Become a Nurse in Nevada – Licensure & Requirements

^{† For CNM, CNS and NP applicants who completed their program after June 2005, the Nevada State Board of Nursing's APRN instructions recognize a DNP, MSN, or post-master's certificate; a BSN-based pathway remained available for programs completed between July 1992 and May 2005. Current U.S. nurse-anesthesia education for CRNAs is doctoral-level; see Education under each credential below.}

Nevada Nursing Salaries

^{Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner (except Carson City) and Licensed Practical Nurse salaries above were retrieved from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Nevada, May 2025. BLS does not publish a state-wide Nurse Anesthetist estimate for Nevada, or a Nurse Practitioner estimate for the Carson City, NV metro area, in the current release.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Nevada. The path you take will mostly depend upon the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. The higher your level of education, the more opportunities you’ll have to choose where and how you pursue your career in nursing.

In addition to nursing salaries in Nevada, you’ll find information on acquiring and maintaining several types of Nevada nursing licensure. We’re constantly making updates, but with the speed of change in the healthcare sphere it’s difficult to stay current. If you have any comments or suggestions for our information on nursing in Nevada, please email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com!

Compact State Status

Nevada is not a Nursing Licensure Compact state, per the Nurse Licensure Compact Commission's current map and the Nevada Board's NLC page.

Prescriptive Authority in Nevada

Advanced practice registered nurses in Nevada may apply for prescriptive authority for controlled substances, but Nursing Board approval alone does not authorize an APRN to prescribe them. Under NRS 632.237 and NRS 639.2351, an APRN must also register with the Nevada Board of Pharmacy, hold a permanent APRN license, register with the DEA, and register with Nevada's Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) before prescribing controlled substances. To prescribe a Schedule II controlled substance specifically, an APRN must additionally have at least 2 years or 2,000 hours of clinical experience, or must prescribe pursuant to a protocol approved by a collaborating physician.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Nevada

Education: Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), or post-master's certificate for programs completed after June 2005; a BSN-based pathway remained available for programs completed between July 1992 and May 2005.

Examination: Varies for Different Certifications

Fees:

• $200 Application Fee
• Examination Fee (Varies for Different Certifications)

Experience: Conditional: 1,000 hours of physician-collaboration practice (without prescriptive authority), required only for applicants who are not licensed as an APRN in any state and who graduated more than two years before applying. Applicants not meeting both conditions are not subject to this requirement.

Certification Required: National certification from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the National Certification Corporation (NCC), or the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB). Applicants who completed their program between July 1992-May 2005, or after July 2014, must hold current national certification.

Additional Information: An Active Nevada Registered Nurse License Is Required for Application.

Renewal: Renewal requires the RN renewal requirements below plus 15 CE hours in the APRN's specialty, a 2-hour suicide-prevention course every four years, and a 2-hour controlled-substances course each renewal cycle. APRNs must also maintain a professional portfolio, document 1,000 APRN practice hours in the prior five years, and (if licensed after July 2014) hold current national certification. Fee of $200 per renewal period is required.

Learn more on how to become an advanced practice registered nurse.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in Nevada

Education: Doctoral-level nurse anesthesia education from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA); the Nevada Board requires a degree-posted transcript from the applicant's program.

Examination: National Certification Examination (NCE), administered by the NBCRNA.

Certification Required: National Board on the Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)

Fees:

• $200 Application Fee
• NCE Examination Fee — the current amount is not published in NBCRNA's public fee materials; confirm pricing directly with NBCRNA.

Additional Information: An Active Nevada Registered Nurse License Is Required for Application.

Renewal: Renewal requires the RN renewal requirements below plus 15 CE hours related to nurse-anesthesia practice, maintenance of current national certification, and CRNA practice within the previous two years. Fee of $200 per renewal period is required.

Learn more on how to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Registered Nurse (RN) in Nevada

Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $100 Application Fee
• $200 Examination Fee
• $40 Fingerprinting Fee for a hard-copy card mailed to NSBN (varies for private-vendor submission)

Additional Information: To become an Emergency Medical Services Registered Nurse (EMS-RN), one must be certified in advanced life support practices for adults, pediatric patients, and patients with trauma, plus a pre-hospital setting care program.

Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state may apply through endorsement, subject to a $100 application fee and a $40 fingerprinting fee (hard copy; varies through a private vendor).

Renewal: Renewal fee is $100. Renewal requires 30 hours of board-approved continuing education, which must include 4 hours of cultural competency each cycle and a one-time 4-hour bioterrorism course; nurses providing or supervising EMS in a hospital or primary-care setting must also complete a 2-hour HIV-related training course. Nurses in their first renewal period are exempt from the 30-hour total but must still complete the cultural-competency and bioterrorism courses.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Nevada

Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse Program

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $90 Application Fee
• $200 Examination Fee
• $40 Fingerprinting Fee for a hard-copy card mailed to NSBN (varies for private-vendor submission)

Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state may apply through endorsement, subject to a $90 application fee and a $40 fingerprinting fee (hard copy; varies through a private vendor).

Renewal: Renewal fee is $100. Renewal requires 30 hours of board-approved continuing education, which must include 4 hours of cultural competency each cycle and a one-time 4-hour bioterrorism course; LPNs providing or supervising EMS in a hospital or primary-care setting must also complete a 2-hour HIV-related training course. LPNs in their first renewal period are exempt from the 30-hour total but must still complete the cultural-competency and bioterrorism courses.

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

^{Application, examination, fingerprinting, endorsement, renewal and continuing-education requirements above (LPN figures follow the same current RN/LPN Board instructions, fee schedule, renewal FAQ and continuing-education rules cited for RN above, plus NCLEX-PN pricing) were independently reverified against the specific Nevada State Board of Nursing sources cited throughout this page in September 2026. The initial NCE fee for CRNA licensure is not published in NBCRNA's current public fee materials and is not stated as a fixed amount above; confirm current pricing directly with NBCRNA. See the Nevada State Board of Nursing for general navigation to current forms and statutes.}