Compact vs Non-Compact Licensure

[Kwilson86]

I graduated with BSN from school in Tennessee in 2014. I failed NCLEX twice and due to several reasons put off rescheduling the test until now, only to find out I've reached the 3 year time limit in Tn.

The person at the Board of Nursing advised me to take the exam through Minnesota.

"I would suggest that you try the Minnesota Board of Nursing they do not have a limit to the number of times you can repeat and are still a non compact state. I would contact them soon as they maybe going compact also soon"

I don't understand compact vs non-compact. If I obtain licensure thru Minnesota is that still valid in Tennessee?

[elkpark]

No, you would still need to apply for TN licensure by endorsement once you have a Minnesota license.

Since you live in TN, a compact state, you would need to apply for licensure (out of state) in a non-compact state. The compact rules state you can only be licensed in one compact state at a time, and it must be your "home" state. So you're not eligible to apply for licensure in another compact state while you're living in TN. In order to get around the TN requirement about time limit for writing the NCLEX by applying for licensure in another state, you have to apply in a non-compact state.

What the BON person was advising you to do is to apply for licensure in a non-compact state that doesn't have a limit on NCLEX attempts, and then apply for licensure in TN by endorsement once you are licensed in another state.