Minn. Stat. § 148.211 - Licensing

• Cite as: Minn. Stat. § 148.211

Subdivision 1. Licensure by examination.

(a) An applicant for a license to practice as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse shall apply to the board for a license by examination on forms prescribed by the board and pay a fee in an amount determined by statute. An applicant applying for reexamination shall pay a fee in an amount determined by law. In no case may fees be refunded.

(b) The applicant must satisfy the following requirements for licensure by examination:

(1) present evidence the applicant has not engaged in conduct warranting disciplinary action under section 148.261;

(2) present evidence of completion of a nursing education program approved by the board, another United States nursing board, or a Canadian province, which prepared the applicant for the type of license for which the application has been submitted; and

(3) pass a national nurse licensure written examination. "Written examination" includes paper and pencil examinations and examinations administered with a computer and related technology and may include supplemental oral or practical examinations approved by the board.

(c) An applicant who graduated from an approved nursing education program in Canada and was licensed in Canada or another United States jurisdiction, without passing the national nurse licensure examination, must also submit a verification of licensure from the original Canadian licensure authority and from the United States jurisdiction.

(d) An applicant who graduated from a nursing program in a country other than the United States or Canada must also satisfy the following requirements:

(1) present verification of graduation from a nursing education program which prepared the applicant for the type of license for which the application has been submitted and is determined to be equivalent to the education required in the same type of nursing education programs in the United States as evaluated by a credentials evaluation service acceptable to the board. The credentials evaluation service must submit the evaluation and verification directly to the board;

(2) demonstrate successful completion of coursework to resolve identified nursing education deficiencies; and

(3) pass examinations acceptable to the board that test written and spoken English, unless the applicant graduated from a nursing education program conducted in English and located in an English-speaking country. The results of the examinations must be submitted directly to the board from the testing service.