I am in support of the Hurley petition as an interim solution until a specialty specific board certification exam is in place.  For your consideration, I respectfully submit my experience in attempting to gain APRN licensure in the state of VA.  In 2010, after having graduated from a CCNE accredited program, I carefully reviewed the VA BON website and proudly applied for APRN licensure.  I was alerted by mail that my application was denied.  When I called the BON to inquire as to why, I spoke with the BON president who informed me that it was due to not having specialty specific board certification.  At that time, nowhere on the BON website did it state this requirement.  I had however taken and passed the only examination made available to me, the ANCC CNS Core, which has since been retired.  Not only was I denied said licensure, the BON refused to refund my application fee, but instead applied it to my RN licensure renewal which added insult to injury.  I was a due paying member of the NACNS and reached out the president, however I received no support.  Needless to say, I am no longer a dues paying member.  I was left with no option for which to obtain APRN licensure in the state of VA and am to this day only licensed as an RN. 

                I urge my colleagues who oppose the Hurley petition to consider the perhaps hundreds of the masters prepared nurses with years of specialty specific experience in the field of women’s health and perinatal nursing who are not able to gain licensure  as APRNs.  Instead of presenting a unified front that supports all advanced practice nurses, our women’s health and perinatal subject matter experts are being left behind!  Not being eligible for APRN licensure not only limits options for employment and earning potential for the individuals themselves, but also weakens the community of advanced practice nurses as they are being excluded to no fault of their own.  Until a specialty specific exam is offered by AWHONN, ANCC, or NCC, these nurses should be given the opportunity in which to become licensed as an APRN as suggested by Hurley.  Once an exam is available, I confidently postulate that these nurses will proudly take the exam in order to be in compliance with the “national effort” and APRN consensus model.  With regard to the option proposed by some, indicating that women’s health/perinatal nursing CNSs have the option of taking the adult health exam.  I am professionally insulted by this and do not believe this to be a viable solution.  An adult health exam is in no way representative of the specialty and is just as bad, if not worse that having no specialty specific exam at all.  Thank you for your consideration and support of the Hurley proposal.