Multi-State Nursing Licensure
The Issue
Nurse Licensure rules and regulations were formed when nursing was practiced primarily within the boundaries of one or two states. With the development of managed care, tele-health and mobile populations, nurses are frequently required to work with patients who travel or reside across multiple state lines. Unlike driver’s licenses, many state nursing licenses are not recognized by other states.
The Impact
Nurses and their employers are vulnerable to:
- Excessive costs for additional licensure
- Administrative oversight of additional fees
- Vulnerability to lack of malpractice coverage
Most managed care employers do not cover these expenses leaving both the employer and nurses personally vulnerable.
The Solution
Nurse Compact Licensure. Twenty state boards of nursing have joined together to form a Nurse Compact in which participating states mutually recognize nurse licenses from other Compact states.
The Goal
To clarify its position, CMSA has released its official statement on this important issue below:
Read CMSA's Position Statement on Multistate Nursing Licensure
The goal of the CMSA position statement is not to create an administrative nightmare or to create additional costs to organizations or to the US healthcare system. The purpose of the CMSA position statement is to alert and to encourage individuals and organizations to aggressively encourage the non-Compact State Boards of Nursing to join the Compact or to encourage federal legislation mandating recognition of nurse licensure across state lines.
Read more about the ongoing issue at the website for the National Council for State Board of Nursing (NCSBN).
Additional Resources
CMSA has assembled the following resources to help policy makers better understand the issue of multi-state licensure and how benefit of Nurse Compact Licensure. For more information, please contact Michele Lee, Manager, Member & Chapter Services, mlee@acminet.com (501) 225-2229 ext. 1120.
CMSA Position Statement
PowerPoint Presentation
Template Letter to Legislators
Template Letter for your support of the Nurse Licensure Compact
NLC Contact Lists
Non-Participating State Boards of Nursing
The Case Manager: Multistate nurse licensure in case management
The Case Manager: What nurse case managers need to know about the Nurse Licensure Compact
National Council for State Board of Nursing (NCSBN)
State Nursing Associations
State Boards of Nursing