Get RN license endorsement FROM California TO Hawaii

[AdventureOrNothing, BSN, RN]

Hey guys,

I'm looking into getting my RN license endorsed for Hawaii. My original license is for California and I keep running into all the ways to get a license endorsed to work in California rather than get the endorsement from California to get out. Any how-to advice out there?

Cheers!

[NedRN]

You don't endorse out, you endorse in. Apply for the HI license. They will have a paper form for California to fill out.

[AdventureOrNothing, BSN, RN]

Hi NedRN,

Haha! That explains why I'm having so much trouble. Thank you!

[NedRN]

Kind of a drag having California as your first licensed state (it is mine also). There is a perfectly good way to verify your license electronically and instantly that most states use, Nursys, but California won't verify your license that way. Instead, it is the ancient paper form everyone used (although each state's form is different) we used before the Internet age. California charges a lot to verify a license, and takes a really long time. That can delay significantly the time to endorse into another state, particularly those that insist your original license be verified. You are then at the mercy of the CA BRN.

CA will have to join the party eventually but they hate to lose the revenue. Interestingly, for endorsing into California, they will use Nursys to verify your licenses held in other states.

By the way, you won't meet many, if any, other travelers from California. The math just doesn't pencil out well for compensation. I graduated during a small economic downturn in California and started as staff in Maryland. So I don't identify as Californian and wasn't originally (or since other than travel assignments).

[AdventureOrNothing, BSN, RN]

Yes, California is sure holding on as long as they can to their pricy and outdated verification method, unfortunately for us all. That's interesting about starting off in Maryland and also about Nursys. I can imagine you're right about not many travelers being from California going to other states. California pays one of the highest so usually people want to work there, not escape from there.

[NedRN]

I've been offered staff in California a number of times but for me, it was always a wash for me financially. So I've kept my independence! But had I been able to land a new grad job in California, I'd likely be there still.