Unpacking State Licensing and the Nurse Licensure Compact

On January 19, 2018, the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) will replace the existing 25-state Nurse Licensure Compact, under the administration of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Most nurses with a current multistate license to practice within the Compact states will not notice much of an immediate effect.

But nurses and healthcare employers that are affected need to be taking care of any necessary paperwork now to make sure all the licensing requirements are in place by the implementation date. The urgency level is beginning to rise, as the standard 30-60 day processing period may be strained by a spike in applications as the deadline approaches.

Who’s In and Who’s Out

The original Compact will be left with only four states: Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico, and Rhode Island. These states will retain reciprocal licensing among themselves, but not with their 21 old partners who move on under the legislation of the eNLC.

Five new states will become part of the enhanced Compact: Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Georgia, and Florida. Four more (Michigan, Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Massachusetts) are slated to enact legislation before Jan. 18th. Adding these states to the original 21, the eNLC will total 30 states (more or less, depending on legislative decisions) at implementation.

License and Registration, Please

The NCSBN plans to have full national participation in the reciprocal licensing standards. This is already the case with national testing (NCLEX-RN) standards for entry to the nursing professions.

Nurses who meet the requirements for a license in their eNLC home state may apply for a multistate license, valid within the entire eNLC. To qualify, they must clear the points of professional scrutiny spelled out in the new legislative details, and in the Nursys.com national licensure and disciplinary database.

In this way, each state performs due diligence on behalf of all states, to ensure the protection of public safety and adherence to best practices in quality and value of patient care. This promotes a consistent standard of care and an available supply of qualified nursing and advanced care nursing professionals, wherever the need may be.

NHS helps with state licensure for nursing professionals

Nurses, nursing leadership, healthcare executives, and especially interim health care professionals, may have mobility issues in mind as a result of eNLC implementation. Contact NHS Solutions today for information and assistance with licensing, and any other questions about finding and preparing for interim leadership opportunities.

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