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Discussion

Reciprocity is DEAD.

  • Expert

for all of you that continue to use that term, it does not exist, especially with licenses in the us. it existed back in the day of the individual state exam, where the exam was only given two times per year. depending on what your score was, it determined whether or not that exam was accepted by the other states, or you needed to write the exam for the new state.

nclex changed all of that. the results of the nclex exam are honored by all fifty states, but nothing else.

you must complete a license by endorsement application for the new state. and if you bother to check, you will see that there is no application for license by reciprocity.

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until a few years ago, and the requirement of the visa screen certificate; there were a few states that gave reciprocity based on a nurse taking the canadian licensure exam, but that does not exist either anymore. but never between states since the nclex came into being.

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Long live reciprocity

Hey Suzanne, Im wondering if they've been using that term possibly over confusion with the Nurse Licensure Compact. Maybe you could come out with a statement explaining what that one is about. Im kinda fuzzy about it myself. How exactly does mutual recognition of licenses under the Compact go?

  • Author
  • Expert

Compact Licenses are of no use at all for a foreign nurse. You must maintain a legal residence in the state where you are initially licensed, and then just be working in the second state such as it is close by or you are on a travel assignment.

As a new nurse to the country, why are you going to pay for two apts? Makes no sense................and even with the compact license, there is no reciprocity in the true sense of the word. Your compact license is honored by the other compact states, you do not need to apply to them. But if you move from the original state, then the compact part of the license becomes null and void, meaning it no longer exists.

And it usually does not come up here concerning a compact license, they are usually asking about reciprocity with Ny, CA, Vermont, etc. And none of them are compact states to begin with.

I see. Would it make sense if, for example, one was originally licensed in a particular state, legally resided in that same state right where it's near the state border of another compact state? I mean would it be all right to cross the border and work in a hospital within driving distance in that other state without having to apply for endorsement? Is this correct? I mean having to rent 2 apartments would be avoided if i get this correctly...

  • Author
  • Expert
I see. Would it make sense if, for example, one was originally licensed in a particular state, legally resided in that same state right where it's near the state border of another compact state? I mean would it be all right to cross the border and work in a hospital within driving distance in that other state without having to apply for endorsement? Is this correct? I mean having to rent 2 apartments would be avoided if i get this correctly...

Yes, if you were close to the border, but most are not when they first come to the US, they are in larger cities, or places that are not close to somewhere else. And then many do not have a car, and have issues trying to get to that other state.

This is the way that it can be sued, but there are people here that have posted that their "friend" just continued to pay a few bills at the original address, and moved entorely to the other state. That is 100% illegal, since they are no longer paying taxes in that original state, and can get them into trouble both with state taxmen, as well as the IRS, and the boards of nursing for both states involved. I do not like to see anyone cause porblems for themselves.

If they want to do something illegal, then they need to take responsibility for it.

And most that are posting here, just think that this compact license is good for wherever they will go to, and that is not so. If there is no legal residence in that first state, then the compact license ceases to exist.

Thanks for clearing that up suzanne. I have a better idea about that thing now.

Hi

I am living in Japan, and have been thinking about the possibility of nursing at an American military base, though I have no connection with the military, nor am I American. I am from New Zealand. Do you have any information on how I could become Licenced to work in a facility such as this? I am an RN with a degree, from New Zealand. I have aprox 9 months of full time work experience in surgical. I have read about the NCLEX, and I am lost!!

Thanks.

from what i know you have to be a US trained RN to work for the military. try checking their website. or post in the military forum.

thank u so much suzanne for the info about "reciprocity." ALL my friends are still using the word, making it more confusing. :)

  • Author
  • Expert

That is the sole purpose of this thread. It used to be a term that we used long ago, when each state had its own exam...........but that is no longer the case.

Just the thing to remember: NCLEX exam has reciprocity, meaning that its score is accepted by all 50 states. Licenses do nto have reciprocity, meaning that you need to apply for endorsement to each state that you wish to work in.

And compact license is the other biggie. It does not exist for any of you that are not in the US with a legal residency in a state that is part of the group when you apply for the license in the beginning.

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