Apply for MD RN License??

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Hello all!  So I have just accepted an offer for INOVA hospital in VA. (yay!)  Currently I have a PA license and of course while PA has been "Signed into" the NLC, it's not implemented yet and who knows when that will happen.

I was told the VA board of nursing is pretty good about getting licenses processed in 6-8 weeks, however I live in northern MD (planning to move closer to the hospital, but more than likely we'd still be in MD, not VA) so it looks like since I live in MD I have to apply for a MD NLC license ?  I've heard MD is sooooo slow with this and my start date is March 27th - I was wondering if anyone knows any way around applying through MD, if there is any way to apply for maybe a temporary VA license?  Not sure if there are any other options or if I should just get going with the MD license right away.

Thank you all!!

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First, congrats on the new job.  As for a pediatric reference you might consider AACN Core Curriculum for Pediatric High Acuity, Progressive, and Critical Care Nursing.

My experience with the VA BON was similar to what you've heard.  If you have everything they ask for, you should be licensed in time for your 27 March start.  While it is an added expense, if it where me I would apply for licensure in VA.  When you relocate to MD, your VA license, as it is a single state license should remain active until your MD license is issued.

Best wishes with the relocation and new job.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I live in a border town with a non compact state. There are plenty of nurses here that live on the Wisconsin side but work in the larger Minnesota city. Unless they want to potentially pick up work hours in Wisconsin they don't carry a Wisconsin license at all.  So at least here nurses are not required to necessarily be licensed in the state they live in, just the state they work in. 

Granted state requirements can vary widely but definitely check into this before you spend money on a license you won't even use. Odds are you only need to maintain active licensing for the state you are actually working in. You likely wouldn't need to obtain a license in MD just because you live there. 

Also check with your employer if you do decide to license in both states. Mine will reimburse the cost for the secondary license but then the company I work for does have clinics in both states so there is a real possibility of working in both MN and WI if the employee is either hired as a float which would require working in both states or if the nurse is  willing to pick up shifts at clinics in the other state.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
kbrn2002 said:

You likely wouldn't need to obtain a license in MD just because you live there. 

If the NLC is involved, that may indeed be the case. 

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