The State Senate this week signed off on a bill titled the “APRN Modernization Act,” related to the scope of practice of certain RNs by allowing categories of Advance Practice Registered Nurses in Wisconsin.

The bill, Senate Bill 394, has now passed both houses of the legislature and is headed to the Governor’s desk for his consideration to sign into law.

The bill allows for nurses who have met advanced educational and clinical requirements – Advanced Practice Registered Nurses – to have a broader scope of practice than an RN.

In order to be an APRN, a person must have graduated from a nursing program with a master’s degree or higher in one of the four roles of 1) certified nurse midwife, 2) certified registered nurse anesthetist, 3) clinical nurse specialist, or 4) nurse practitioner.