Quick Highlights
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is the umbrella credential covering four roles: nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife and clinical nurse specialist.
- A nurse practitioner (NP) is one of the four APRN roles and the most common one nationally.
- An APRN Compact for interstate licensure exists but is not yet active; five states have enacted it, and additional states are needed to activate it.
- In Arkansas, APRNs can apply for full independent practice after 6,240 hours of supervised practice under Act 412.
If you are early in researching advanced practice nursing, you will see the terms APRN and NP used interchangeably online, often incorrectly. Learn how the two terms relate, walk through the four APRN roles and explore practice authority rules, including an Arkansas-specific pathway. Arkansas State University (A-State) offers online MSN nurse practitioner programs that prepare RNs for the most common of the four APRN roles.
APRN vs. NP
NP is one of four APRN roles, not a separate credential. APRN is the license category; NP is the specific role within it that most advanced practice nurses pursue.
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Factor
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APRN
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NP
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What it is
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Umbrella license category covering four advanced practice roles
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One specific role within the APRN category
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The four APRN roles
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NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS
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N/A, NP is itself one of the four
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Required education
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Master’s degree at minimum, in one of the four roles
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Master’s degree at minimum, in a chosen NP specialty
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Varies by role and specialty
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ANCC and/or AANP, depending on specialty
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National prevalence
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Roughly 399,000 combined NP, CRNA and CNM jobs per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
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Roughly 336,300 of those APRNs are nurse practitioners
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A-State MSN-NP admission floor and states (2026)
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Not applicable at the APRN level; varies by role
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BSN, 3.25 GPA, unencumbered RN license, 1,500 RN practice hours
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Keeping that distinction in mind makes it easier to compare NP programs and job postings accurately. The next section breaks down what defines an APRN and how each of the four roles differs in practice.
What Is an APRN?
An APRN is a registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education in one of four advanced practice roles: nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), certified nurse-midwife (CNM) or clinical nurse specialist (CNS). This four-role structure comes from the APRN Consensus Model, the framework state boards of nursing use to define licensure, accreditation, certification and education for advanced practice. Each role serves a different function, shaped by its own scope of practice, population focus and certifying body. The list below outlines what each one does in a clinical setting:
- CRNAs administer anesthesia and manage patients before, during and after surgical and obstetric procedures.
- CNMs provide gynecological care, family planning and labor and delivery care, often acting as a woman’s primary maternity provider.
- CNSs work within a specialty population or care setting to improve outcomes at the systems level, with certification pathways that vary by specialty population.
- NPs serve as primary and specialty care providers across a wide range of settings.
Is a Nurse Practitioner the Same as an APRN?
Not exactly. Every nurse practitioner is an APRN, but not every APRN is a nurse practitioner; the other three roles (CRNA, CNM, CNS) are also APRNs. NP is simply the largest and most common of the four roles nationally. According to BLS (May 2025 data), nurse practitioners account for roughly 336,300 of the combined 399,000 APRN jobs the agency tracks across NP, CRNA and CNM roles, with CNS roles counted separately.
Important Note
If you see a job posting or a state regulation that says “APRN,” it may apply to any of the four roles, not specifically to NPs. Always check whether a rule or requirement names NPs specifically or refers to the broader APRN category.
What Is the Credential Path from RN to NP?
The path from RN to NP runs from RN licensure to a BSN if one isn’t already held, to an MSN in a chosen NP specialty, with an optional DNP afterward. That sequence holds regardless of which NP specialty a nurse ultimately pursues.
- First comes RN licensure, typically through an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
- Next comes a BSN if you started with an associate degree, since most MSN-NP programs require a bachelor’s in nursing for admission.
- From there, you complete an MSN in your chosen NP specialty, which is the entry-level degree for NP practice nationwide.
- A DNP is an optional next step after the MSN for nurses who want to move into clinical leadership, health-system administration or academic faculty roles. However, it is not required for NP licensure.
None of A-State’s MSN-NP tracks require a campus visit. A-State’s online nursing master’s ranks among U.S. News’ Best Online Master’s in Nursing programs nationally (2026), ahead of the University of Arkansas’s program on the same list. Britney James followed this exact sequence, earning her BSN at A-State in 2017 before returning for her MSN-FNP in 2022. Read her story.
What Is APRN Compact Licensing?
The APRN Compact is an interstate agreement that would let an APRN hold one multistate license and practice in other participating states, similar to how the existing Nurse Licensure Compact works for RNs. As of 2026, five states have enacted the compact (Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming), but it needs additional enacting states before it becomes operational, so it is not yet active anywhere. NP graduates should plan on individual state licensure rather than assuming multistate practice privileges.
For nurses weighing a move or a telehealth caseload across state lines, that means checking each state’s board of nursing directly rather than assuming compact-style reciprocity. Arkansas is not currently one of the five enacting states, so an A-State MSN-NP graduate planning to practice elsewhere should confirm that state’s own APRN licensure requirements.
Full vs. Restricted vs. Reduced Practice Authority
States fall into three broad categories for NP practice authority: full, reduced and restricted. Which category a state falls into determines how much physician collaboration or oversight an NP needs before treating patients independently.
- Full practice authority states let NPs evaluate patients, diagnose, order tests and prescribe medications independently.
- Reduced practice authority states require a collaborative agreement with a physician for at least one element of NP practice.
- Restricted practice authority states require physician oversight or delegation for NPs to provide care at all.
The American Association of Nurse Practitioners maintains an updated state-by-state map of these categories. Arkansas has its own notable pathway inside this framework. Under Act 412 of 2021, a certified nurse practitioner can apply for full independent practice after completing 6,240 hours of practice under a collaborative agreement, and the state’s Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee reviews the application. Act 872 of 2023 extended this same pathway to clinical nurse specialists. This is a state-specific credentialing fact, not a guarantee of independent practice for every graduate.
Choosing an NP Track at A-State
Knowing that NP is one of four APRN roles, not a synonym for the whole category, changes how you read job postings, state regulations and program descriptions. It also clarifies what a nurse practitioner credential does and doesn’t guarantee: independent practice depends on the state where a nurse is licensed, not on the NP title itself, which is why Arkansas’s Act 412 pathway matters specifically for RNs and NPs building a career in this state.
For nurses working toward the NP role, the next decision is choosing a specialty track. A-State’s online MSN-NP programs offer three options: Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, each built for RNs who already hold a BSN and meet the program’s GPA and practice-hour requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four types of APRN?
Nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife and clinical nurse specialist.
Is a nurse practitioner the same as an APRN?
An NP is one of four APRN roles, so every NP is an APRN, but not every APRN is an NP; CRNAs, CNMs and CNSs are APRNs too.
What is APRN compact licensing and which states participate?
It is a proposed interstate licensure agreement for APRNs. Five states (Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) have enacted it as of 2026, but it needs additional enacting states to activate, so it is not yet operational anywhere.
What is full practice authority versus restricted or reduced practice authority?
Full practice authority lets NPs evaluate, diagnose, order tests and prescribe independently. Reduced authority requires a collaborative agreement for part of that scope. Restricted authority requires physician oversight or delegation throughout.
What is Arkansas Act 412 and how does it affect NP practice authority?
Act 412 of 2021 created a pathway for Arkansas nurse practitioners to apply for full independent practice after 6,240 hours of practice under a collaborative agreement, reviewed by the state’s Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee.
Do I need a DNP to become an APRN?
No. The MSN remains the accepted entry-level degree for NP practice nationwide, and no state currently requires a DNP for NP licensure.
What is the credential path from RN to NP?
RN licensure, a BSN if not already held, an MSN in your chosen NP specialty and an optional DNP afterward for nurses moving toward leadership or academic roles.
Key Takeaways
- APRN is the umbrella credential covering NP, CRNA, CNM and CNS; NP is the largest of the four roles.
- The APRN Compact has five enacting states as of 2026 and needs more to activate, so no state currently offers multistate APRN practice under it.
- Arkansas’s Act 412 lets NPs apply for full independent practice after 6,240 supervised hours, a state-specific pathway worth knowing if you plan to practice in Arkansas.
- The credential path runs RN to BSN (if needed) to MSN-NP, with the DNP as an optional add-on rather than a requirement.
Not yet a BSN-prepared RN? A-State also offers an online RN to BSN pathway to help you meet the entry requirement for graduate nursing programs.