New Grad Moving From Compact To Non Compact State

[aewaller]

I will soon be graduating with my BSN from Wisconsin, a compact state and my home state and looking to move to Oregon, a non-compact state, for at least 2 years.

My question is...should I apply for a license in both Wisconsin and Oregon? Just in case I move back home eventually? I will most likely remain a resident of Wisconsin for the time being..seeing as I'm not sure if I will be living in Oregon for the long-term, so not sure if that makes a difference as well.

Thanks!

[frenchtoastwaffles, BSN, RN]

If you're going to be working in Oregon you'll more than likely need a license in Oregon. Do you already have a job lined up or are you just looking? You mentioned "at least 2 years". If this time frame is because you're being hired for a job requiring a commitment, speak to the recruiter at the facility about license requirements and check with the Oregon BON website about working in the state as a nurse. As far as I know, you need a license to practice nursing in whatever state you're practicing in. If you have no plans to ever work in Wisconsin, then you don't have to get your license there. If you don't have a job lined up in Oregon, I'd be safe and get my WI license in case OR doesn't pan out the way that you hope it does now. You never know what will happen. You are able to maintain licenses in more than one state, and you can only apply for a compact license if you are a resident of a compact state. Personally, I'd apply for a compact license in WI and then apply for a license by endorsement for whatever state you might want to work in- in this case, OR.

[jfast]

In my mind, the main aspects to consider are 1. the timeline and 2. the assurance of where you will be working initially.

If you graduate in 2 weeks, that may change what I would advise versus if you graduating in August or December. If you have a bit of time to get things taken care of, then it would depend on your level of confidence in knowing you will be in Oregon to work initially (don't worry about long-term; you can always do license by endorsement later). If you are certain, or will be able to be certain before your graduation, that you will start your work as an RN in Oregon, I would just apply directly to that state. In my mind, starting with Wisconsin and then doing endorsement for another state would only be beneficial if you weren't certain of the possibility of going to Oregon or if you were under a serious time-crunch.

Here is the main page for Oregon's licensure by exam. Be sure to click the third option for US, non-Oregon schools. And here is a step-by-step tutorial.