EKU nursing and Tennessee: where things stand in 2026
EKU's state authorization page says it is not accepting nursing students in Tennessee at this time, and both its MSN and RN to BSN licensure tables mark Tennessee as Does Not Meet Requirements. Every online EKU nursing option is affected, from the FNP and PMHNP and their post-MSN certificates to the doctorate and the RN to BSN. For a Tennessee resident, the next step is a conversation with EKU's online advisors, not a clinical plan.
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What EKU's page says for Tennessee
Tennessee is one of the eight states EKU closes to its online MSN and post-MSN students. The entry sits on EKU's list of SARA states with special restrictions, and its wording is not tied to one program: EKU is not accepting nursing students in Tennessee at this time, and it points residents to its online advisors for alternatives.
| EKU program | Status for Tennessee residents | Licensure table result |
|---|---|---|
| MSN: Family Nurse Practitioner | Not accepting | Does Not Meet Requirements |
| MSN: Psychiatric Mental Health NP | Not accepting | Does Not Meet Requirements |
| Post-MSN FNP and PMHNP certificates | Not accepting | Does Not Meet Requirements (the MSN table covers both) |
| Post-master's DNP | Not accepting | No DNP table (not a licensure program) |
| RN to BSN | Not accepting | Does Not Meet Requirements |
That makes Tennessee broader than Mississippi or Minnesota, where some EKU programs stay open; our state authorization guide compares all eight closed states.
Tennessee's 2026 bill on out-of-state nursing programs
Tennessee is tightening its side too. A 2026 bill, SB 2013/HB 1905, titled the Nursing Education Integrity and Oversight Act, instructs the state Board of Nursing to pause, for two years, new approvals for nursing schools located elsewhere, whether they seek to run a program in Tennessee, enroll students there or send students to Tennessee clinical sites. It treats RN to BSN and APRN programs the same as pre-licensure ones.
Schools approved earlier keep their status but owe any requested data to the Board and to Tennessee's Center for Nursing Advancement, preceptor lists included, and the Center's proposed standards for outside schools using Tennessee sites are due by June 30, 2027. One secondary report dates the law's start to April 27, 2026, though official enactment was still unconfirmed at our last check. EKU's Tennessee entry does not mention the bill.
Moving, or living near the Tennessee line
EKU decides by where you live, so a genuine move changes the answer. Kentucky and Virginia, for example, both appear as Meets Requirements in EKU's MSN table. Timing matters: EKU's page cautions that moving once you have applied or been admitted can put your place at risk, so settle the plan with an EKU advisor before you commit to a new address. See the Kentucky guide and the Virginia guide.
The reverse case affects EKU students in southern Kentucky, whose nearest large practices can sit across the border. EKU's Tennessee sentence and Tennessee's moratorium both counsel against counting on a Tennessee clinic for your hours. EKU's graduate catalog asks you to report the location of any supervised field placement outside Kentucky, so talk to your faculty before approaching a Tennessee practice.
Tennessee licensure and NP practice, for the long view
In EKU's licensure table, Does Not Meet is a statement about Tennessee's professional licensure requirements, not only about enrollment. If you study with EKU from another state and hope to practice as an NP in Tennessee later, put that plan to EKU and to the Tennessee Board of Nursing before you enroll.
AANP labels Tennessee restricted, with physician supervision and added limits on controlled-substance prescribing and opioid supply. NCSBN reports that CMS counts Tennessee among states that pledged full practice authority under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, yet AANP's May 2026 map kept the restricted rating. Tennessee has been a Nurse Licensure Compact state from January 19, 2018; it has no APRN Compact law.
Who we can help from Tennessee
Our work begins once you are an EKU student living in a state EKU enrolls from. If a move to Kentucky or another open state is already set, tell us your new town and program, and your placement advisor starts the preceptor search there, matched to NSC 800 and your internship. If you already study with EKU from southern Kentucky, we keep the search on the Kentucky side.
Either way you reach EKU with a complete option: the preceptor, the site and the details EKU collects on the preceptor information form. Kentucky's regulation gives EKU the job of securing and approving NP placements and protects your say in them, as the Kentucky rule page explains.
Questions EKU students ask
Can I enroll in EKU's online FNP or PMHNP while living in Tennessee?
Not at present. EKU's state authorization page says it is not accepting nursing students in Tennessee at this time, and the MSN licensure table, which also governs the post-MSN certificates, marks Tennessee as Does Not Meet Requirements. EKU suggests its online advisors for alternatives. Recheck the page before any application, because EKU updates it without dating individual state entries.
Does the Tennessee restriction cover EKU's DNP?
Yes. EKU's Tennessee sentence speaks of nursing students in general, so the post-master's DNP is included even though EKU publishes no DNP licensure table. Mississippi works differently: EKU's restriction there sits in the MSN table only, and the DNP is still listed as open.
When will EKU accept Tennessee nursing students again?
EKU gives no date. Its wording, at this time, describes a current position rather than a permanent one. Tennessee's own bill runs a two-year moratorium on outside programs while new standards are drafted, with recommendations due by mid-2027. If you are waiting, watch both EKU's state page and the Tennessee Board of Nursing's announcements.
Can a Tennessee nurse practitioner precept an EKU student in Kentucky?
Only at a Kentucky practice, and only with Kentucky credentials. The Kentucky Board of Nursing's page on out-of-state programs says preceptors in Kentucky for online MSN and DNP APRN programs need unencumbered, active Kentucky RN and APRN licenses. With the APRN Compact not in force, a Tennessee APRN license does not carry over. Your faculty confirms any preceptor you propose.
Related pages
Last checked 2026-09-25
We check these pages against EKU's own catalog, program pages and handbooks, and Kentucky's regulations. The current MSN Student Handbook, your course and your faculty have the final word.
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NSC 800andNSC 876, psychiatric care forNSC 886 - Preceptor, license and site details organized for EKU's preceptor information form
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