in opposition to ARSBN. In other aspects, the rules of both TBN and ARSBN are almost similar, although some aspects are more detailed and paid attention to in each document extrapolating upon the rules published by the governing authorities of each state. It would seem as a whole that the Tennessee Board of Nursing focuses allows its requirements of standards of practice followed by each APN to be governed through individual professional societies such as the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) who publish