The act that defines APRN practice in West Virginia
The compact decides whether you may practice in West Virginia. What APRN practice actually means here — scope, titles, what you may do and delegate — is set by West Virginia’s own nurse practice act, W. Va. Code art. 30-7 (registered nurses); art. 30-7A (licensed practical nurses), and interpreted by the West Virginia RN Board / LPN Board. Two states can both recognize your license and still differ on what you may do with it.
Where West Virginia stands on the APRN Compact
We have found no APRN compact law on West Virginia’s books. Read that as a floor rather than a census: our own research turned up two jurisdictions that the published member lists we checked had omitted, so “we have not found it” is the honest claim rather than “it is not there”. Either way no APRN is practicing across state lines on that compact today, West Virginia included.
The compact does not cover APRN roles
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses. It does not cover APRN authorization — NPs, CRNAs, CNSs, and CNMs. That has been the case since the compact began and applies in every state.
What that means in West Virginia
West Virginia is a compact state, so your underlying RN license can be a multistate license. But your APRN authority sits on top of that RN license and is not part of the compact — to practice as an APRN in another state, you generally need that state’s APRN authorization, granted by its board. Confirm specifics with the West Virginia RN Board / LPN Board.
The separate APRN Compact
A distinct APRN Compact has been drafted to do for advanced practice what the NLC does for RNs and LPNs/LVNs, but it is not yet operational. Until enough states join and it is implemented, APRN privileges do not cross state lines automatically.