If you're a licensed nurse, you already know that there is a great demand for nurses in a wide range of healthcare settings all across the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be almost 200,000 job openings per year for nurses over the next decade, and employment for registered nurses is projected to grow at a faster rate than the average rate for all other occupations. High demand now and in the future means more opportunities for nurses to choose where they want to work. You may be considering taking advantage of this market to work in another state but have questions about how you can transfer your nursing license if you do so.
There are a number of different ways that you can either transfer your existing nursing license to another state or hold licenses in more than one state. If you have questions after reading this FAQ, contact the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team for help at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation. We can help you figure out what strategy is best for you and how to make it happen.
I Am Moving to Another State. Can I Transfer My Nursing License?
This is probably the simplest scenario. You are currently living and working in one state and hold a nursing license in that state. You are moving to another state, want to work in that state and don't plan to return to your current state after you move.
Assuming your current nursing license is in good standing and that you're not being investigated for misconduct or haven't been disciplined by your Board of Nursing for past misconduct, the process of getting your license in your new state is relatively easy. That said, you still need to pay close attention to your new state's licensing requirements.
You will be able to apply for a nursing license in your new state based on your existing license from your old state. This is called “licensure by endorsement.” To do this in Alabama, for example, you must have graduated from a nursing program that “substantially meets the same educational criteria as Alabama nursing programs.” You must also submit a transcript from your nursing school, proof that you've completed a certain number of continuing education “contact hours,” and provide official verification of your existing nursing license. Once your application is on file with Alabama's Board of Nursing, you must then submit your fingerprints for a background check.
New York has similar requirements; you need to provide verification from your nursing school that you have a nursing degree as well as verification from your existing state (or from the Nursys database) of your nursing license status. In addition, New York will either confirm you've passed the NCLEX nursing licensure examination through Nursys, or if your existing state isn't a member of Nursys, you will need to have your existing state's Board of Nursing verify that you've taken and passed the exam. If you haven't already, you will also need to take or verify that you've taken certain required training (in New York, this includes Infection Control Training and Child Abuse Identification & Reporting Coursework).
The key is to pay close attention to the licensing requirements of your new state. Note that if you graduated from a nursing school outside of the United States, your application for a license in your new state may include additional steps.
My Current Nursing License Is a Multistate License. Do I Need to Apply for a Nursing License in My New State, or Can I Use My Existing License From My Old State?
If your current nursing license from your home state is a multistate license under the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) that allows you to practice in other states, and you're moving to a new state that accepts multistate licenses, you still need to apply for a nursing license “by endorsement” in your new state. That is because, under the NLC, your multistate license is based on your permanent state of residence. If you're changing your permanent residence from one state to another, you need to have a nursing license that is issued by your new home state.
The idea should be familiar; it's similar to what you have to do with your driver's license when you move to a new state, namely, apply for a new one in your new state based on your new home address.
Under the NLC, you have 60 days from when you move to apply for your license by endorsement from your new state's Board of Nursing (or appropriate licensing entity).
I Am Not Moving, but I Want to Be Able to Work in Another State. Is My Nursing License Good in That State?
Possibly. It depends on several things.
First, for you to be able to work in another state based on your home state's nursing license, both your home state and the state you want to work in must be members of the Nurse Licensure Compact. Currently, more than 40 states are.
Second, your existing license must meet the eligibility standards of the NLC. In some states, all nursing licenses automatically meet the NLC's uniform licensure requirements. In others, you may need to “upgrade” your existing license before it becomes eligible under the NLC.
Once you've confirmed that you hold a multistate nursing license, you can work as a licensed nurse in any state that is a member of the NLC.
If the state you want to work in is not a member of the NLC, then you will need to apply for a license from that state's Board of Nursing or appropriate licensing agency “by endorsement,” as described above.
I Am Not Moving, but I Want the Flexibility to Be Able to Work in More Than One State. How Can I Do That?
If your current state where you hold a nursing license is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, you can work in all other states that are also members without having to apply for a license in every state where you work. This gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility when it comes to accepting temporary assignments or working as a travel nurse. Note that depending on your state, you may need to “upgrade” your license in that state so that it meets NLC eligibility requirements.
If your current state is not a member of the NLC, or you want to work in a state that is not a member of the NLC, you will need to apply for a nursing license by endorsement from that state.
So Tell Me More About This Nurse Licensure Compact. Can That Help Me if I Want to Practice in More Than One State?
The Nurse Licensure Compact allows nurses licensed in one member state to practice in other member states without having to be separately licensed in those other states. States that are members of the NLC agree that nurses who meet the NLC standards in one state member state will be able to practice in all member states. It also allows nurses located in one member state to provide telenursing services in other member states.
- The NLC standards are also known as Uniform Licensure Requirements. These Uniform License Requirements are as follows:
- The nurse meets their home state's requirements for a nursing license.
- The nurse has either graduated from a board-approved nursing program in the US or from an approved nursing program in another country that has been independently verified.
- If English is not the nurse's native language or if the nurse's foreign nursing program was not taught in English, the nurse must pass an English proficiency exam.
- The nurse has passed the appropriate NCLEX nurse licensure examination for their type of license.
- The nurse holds an active license that is not currently subject to active disciplinary measures or is eligible for such a license.
- The nurse must consent to “state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background checks.”
- The nurse has no felony convictions (including guilty pleas to and alternative dispositions of a felony crime).
- The nurse has no misdemeanor convictions that are “related to the practice of nursing,” with that determination made by their home state on a case-by-case basis.
- The nurse is not currently participating in an alternative-to-discipline program such as the ones that many states administer for alcohol or drug issues.
- The nurse has a valid US Social Security number.
Issues relating to misdemeanor convictions are ones that can often be resolved during the licensing process by providing the Board of Nursing or licensing agency with a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding the misdemeanor, and what steps the nurse has taken since the misdemeanor to ensure that it does not happen again.
This is where working with an experienced attorney from the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help. Nursing boards typically require a lot of detail about prior convictions before they will grant a nursing license to a nurse with a criminal conviction. An experienced attorney can help you make sure you meet the disclosure requirements for your state's nursing license and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances surrounding any conviction and what you've done since that can help the licensing body understand why you should receive a nursing license despite that conviction.
Are There Downsides to Having a Nursing License in More Than One State?
One of the benefits of the Nurse Licensure Compact is that you only need to keep track of your home state's nursing license requirements. This includes requirements relating to continuing education and license renewal, among other things. So long as you meet your home state's requirements for maintaining your nursing license in that state, you will be allowed to practice under your home state's license in all other NLC states.
When you hold separate licenses in more than one state, you need to carefully keep track of what each state requires of you to be able to maintain your license. While many of those obligations may be the same, there may also be differences from state to state, and it's important for you to make sure you meet each state's ongoing requirements for you to keep your license in that state.
In addition, if you find yourself under investigation for misconduct or disciplined by one state for misconduct, you will need to disclose that to every state in which you hold a separate license. This is another essentially universal requirement that can be easy to try to ignore, but failing to disclose discipline from one state to the Board of Nursing in another state where you hold a license will be separate grounds for discipline in that second state.
The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team can help you keep track of your differing obligations in each state where you hold a nursing license. In addition to defending you if you're being investigated for misconduct in one state, we can also help you in other states where you hold separate licenses by endorsement.
The Lento Law Firm Can Help With Your Nursing License Issues
The Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team has helped nurses all across the United States make sure they are meeting their state's licensing requirements. We regularly represent nurses who are under investigation or being disciplined for misconduct, help protect their rights during investigations, and defend them if disciplinary proceedings follow. We also regularly help nurses who have criminal convictions, including guilty and “no contest” pleas, when it comes time to apply for or renew their nursing licenses. And if you hold an NLC license, we can help you protect that license as well if you're facing discipline in any state in which you practice.
If you have questions about transferring your nursing license from one state to another or about how to become licensed in more than one state, call the Lento Law Firm's Professional License Defense Team at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. You've worked hard to be able to practice nursing, and the Lento Law Firm is here to help you make sure you're able to do so!
