Is there any downside to getting my license preemptively endorsed in other states?

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Hi, my question is a bit complicated.

I am a new grad RN licensed in CA and am searching for my first job. We plan to stay locally but it is possible that my husband may have to move for work at some point.

I know that getting my license endorsed in other states can take quite a while, since the California BRN is immensely slow & may take a long time to verify my license for these other states.

So, I was thinking about going ahead and applying to 3 other states to endorse my RN, so it will be all set up in case I need to look for work in those states.

My question is this: when I fill out RN job applications here in CA, I would need to list my endorsed RN licenses in other states once they'd gone through, right? I'm wondering if it might look sketchy to potential employers if I have RN licenses in 3 other states without actually having worked yet, and also if this may signal to them that I wouldn't plan to stick around & work there long-term?

I realize this is a complicated question; thanks so much for any light you folks can shed!!

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Doing that sounds expensive. I could be wrong but once you endorse your license in another state you would need to maintain it I believe.

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Yes, I think it would end up costing several hundred dollars for all those applications, and I would have to maintain them with CEUs over the years.

But I'm wondering if it might be worth the cost & hassle to prevent a potential lapse of employment waiting for the CA-BRN to verify my license, if we did need to move...

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I would wait until the moment my husband gets informed of a move, then immediately start the process for that state. Meanwhile, once you start working, start a savings fund to tide you over for that period of time required to obtain the new license and a new job once you make the move.

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The only "downside" is the cost involved. Employers typically ask whether you have an active license in your current state; I don't think I've ever been asked (by a potential employer) about any licenses I might hold in other states.

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Doing that sounds expensive. I could be wrong but once you endorse your license in another state you would need to maintain it I believe.

You are never required to maintain a license. If you move out of state with no intentions of ever moving back, you can let your license lapse. As long as your license is current in the state that you are working in (or live in if you're in a compact state), you're good.

To the OP, this sounds unnecessary and expensive. You are not required to list every license you hold on every application. I've never had a potential employer ask me if I held any licenses other than my MA nursing license. The employer cares only that you are licensed in the state that you will be working in.

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Cool. Thanks very much for the good advice, everyone! I will hold off and wait to see if another license actually becomes necessary.

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