Governor Evers endorsement of legislation broadens healthcare services availability, creating more prospects for nursing professionals
Wisconsin Advances Healthcare Workforce with New APRN Law
Governor Tony Evers has signed a bipartisan bill into law, marking a significant advancement in Wisconsin's healthcare workforce development and patient care capacity. The new legislation, passed on Friday, aims to expand healthcare service access for Wisconsinites by creating a new licensure opportunity for registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs).
Under the 2025 Wisconsin APRN Modernization Act, nurses who are already licensed APRNs can practice independently if they have a minimum of 3,840 hours of work experience under the supervision of a physician or dentist. For those who are currently registered nurses (RNs), the key specific requirement to become an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (APRN) is completing this supervised clinical practice.
This experience is part of the new licensure opportunity created by the Act, which establishes a separate license for APRNs distinct from an RN license. The new APRN license applies to four advanced clinical roles: Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and Nurse Practitioner (NP).
The legislation also eliminates the previous requirement for APRNs to have a collaborative agreement with a physician to practice, allowing those who meet the experience and competency requirements to practice independently within their scope. This autonomy enables more advanced practitioners to provide timely, quality, and cost-effective care without the direct oversight of physicians, helping to alleviate provider shortages and expand system capacity.
Gov. Evers expressed pride in expanding opportunities for nurses to grow their careers and acknowledged the crucial role they play in the healthcare workforce. He also thanked Sen. Testin, Sen. Cabral-Guevara, Rep. Kurtz, and Rep. Subeck for their contributions to the bill.
The expansion in licensure and independent practice authority is projected to increase healthcare access significantly across Wisconsin, particularly benefiting underserved rural areas and populations with large health disparities. Approximately 8,000 RNs in Wisconsin are estimated to qualify as APRNs, with about 80% being nurse practitioners. This autonomy enables more advanced practitioners to provide care without delay, contributing to a more robust healthcare system.
With this new law, Wisconsin becomes the 29th state with full practice authority for APRNs, joining efforts to improve healthcare access and workforce development nationwide. The bipartisan bill is intended to help bring more people into the healthcare profession, ensuring that Wisconsinites have access to quality care now and into the future.
The new legislation in Wisconsin's healthcare workforce development aims to boost health-and-wellness by expanding the availability of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), as it creates a new licensure opportunity for RNs and provides them a path to become APRNs. Under the 2025 Wisconsin APRN Modernization Act, APRNs can practice independently after meeting certain experience and competency requirements, which could increase science-based healthcare access, especially in underserved areas.
