compact state?wha????..lol

Pia Mater · Sep 1, 2010

I do not know a whole bunch since I am still a pre-nursing student. But from what I know, if you live in and are licenced in a compact state, you can practice in any of those states with little to no "hoops to jump through". Whereas if you go to a non compact state (I believe WV is NOT a compact state) there will be hoops. I do not know anything more specific, but here is a link to a site that may have more answers.

https://www.ncsbn.org/2010_NLCA_factsheet_students_July_2010.pdf

elkpark · Sep 1, 2010

It does not "vary from state to state." The NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN are nationally standardized, and, once you pass the exam once, your results are accepted/honored by all US states. You do not have to take the exam again to get licensed in another state later on (the only exception to that I'm aware of is if you left nursing for an extended period of time (many years) and wanted to return to nursing, you might be required to write the NCLEX again to get licensed again -- but, in ordinary circumstances, no). Different states have different requirements for licensure, like whether you've practiced as a nurse a particular number of hours within the last X number of years, specific CE topics/courses that are required for licensure, different paperwork, etc., but those are minor details.

The NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) is a fairly recent development in nursing. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about it, but the easiest way to think about it is that it works exactly the same as our driver's licenses. Everyone understands perfectly well, with no confusion, that you can use your current, "home" state driver's license to drive as far as you want, for as long as you want, anywhere in the US, but, if you move to another state, you have 30 days (or whatever the state law says) to apply for a driver's license in your new "home" state. You can't just drive indefinitely in your new home state on your "old" license. Right? The only reason that's possible, and we don't have to stop at each state line to apply for a new license when we're on vacation, is because all the US states got together long ago, early in the Automobile Age, and agreed to recognize each other's licenses temporarily for travel purposes. They all signed a compact, an actual physical document like a treaty.

The NLC works exactly the same way, except that not all states have agreed (so far) to sign (join) the compact. I think the current membership is around half the states. Member states have agreed to temprarily recognize each other's nursing licenses for work purposes. So, if you are licensed (as an RN or LPN/LVN) in your home state and your home state is a "compact state" (member of the NLC), you can use your current license to work in any other compact state, for as long as you want -- but only as long as you maintain your permanent residence in your home state (own property, pay taxes, etc., however "residency" is defined in that state). If you move to another state, you will have to apply for a new license in your new state. If you move to a non-compact state, you will still have your current state license (until it expires, and you can choose at that time to either renew it or just let it expire), but it will lose its "compact privileges" and will no longer be recognized by other compact states -- it will just be a regular, "traditional" license. If you move to another compact state, you will have 30 days to apply for a license in your new "home" state before your previous license just becomes invalid -- because one of the NLC "rules" is that you can only hold one "compact license" at a time, and it must be in your home (permanent residence) state.

Hope that helps clear things up somewhat. Best wishes!

glitterygirl · Sep 2, 2010

I do not know a whole bunch since I am still a pre-nursing student. But from what I know, if you live in and are licenced in a compact state, you can practice in any of those states with little to no "hoops to jump through". Whereas if you go to a non compact state (I believe WV is NOT a compact state) there will be hoops. I do not know anything more specific, but here is a link to a site that may have more answers.
https://www.ncsbn.org/2010_NLCA_factsheet_students_July_2010.pdf

thanks for that

it helped!!!:)

glitterygirl · Sep 2, 2010

It does not "vary from state to state." The NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN are nationally standardized, and, once you pass the exam once, your results are accepted/honored by all US states. You do not have to take the exam again to get licensed in another state later on (the only exception to that I'm aware of is if you left nursing for an extended period of time (many years) and wanted to return to nursing, you might be required to write the NCLEX again to get licensed again -- but, in ordinary circumstances, no). Different states have different requirements for licensure, like whether you've practiced as a nurse a particular number of hours within the last X number of years, specific CE topics/courses that are required for licensure, different paperwork, etc., but those are minor details.
The NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) is a fairly recent development in nursing. There is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about it, but the easiest way to think about it is that it works exactly the same as our driver's licenses. Everyone understands perfectly well, with no confusion, that you can use your current, "home" state driver's license to drive as far as you want, for as long as you want, anywhere in the US, but, if you move to another state, you have 30 days (or whatever the state law says) to apply for a driver's license in your new "home" state. You can't just drive indefinitely in your new home state on your "old" license. Right? The only reason that's possible, and we don't have to stop at each state line to apply for a new license when we're on vacation, is because all the US states got together long ago, early in the Automobile Age, and agreed to recognize each other's licenses temporarily for travel purposes. They all signed a compact, an actual physical document like a treaty.
The NLC works exactly the same way, except that not all states have agreed (so far) to sign (join) the compact. I think the current membership is around half the states. Member states have agreed to temprarily recognize each other's nursing licenses for work purposes. So, if you are licensed (as an RN or LPN/LVN) in your home state and your home state is a "compact state" (member of the NLC), you can use your current license to work in any other compact state, for as long as you want -- but only as long as you maintain your permanent residence in your home state (own property, pay taxes, etc., however "residency" is defined in that state). If you move to another state, you will have to apply for a new license in your new state. If you move to a non-compact state, you will still have your current state license (until it expires, and you can choose at that time to either renew it or just let it expire), but it will lose its "compact privileges" and will no longer be recognized by other compact states -- it will just be a regular, "traditional" license. If you move to another compact state, you will have 30 days to apply for a license in your new "home" state before your previous license just becomes invalid -- because one of the NLC "rules" is that you can only hold one "compact license" at a time, and it must be in your home (permanent residence) state.
Hope that helps clear things up somewhat. Best wishes!

yessssssssss

thanks!!!:)