Try to move to another state! Need advice!

[SalzlRachel]

Hello,

I'm Rachel. I've been a nurse for almost a year now in Ohio. Before even graduating, I've always said that I wanted to move down to Tennessee after getting some "experience" in Ohio. I plan on moving in at least another year when my contract ends but I'm trying to understand everything that I need to do before I even mention about moving to anyone. What are the steps to transferring my license to Tennessee? Should I start applying now or should I find a place to live first? Would any employer look at my resume seeing that its from my address in Ohio? Any moving advice? Any advice will help!

Thank you (:

[elkpark]

Welcome to allnurses! :balloons:

First, you don't "transfer" a license. You apply for a new license in the new state. Licenses don't "transfer."

Second, check the TN BON website; all the info and forms you need to apply for licensure "by endorsement" (that's the info you're looking for) should be there.

You can certainly apply for jobs in advance, but a year in advance is getting a little ahead of yourself, IMO. Most employers are not interested in holding a job for anyone for that long. When you're getting toward the end of your current contract, you can start looking for jobs in TN that appeal to you. My advice would be to not resign your current job or move until you have a new job lined up in TN.

It's true that employers are less likely to take seriously applications from someone in another state, but you can use your cover letter to explain why you're coming to TN and intend to settle there permanently (is there some reason you're specifically interested in TN?) Do you have family or friends there that you can use as a local address for job-hunting purposes? Do you have a specific area of TN in mind (in which case you should be looking for jobs in that area), or are you open living anywhere in TN that you can get a job you want (in which case, you can job-hunt over a much wider area)? If you know where, specifically, in TN you want (or need) to be, you can be looking for housing at the same time you're looking for jobs, but, otherwise, I wouldn't look for housing until I knew where I was going to be working.

You can apply for a TN nursing license any time you want, and it would be a good idea to do it in advance of starting your job search. Having a TN nursing license in hand is another way of showing prospective employers that you are serious about coming to TN.

Best wishes for your journey!