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Discussion

Applying to another compact state

Hi all!

I am currently working as a NICU RN in Iowa. I am looking to relocate to Denver, CO with my fiance in the next few months if I can find a job there. (I don't want to give up a good job here to move there and not find one) I have applied for several jobs in Colorado, and since I knew that's where I wanted to go, I thought I should get the ball rolling by applying for licensure there. The board of CO nursing website was a bit confusing, but as I understood it, I can only be licensed in one compact state at a time? And I have to prove residency in Colorado before I can apply for a Colorado license? Is this correct?? Thanks, and any advice about applying for jobs out of state would be appreciated!

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    You are correct. For compact states you can only hold a license in the state in which you have legal residence. You can work in any compact state, and are subject to the laws of the state in which you work.

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    • Expert

    You can apply for a Colorado license as soon as you move there, and your Iowa license will continue to be good for 30 days (or until your CO license is issued) and then become invalid.

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    You should have no problems applying for jobs in CO under a compact license. You can legally work in CO once you move there under your IA license, then once you have a permanent address in CO, you just apply for your CO license.

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    Just wanted to clarify one point: If you move to CO and receive a license there, your IA license does not become invalid, only the compact privileges attached to it. You will still be licensed in IA (as long as you maintain it) and may practice there as an RN, but you will rely on your CO license for compact privileges.

    Likewise, you don't have to live in CO in order to apply for a CO license, but if you receive one before becoming a legal resident of the state, it will be good only for practice in CO, and will not have compact privileges.

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    • Expert
    Just wanted to clarify one point: If you move to CO and receive a license there, your IA license does not become invalid, only the compact privileges attached to it. You will still be licensed in IA (as long as you maintain it) and may practice there as an RN, but you will rely on your CO license for compact privileges.

    That's not my understanding, although it may be just a matter of semantics (what, exactly, "invalid" means).

    "When a nurse changes primary state of residency by moving from one compact state to another compact state, the nurse can practice on the former residency license for up to 30 days. The nurse is required to apply for licensure by endorse*ment, pay any applicable fees and complete a declaration of primary state of residency in the new home state, whereby a new multistate license is issued and the former license is inactivated." (emphasis mine)

    From the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) Fact Sheet for Licensees and Nursing Students, https://www.ncsbn.org/2011_NLCA_factsheet_students_Rev_Jan_2011.pdf

    "For the purpose of the Compact:

    (1) A nurse applying for a license in a home state shall produce evidence of the nurses' primary state of

    residence. Such evidence shall include a declaration signed by the licensee attesting to the licensee's

    primary state of residence. Further evidence that may be requested includes, but is not limited to:

    (a) Driver's license with a home address;

    (b) Voter registration card displaying a home address; or

    © Federal income tax return declaring the primary state of residence.

    (2) A nurse changing primary state of residence, from one party state to another party state, may continue to

    practice under the former home state license and multistate licensure privilege during the processing of the

    nurse's licensure application in the new home state for a period not to exceed 30 days.

    (3) The licensure application in the new home state of a nurse under pending investigation by the former home

    state shall be held in abeyance. The 30-day period in Item (2) of this Rule shall be stayed until resolution

    of the pending investigation.

    (4) The former home state license shall no longer be valid upon the issuance of a new home state license." (Emphasis, again, mine)

    From the NC (my home state) BON rules, http://www.ncbon.org/content.aspx?id=284

    I'm certainly not the last word about this, though -- there may be some differences in the way different states handle this issue.

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    elkpark,

    I may not be stating this very clearly, but the candidate's IA license remains active and valid until the renewal comes up, and she either renews it, makes it inactive, or allows it to lapse. The IA license will no longer have compact privileges (beyond the 30 day grace period). The compact privilege will then come from the newly obtained CO license. But the candidate still has an IA license, good for practice only in that state, should she move back there during the time that it is still in force.

    At least, that's what the NE BON has informed me about my compact license.

    You're right, it may vary from state to state.

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    • Expert

    I'm really not trying to be argumentative, just to be sure that I understand how compact licensure works, so I checked the IA and NE BON websites, just to satisfy my own curiosity.

    This is what the Iowa BON website states about the rules for licensure:

    "16.2(6) A nurse changing primary state of residence, from one party state to another party state,

    may continue to practice under the former home state license and multistate licensure privilege during

    the processing of the nurse's licensure application in the new home state for a period not to exceed 30

    days.

    16.2(7) The licensure application in the new home state of a nurse under pending investigation by

    the former home state shall be held in abeyance and the 30-day period set out in 16.2(2) of this rule shall

    be stayed until resolution of the pending investigation.

    16.2(8) The former home state license shall no longer be valid upon the issuance of a new home

    state license." (emphasis mine)

    http://www.legis.state.ia.us/aspx/ACODocs/DOCS/2-23-2011.655.16.2.pdf

    I'm not disputing what you were told by someone at the Nebraska BON, but this is what the state rules/regs posted on the NE BON website say about compact licensure:

    "(b) A nurse in a party state shall hold licensure in only one party state at a time, issued by the home state.

    © A nurse who intends to change primary state of residence may apply for licensure in the new home state in advance of such change. However, new licenses will not be issued by a party state until after a nurse provides evidence of change in the primary state of residence satisfactory to the new home state's licensing board.

    (d) When a nurse changes primary state of residence by:

    (1) Moving between two party states, and obtains a license from the new home state, the license from the former home state is no longer valid;" (emphasis mine)

    http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/crl/statutes/compactstat.pdf

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    My thinking is what's so great about this compact thing anyway? It really only works in the favor of the nurse if you travel or live close to another compact state with that giving you more job opportunities. But if you move to another state you are still required to obtain licensure from your new state. Wow some benefit. I suspect money (not for the working nurses of course) is a major player in this scheme.

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    Please remember that licensure for nurses is controlled on the state level not on the national level. Only certain governing powers are permitted or allotted to the U.S. Government and the rest are delineated to the state. Licensure for various types of health care providers falls under state purview. Thus, there is no national licensure of nurses and there are differences in how each BON handles certain issues.

    The compact states have agreed amongst themselves to make things a bit easier and save fees for their resident nurses by agreeing to the compact. So they actually lose money but make it easier for their resident nurses - it is a convenience to those nurses. But it was never intended to allow nurses to not maintain licensure in their legal resident state, only to make it easier, less expensive to work across borders. It often actually creates more problems for the BON and law enforcement. If a nurse commits an infraction that may negate his/her licensure in one state, often the are issues in communicating it to the appropriate parties in the other involved states

    Many states refuse the compact and therefore take in more fees, require extra paperwork and extra charges from nurses that may live and work across state borders.

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    When I moved to Maryland from Virginia (states that touch) in 2004, Virginia was not a compact state, but Maryland was. I had to give up my Virginia license to obtain my Maryland (compact) state license. Now, Virginia is a compact state but it was not in 2004. I could not maintain both licenses per Maryland rules. It varies by each state, yes, because I live in Maryland that is the license that I maintain. Currently, I could practice in Delaware, Pennsylavannia which are both about an hour away, with my Maryland license. Each state has a certain amount of revenue it is trying to obtain, so beware, CO may want you to pay for a compact license also.

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