It's Time for Universal Licensing In all 50 States

BOOYARN · Jan 12, 2011

Money makes the world go round sweety

they want the endorsment fee

its just that simple!

misschiatia · Jan 12, 2011

Strongly agree. I nominate you president. Where do i sign up?

Minkyme · Jan 12, 2011

I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, BooYarn is right. Think of it like your drivers license. How nice it would be if we all could have one license for the entire US, but think of how much revenue our states would lose......just my thoughts. :)

againmlg · Jan 12, 2011

Do you expect each state you wish to work in to regulate and govern your practice for free. Nothing in life is free. It costs the state money to discipline and regulate nurses.

Physicians, Dentists realtors etc need to apply and pay to license in every state they work in. They have no compact states like nursing. The poster who said think of it like a drivers license--is correct.

newgradRN001 · Jan 12, 2011

Why not pay the states for each endorsement, but still have it on electronic file thus cutting down the time and effort on both our parts? I would also imagine that this would streamline the process for the states as well allowing them to not have the need for as much office expense and staff...and no offense, but I don' really care that doctors, dentists, or realtors don't have it. Our profession can happily be the first.

againmlg · Jan 12, 2011

It doesn't matter that you don't care about doctor's and dentists needing licenses in each state. I was using it as an example of HOW professionals are licensed. I guess you're a new nurse and never heard that we already have compact states with more joining each day. My license is multi-state. LPN's can also have multi-state licenses. See link Map of NLC States

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2011

I can see no reason that in this day and age your license in one state can't be accepted in all states without the long process, paperwork, and fees that accompany the process of endorsement in most states right now. When you take the NCLEX you should have to do the fingerprinting, background checks, etc, pay a one-time fee, and your license should go on a national electronic record so any board of nursing can easily and quickly verify that you are licensed and eligible to practice in their state.
I am done with the expense and long process of endorsement. Without advocating for ourselves and saying enough is enough this needs to happen, it is in fact 2011, it won't happen. So I am standing up here and now and saying this needs to get done, NOW!!!

Wow I didn't realise you didn't have this yet. We just got our national registration in Australia - now I as a RN can work in any state or capital territory or island under the protection of the Commonwealth of Australia. Thank you God (in this case the Nurses Board of Australia!)

Some older nurses I spoke to lobbied for this for about 20 years. It used to be RIDICULOUS moving, applying for another license, getting another police check (in Western Australia, you must pay over $100AUD for 2 criminal check but nowhere else in Oz as far as I know!), then if it was the beginning of the year, you would have to wait 4-6 weeks to get your license to practice, then all your CPR, manual handling, drug competencies, fire training, aggression training, getting immunisations up to date (or trying to obtain certificates for any and all of the above from places of work) was all a NIGHTmare. You would get some grace period but not much so if any of your certificates was late, or you can't get into the course you need, too bad buddy, you can't work and we don't care if the bills can't be paid.

It's pretty stupid because nursing is probably the same all around the world. Our textbooks were all American so how different can it be?

Have you rung and asked you BON why National Registration can't happen?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2011

No one disagrees with you that we should have a universal license.

The problem is the authority for licensure/regulating licensed businesses and persons falls to the states NOT the federal government. The federal government does not currently hold the legal wherewithal to do so nor are they likely to be enthused about taking on that duty. Those legal powers of authority are reserved for the states per our Constitution.

So barring a national Amendment, it is unlikely to change. This is part of the health care debate - the theory that the constitution does not allow the federal government the right to institute that. All laws not specified in the constitution are the purview of the states.

And given the current crises in this nation, mobilizing the general public to move for either a national amendment or (given current political climate) more leeway for federal government to be given more power over state issues......well,let's just say it ain't likely to happen.

European · Jan 12, 2011

Agreed

ANNIENURSEANGEL · Jan 12, 2011

I agree with you. But, as long as the bureaucrats make the rules, all we can do is follow them. I believe we are headed in the right direction with the compact states. The licensing fees bring in alot of money to the state, so i am sure that the other states that haven't join in the compact, are thinking about this. Money makes the world go around.

HelenofOz · Jan 12, 2011

As carolmaccas66 said, we now have a national registration board, not just for nurses, but also for doctors, chirpracters, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, dentists, optometrists & osteopaths. All boards are under the auspices of the 'Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency' . This means that we can now work in any state of Australia with just the one registration.

It has been a long time coming, but it makes work so much easier especially for folk who want to work their way around the country, ie overseas travellers, and the grey nomads who sometimes pick up a bit of work as they travel as well.