Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact Update

Q 

I heard there are some recent changes made regarding Compact Licenses and a lot of the information I am getting is conflicting! Can you help me make sense of what is going on?

A

I hope I can! Here is what I know:

The Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) will now go into effect on 1/19/18 at 12:01 am EST for 26 states.

The states (currently) participating in the eNLC are:

1. Arizona
2. Arkansas
3. Delaware
4. Idaho
5. Iowa
6. Kentucky
7. Maine
8. Maryland
9. Mississippi
10. Missouri
11. Montana
12. Nebraska
13. New Hampshire
14. North Carolina
15. North Dakota
16. South Carolina
17. South Dakota
18. Tennessee
19. Texas
20. Utah
21. Virginia

Nurses who currently hold a Compact License may work in the 21 states listed above.

The states being added to the eNLC  may require additional steps in licensing to covert a current state license to a compact. Please check with the state BON to ensure that you are in compliance.  These added states are:

1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Oklahoma
4. West Virginia
5. Wyoming

• Nurses who do not hold a multistate license but do reside in one of the 26 eNLC states will need to apply for eNLC licensure.
• A nurse who changes their primary state of residence after the eNLC’s effective date must meet their new resident state’s eNLC requirements to obtain a multistate license.

Mini-Compact States (NLC)

1. Colorado
2. New Mexico
3. Rhode Island (pending eNLC legislation)
4. Wisconsin (pending eNLC legislation)

• Nurses working on a compact license from CO, RI, WI or NM will ONLY be able to work  within these four states on the new mini-compact (NLC).  If working in another state outside of these four states, you will need to apply for a new state license in the other state.
• Anyone working in CO, RI, WI, or NM on a compact license from another state will need to apply for a new state license in the state in which you are working.

 TO AVOID A LAPSE IN YOUR NURSING LICENSE, ALL NEW LICENSES MUST BE OBTAINED BY THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF JANUARY 19, 2018. (Even if your contract expires after the effective date. Failure to renew by this date will automatically cancel your contract!)

Please also remember that in addition to the above changes, any nurse who obtained a compact license after July 29, 2017, might need to meet additional requirement to maintain their compact status. Please check with your state BON.  Each nurse will receive communication from their licensing state if any additional action is needed.

Have a burning question? Email me (Greg).