Nursing School in One State but Moving to Another

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello everyone,

I am currently attending nursing school in Florida and graduate in May. I am immediately moving to Texas in May when I graduate. I am wondering if I should take the NCLEX in Florida or Texas. I am hoping to save any money I can while also taking the easiest route for receiving my license. If I am moving to Texas right away I am not sure if I should get my license in Florida that sounds like a waste of time. I called the Texas BON and they were not much help, I will try calling again another time. I would really appreciate anyones advice and knowledge on how to go about taking the NCLEX and applying for my license. Also, I would like to start working ASAP in Texas so any ideas of the quickest ways to receive my license would also be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you for any information provided!

Also, if anyone could explain the concept of compact states versus non-compact states that would be very helpful. Texas is apparently a compact state, which I don't have residency in at the moment. Does this mean I will only be able to practice in Texas?

Thank you again!

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

NCLEX is a national exam- you can take it anywhere it's offered and it won't matter. What matters is where you apply for licensure, which is a completely separate application from NCLEX- the application for licensure goes to the state you are applying to and the application for NCLEX goes to Pearson Vue, the organization that administers the exam. If you apply for licensure in FL, you will then have to apply for licensure by endorsement in TX. If you truly have no desire to work in FL, then just apply for licensure in TX. It'll be faster and you'll only have to pay for licensure in one state.

Great!! Thanks for the reply! I will be in FL very often I am sure because of family. So do you think it is smart to just obtain license in both states? I am moving to TX right away so maybe it is quicker to just apply there first and worry about FL later? I am also more interested to obtain a license in TX because it is a compact state and if I am understanding correctly, enables you to freely practice in the other 25 compact states? That sounds awesome, too bad FL is not compact. What are your thoughts?

As long as you are a non-resident of Texas, your license will be a single state license, goodnonlynin Texas. After you relocate, and establish residency in Texas your license will became a multi-state license. A multi-state license works somewhat like a driver's license. As long as you maintain residency in Texas, you can practice in any of the other compact states on your Texas license.

What happens to a multi state license when you relocate depends on which state you relocate to. If you relocate to a non-compact state your Texas license loses its multi-state privileges and becomes a single-state license, good only in Texas. If you relocate to another compa t state, your Texas license will be placed inactive when you receive your license in the new compact state.

While much is made of having a multi-state license, in practice the advantages are few. If you take a travel position in another compact state you do not have to apply for licensure. The other would be if you lived on the border of another compact state.

Best wishes as you begin your nursing career.

Thank you for your help it is very much appreciated!

I am also more interested to obtain a license in TX because it is a compact state and if I am understanding correctly, enables you to freely practice in the other 25 compact states?

This would be a good thing to have for a travel nurse, but if your state of primary residence changes, you will still need a new license in the new primary state. "Being" in Florida often doesn't create the need for a Florida nursing license. "Working" in Florida does. Figure out where you're actually going to seek employment and start from there.

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