2023 Indiana Code › Title 25. Professions and Occupations › Article 23. Nurses › Chapter 1. Licensing of Nurses; Creation of Board; Education Programs › 25-23-1-11. Requirements for Registered Nurse Applicants; Temporary Permits; Endorsement License; Fees; Use of Title

Sec. 11. (a) Any person who applies to the board for a license to practice as a registered nurse must:
(1) not have:
(A) been convicted of a crime that has a direct bearing on the person's ability to practice competently; or
(B) committed an act that would constitute a ground for a disciplinary sanction under IC 25-1-9;
(2) have completed:
(A) the prescribed curriculum and met the graduation requirements of a state accredited program of registered nursing that only accepts students who have a high school diploma or its equivalent as determined by the board; or
(B) the prescribed curriculum and graduation requirements of a nursing education program in a foreign country that is substantially equivalent to a board approved program as determined by the board. The board may by rule adopted under IC 4-22-2 require an applicant under this subsection to successfully complete an examination approved by the board to measure the applicant's qualifications and background in the practice of nursing and proficiency in the English language; and
(3) be physically and mentally capable of and professionally competent to safely engage in the practice of nursing as determined by the board.
The board may not require a person to have a baccalaureate degree in nursing as a prerequisite for licensure.
(b) The applicant must pass an examination in such subjects as the board may determine.
(c) The board may issue a temporary registered nurse permit to practice as a registered nurse applicant to a person who has initially applied for license by examination, after the board receives the necessary materials to determine compliance with subsection (a). The temporary registered nurse permit is valid until the earlier of six (6) months after issuance or the registered nurse applicant's examination results under subsection (b) are received. If the registered nurse applicant does not receive a passing score on the first examination under subsection (b), the temporary registered nurse permit is no longer valid.
(d) A registered nurse applicant must:
(1) practice under the supervision of a registered nurse; and
(2) use the abbreviation "RNG" after the registered nurse graduate's name.
(e) The board may issue by endorsement a license to practice as a registered nurse to an applicant who has been licensed as a registered nurse, by examination, under the laws of another state if the applicant presents proof satisfactory to the board that, at the time that the applicant applies for an Indiana license by endorsement, the applicant holds a current license in another state and possesses credentials and qualifications that are substantially equivalent to requirements in Indiana for licensure by examination. The board may specify by rule what constitutes substantial equivalence under this subsection.
(f) The board may issue by endorsement a license to practice as a registered nurse to an applicant who:
(1) has completed the English version of the:
(A) Canadian Nurse Association Testing Service Examination (CNAT); or
(B) Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE);
(2) achieved the passing score required on the examination at the time the examination was taken;
(3) is currently licensed in a Canadian province or in another state; and
(4) meets the other requirements under this section.
(g) The board shall issue by endorsement a license to practice as a registered nurse to an applicant who:
(1) is a graduate of a foreign nursing school;
(2) provides:
(A) documentation that the applicant has:
(i) taken an examination prepared by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools International, Inc. (CGFNS); and
(ii) achieved the passing score required on the examination at the time the examination was taken;
(B) a satisfactory Credentials Evaluation Service Professional Report issued by CGFNS; or
(C) a satisfactory VisaScreen Certificate verification letter issued by CGFNS; and
(3) meets the other requirements of this section.
(h) Each applicant for examination and registration to practice as a registered nurse shall pay:
(1) a fee set by the board; and
(2) if the applicant is applying for a multistate license (as defined in IC 25-42-1-11) under IC 25-42 (Nurse Licensure Compact), a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) in addition to the fee under subdivision (1);
a part of which must be used for the rehabilitation of impaired registered nurses and impaired licensed practical nurses. Payment of the fee or fees shall be made by the applicant prior to the date of examination.
(i) The lesser of the following amounts from fees collected under subsection (h) shall be deposited in the impaired nurses account of the state general fund established by section 34 of this chapter:
(1) Twenty-five percent (25%) of the license application fee per license applied for under this section.
(2) The cost per license to operate the impaired nurses program, as determined by the Indiana professional licensing agency.
(j) Any person who holds a license to practice as a registered nurse in Indiana or under IC 25-42 may use the title "Registered Nurse" and the abbreviation "R.N.". No other person shall practice or advertise as or assume the title of registered nurse or use the abbreviation of "R.N." or any other words, letters, signs, or figures to indicate that the person using same is a registered nurse.
Formerly: Acts 1949, c.159, s.11; Acts 1971, P.L.376, SEC.10; Acts 1974, P.L.119, SEC.3; Acts 1975, P.L.272, SEC.1. As amended by Acts 1981, P.L.222, SEC.163; Acts 1982, P.L.113, SEC.58; P.L.169-1985, SEC.72; P.L.149-1987, SEC.60; P.L.152-1988, SEC.17; P.L.48-1991, SEC.39; P.L.33-1993, SEC.30; P.L.181-1996, SEC.1; P.L.236-1999, SEC.1; P.L.181-2002, SEC.6; P.L.1-2007, SEC.173; P.L.134-2008, SEC.29; P.L.135-2019, SEC.2; P.L.156-2020, SEC.103; P.L.69-2022, SEC.5; P.L.148-2023, SEC.14.