Over the years I've known several nurses who allowed their nursing licensure to temporarily lapse due to not paying the renewal fee on time. This phenomenon has always interested me for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the renewal fee in the state where I live is $67 once every two years. In other words, it is $33.50 annually when broken down. This amount of money would not seem like a steep economic hurdle to climb for most middle-income nurses.
Secondly, these nurses are taken off the schedule by HR or management until the moment that their licensure reflects active status. Therefore, they are not earning any money while their licensure is lapsed or delinquent, sometimes for several weeks.
Finally, the majority of the nurses I've known who have failed to pay their renewal fees on time appear to use very expensive phones, drive late model cars, and eat fast food or carry-out restaurant meals regularly.
Paying my license renewal fee is a priority for me because, without my licensure, I can no longer generate the income to pay for anything else. If I ever found myself in such a bind that I had to choose which bill to pay, I would always pay the renewal fee first or, at the very least, borrow the money to pay the renewal fee. After all, without an active license, payments for the top-of-the-line phone, nice car, or restaurant food would soon cease to occur.
I renew my license the first day it will allow me to do so, usually 120 days before it expires. If I could, I would pre-pay on license renewal fees for 20 years. It is already on my calendar for July 2018 to renew. I also do my mandatory CEUs ASAP. I just started a new job with the Health Department where I can take courses and attend conferences for CEUs at no cost to me so I should have them knocked out pretty soon.
I live in the great state of IL where we haven't had a budget in two years so in an effort to cut expenses we get no notification of:
Licenses, professional, drivers, etc...
So - in during last renewal cycle I knew several nurses that had to make the physical trek to our state capital (which is NOT Chicago btw) to hand carry their licensure info....ugh.
Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.
I procrastinate EVERY year, and actually usually renew my license sometime on the 31st of October (the day we are due here in KY). It's generally because I have also procrastinated in getting my CEs done, and have to spend the whole month of October getting them done!
I guess I procrastinate because, like someone else said, we hate to spend our free time doing anything work related.
The one thing I've never understood is people who say they didn't know it was time to renew their license. I graduated in 1978 and our licenses have always renewed on the same date every 2 years in even numbered years. I don't see how one can forget that when it's such a consistent date. I've never once in 38 years "forgotten" to renew my license when it was due.
I live in the great state of IL where we haven't had a budget in two years so in an effort to cut expenses we get no notification of:
Licenses, professional, drivers, etc...
So - in during last renewal cycle I knew several nurses that had to make the physical trek to our state capital (which is NOT Chicago btw) to hand carry their licensure info....ugh.
I live in Illinois, too, and my employer was good enough to inform us about 3 months before renewal that the state was no longer sending notices. At least the online renewal process is easy.
Are you sure Chicago isn't the capital of Illinois? It seems that people from other states usually don't know Illinois exists south of Chicago. Of course, lots of people who live in Chicago think that, too!
I let mine lapse because I thought I was never coming back to nursing again.
While I was working as a nurse I never let it lapse. Working as a personal trainer I was 100% sure I was never to return. Well, here I am back in nursing and had to deal with months of going back and forth with the Dept of Professional Regulation in Illinois, to reinstate my license. If i EVER leave again, I will never let it lapse. I will always renew it....just in case. (as someone mentioned above) i also had to make the trek to Springfield from Chicago. UGH. Never again will it lapse.
Are you sure Chicago isn't the capital of Illinois? It seems that people from other states usually don't know Illinois exists south of Chicago. Of course, lots of people who live in Chicago think that, too!
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
Are you sure Chicago isn't the capital of Illinois? It seems that people from other states usually don't know Illinois exists south of Chicago. Of course, lots of people who live in Chicago think that, too!
The second I receive the renewal notice, I do the renewal.
One year I didn't get a notice, so renewed it on my own. Did that in March and it wasn't due til nearly Thanksgiving, but I wasn't taking any chances.
I would never think of letting my livelihood lapse. There's a family to support and I like having a roof over us.
People should simply put away $1 per week the minute their license is renewed and don't stop til you have enough for the fee, the stamp, everything. Now you can renew online in a lot of states, too.
It never occurred to me that some people let their license lapse intentionally or that being lapsed would present a staffing issue for the boss. I am so danged naive.
No one but me alluded to CEUs, doesn't everyone have to complete them? Or are other states that different?
Some states don't require them. I think all should, not just for nurses either. Docs, therapists, RD's, Social Workers, etc. need updates on new research, new meds, new methods, law changes, the financial aspects of health care to name a few important topics.
Our employer has always offered free CEU's and added some required courses of their own for us to do - hospital and employer policy changes, plus stuff for our specialty. I have always jumped on them instantly and finished way ahead of the due date. It just makes no sense to me to do otherwise and I don't breathe easy til all requirements are done.
Now the tax return - it gets started in January but somehow doesn't get done til nearly the deadline. We normally get a refund so I don't know why it takes so long, except that some items we need to do the return don't get to us til late March or there's a glitch with the software or we were extra busy. Very disturbing. Anyway, the money spends late as easily as it does early.
Fiona59
8,343 Posts
LPNs pay $350. But don't forget it does include our malpractice insurance