Section 1000-04-.04 - CERTIFICATE OF FITNESS(1) An active certificate of fitness issued by the Tennessee Board of Nursing, pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-7-123, will authorize an advanced practice registered nurse to perform acts of medical diagnosis, develop a medical plan of care and therapeutics for a patient, prescribe or issue drugs, and prescribe other treatments.(2) In order to be issued a certificate of fitness, an applicant must meet all of the following requirements:(a) A current, unencumbered license as a registered nurse under T.C.A. Title 63, Chapter 7, or a current license as a registered nurse with the multistate licensure privilege to practice in Tennessee;(b) A current, unencumbered certificate as an advanced practice registered nurse or eligibility to obtain an advanced practice registered nurse certificate;(c) Preparation in specialized practitioner skills at the master's, post-master's, doctoral, or post-doctoral level, including, but not limited to, at least three (3) quarter hours of pharmacology instruction or its equivalent;(d) A current national certification in the appropriate nursing specialty area from a certifying body approved by the Board; and(e) Graduation from a program conferring a master's or doctoral degree in nursing in an advanced nursing specialty (population focus) and category/role recognized by the Board.(3) Those advanced practice registered nurses who possess an active certificate of fitness pursuant to T.C.A. § 63-7-123(b)(2) shall maintain their Drug Enforcement Administration registration certificate to prescribe controlled substances at their practice location to be inspected by the Board or its authorized representative.(4) An advanced practice registered nurse who possesses a certificate of fitness and prescribes shall, prior to prescribing, file a notice with the Board containing:(a) The nurse's full name;(b) A copy of the formulary describing the categories of legend drugs to be prescribed and/or issued by the nurse; and(c) The name of the licensed physician collaborating with the nurse who has control and responsibility for prescriptive services rendered by the nurse.(5) An advanced practice registered nurse who possesses a certificate of fitness and intends to prescribe shall promptly file updates with the Board to any information required by paragraph (4) of this rule, and shall not prescribe prior to filing such updated information.(6) An advanced practice registered nurse who possesses a certificate of fitness and prescribes must have a collaborating physician who complies with Board of Medical Examiners Rule Chapter 0880-06 or Board of Osteopathic Examiners Rule 1050-02-.15, which were jointly adopted by the boards. The advanced practice registered nurse is responsible for ensuring the collaborating physician has access to all records and locations necessary for the collaborating physician to comply with the rules.Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-04-.04
Original rule filed March 11, 1993; effective April 25, 1993. Amendment filed February 21, 1996; effective May 6, 1996. Repeal and new rule filed May 28, 2004; effective August 11, 2004. Repeal and new rules filed July 10, 2024; effective 10/8/2024.Authority: T.C.A. §§ 63-7-105, 63-7-123, 63-7-126, 63-7-207, and 63-7-401, et seq.