Military Spouse, Compact State(s), and moving.. clarification please!

ml52789 · Mar 18, 2014

I forgot to add- my university will not release transcripts for up to 2 months after classes end, so that would mean I'd have to wait a minimum of 2 months to even apply to my state board of nursing to take the exam?

Uncle Rico · Mar 18, 2014

I had a similar issue. My state of residence is Tennessee but I attended school in Florida and i am currently living in Virginia. Since both Tenn and Virginia are compact states the BON stated that i would have to apply for licensure of my home state or change my resident to a noncompact state to apply for a Virginia license. From what i understand you can test in any state, your issue is which state will will you be licensed in, compact vs noncompact. I changed my residence to Florida a non-compact state and tested in Washington D.C. for my Virginia license.

You could apply for licensure via exam tomorrow but the BON isn't going to send your ATT until all the required documentation has been received and processed, several students in my class had their transcripts automatically forwarded to the BON to help expedite the process.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Mar 19, 2014

Doesn't matter what state you apply to you can sit the NCLEX exam in any pearsonvue establishment that offers it

chare · Mar 20, 2014

If you are a resident of a compact state and apply for licensure in a compact state, you have to apply for licensure in your state of residence. This license will allow you to work in any compact state as long as you maintain residency in the state from which it was issued. If you relocate to another compact state with the intent to change your residency to that state, you can work on your original compact license for either 30 or 90 days, depending upon the state that you relocate to.

You can apply for licensure in any state, regardless of which state you claim residency in or which state your school was located in, as long as your program meets that state’s educational requirements. Regarding where you should apply for licensure. As Silverdragon102 stated, you can site the NCLEX at any Pearson Vue test site that offers it, anywhere in the world.

If you know that you are going to relocate to Hawaii, it would be best for you to apply for initial licensure in Hawaii. Applying for initial licensure in any state outside of Hawaii is going to increase not only the time it takes to obtain your Hawaii license, it is going to greatly increase your cost.

Although there has been much discussion regarding the compact license, unless you live on the border between two compact states and work across the border or plan to travel, there is little to no value in having a license with multi-state privileges.

Good luck with your school and relocation.

ml52789 · Mar 21, 2014

Chare:

So it would behoove me to apply to hawaii for license by examination?

do you know what the protocol would be for when we move back to the states and it happens to be a compact state? In that case I would have to apply to the Texas BON (my PSOR) to get my multistate license...?

Thank you, I feel like the worlds biggest idiot for not being able to figure this out!

oknc · Mar 21, 2014

Don't feel that way. You are not the first to be confused by this process and you certainly won't be the last. These were the same questions I asked too. If you have orders for HI, then apply for NCLEX/licensure through Hawaii. You're able to claim residency with the BON in Hawaii due to your husbands orders.

chare · Mar 21, 2014

So it would behoove me to apply to hawaii for license by examination?
do you know what the protocol would be for when we move back to the states and it happens to be a compact state? In that case I would have to apply to the Texas BON (my PSOR) to get my multistate license...?

It would be quicker and less costly to apply for initial licensure in Hawaii. As mentioned above, you can apply for licensure in Hawaii and actually sit the NCLEX at any authorized testing site.

Regarding your return to the states, if you are reassigned to a Compact state you have to apply to the state in which you maintain residency. Determining which state this is can be somewhat tricky and generally involves more than your intent to claim a particular state for residency as each state determines criteria for determining residency. You should be able to clarify this at the legal assistance office prior to relocating from Hawaii.

When I retired from the military nearly 20 years ago the active duty service member was allowed to maintain the state of residency he or she held upon entering active duty, while all other non-active duty family members were considered residents of the current state in which the family was stationed. Rules for establishing residency for the non-active duty spouse changed with the passing and signing into law the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act.

Don't feel that way. You are not the first to be confused by this process and you certainly won't be the last. These were the same questions I asked too. If you have orders for HI, then apply for NCLEX/licensure through Hawaii. You're able to claim residency with the BON in Hawaii due to your husbands orders.

You are not necessarily required to establish residency in a state to apply for or maintain a nursing license. The only time that residency is an issue is when you apply for licensure in a compact state and maintain residency in another state as you can only hold one compact state license with multi-state privileges.

Again, good luck with school and your upcoming relaction.

ml52789 · Mar 21, 2014

Don't feel that way. You are not the first to be confused by this process and you certainly won't be the last. These were the same questions I asked too. If you have orders for HI then apply for NCLEX/licensure through Hawaii. You're able to claim residency with the BON in Hawaii due to your husbands orders.[/quote']
Well we actually are not changing our state of residency- we will maintain it in TX because they have no state income tax. Does that change the process..?

oknc · Mar 21, 2014

No, it won't change the process. You can keep Texas as your home state. List your Hawaii address as your mailing address and list the Texas as your primary. Just be sure that your drivers license matches up with the one you list with Pearson Vue (Texas). The proof of residency thing won't interfere with the tax stuff, and since they Hawaii isn't a compact state, they may not require one. Its primary just to show that you are physically within the state.

Hope that helps.....

ml52789 · Mar 21, 2014

Thank you all so much for your help!

I'm only in my first semester of my Acc bsn program and will graduate next May so I'm looking a bit ahead, but I don't want to be stressed about this next year before the nclex.

:)

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2014

Sit your NCLEX in HI and get the HI license.

When you plan to leave HI, contact the state BoN where you're going and tell them you want a license there by reciprocity/endorsement. Pay the money/jump the hoops they want (fingerprints, background check, transcripts from your college, state-specific CE, whatever...), then give them the new address in the new state to mail it to.

{One other consideration for a Compact licensure is if you are doing telephonic case management or disease management covering patients in many states. Not an issue for bedside nurses, but can be for some others.}