Remote Working From A Non Compact State

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello ?.  I have a question about something that has been nagging at me, I'm very concerned at this point. So I'm licensed in Michigan, which is a non compact state. And I've been working remotely as a chronic care manager for a company based in PA and their patients are in PA. I asked about me being licensed in MI during my interview and I was told after my 90 days the company would pay for me to get my PA license. However I'm concerned that the time I've been working with them under my MI license was illegal? And if I'm at risk of losing my license. Also I found out if I get my PA license I can't practice in both MI and PA at the same time. Could some one please offer some advice?? Thank you in advance!

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

There have been licensing accommodations due to COVID, but I am not sure if it applies in PA. But you absolutely can have licenses in multiple states and work in multiple states under those licenses, I don't know why anyone would tell you differently. 

Are you considered "patient facing," I.e., your primary job requires you to deal directly with patients? I work in clinical appeals for an insurance company, which is part of utilization management, and while some state mandates require that we call patients regarding appeal outcomes, we are not considered to be patient facing, and we are only required to be licensed in the state where we reside. 

I would share your concerns with your manager immediately. Good luck! 

3 Votes

@Pixie.RNThank you so much for answering! And with chronic care management we are providing education to the patients every call and billing their insurance for 20 minutes of service so I assume we are considered patient facing. But I do plan to speak with management tomorrow. Thanks again!

1 Votes

Pennsylvania had relaxed some of their requirements related to oit of state practioners acting as telehealth practitioners.  From a March 2020 press release:

Quote

Harrisburg, PA — Health care professionals licensed under any of the Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) licensing boards can provide services to patients via telemedicine during the coronavirus emergency.

[...]

You might contact the PA BON  for current status.

Best wishes.

@chare Thank you so much! I will.

Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.
On 5/23/2021 at 3:46 AM, LoveNurseKi said:

Also I found out if I get my PA license I can't practice in both MI and PA at the same time.

Who says so? Michigan BON? Because I have a PA license (I don’t live in PA either) and they’ve never told me I can’t have another. I have held (non-Compact since I don’t live in a Compact state for primary licensure)  licenses in up to eight different states concurrently and never heard of “can’t practice in X if simultaneously licensed in X and Y.”

Pixie’s point about patient facing (vs not) is a good one. Some states don’t mandate licensure there for many case mgmt or your, etc. jobs IF the job doesn’t involve any actual nursing process. So you can schedule appts., follow up to see if somebody went, or make coverage decisions and report them, etc., but you cannot ever ask a question that sounds like pt assessment, even as benign as, “How are you feeling now?”

Your company should have a definitive answer for you. 

4 Votes
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I've been an RN 40+ years and have current licensing in 6 states and I have NEVER heard that one state can keep you from working simultaneously in another. I think you've misunderstood something along the way. 

1 Votes

@meanmaryjeanThank you for replying. Yes I had to have gotten some misinformation or confusion along the way. Thinking back I realize how silly that was.?

1 Votes
Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
21 hours ago, LoveNurseKi said:

@meanmaryjeanThank you for replying. Yes I had to have gotten some misinformation or confusion along the way. Thinking back I realize how silly that was.?

Licensing is so convoluted! 

Specializes in Physiology, CM, consulting, nsg edu, LNC, COB.

I don't know if it's convoluted exactly, but it's silly that we have 50 different Boards of Registration in Nursing in this day and age. If the UK can have one for the whole country, we certainly can.

 

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring / There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain /And drinking largely sobers us again. ~ A. Pope

1 Votes

@Hannahbanana I agree. It's ridiculous really?

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