Starting July 24, hospitals in Washington state will be required to report to the state's board of nursing hiring a nurse with a multistate license within 30 days of their hiring date as part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, which it joined in April, according to a July 13 news release.
"Employers will use an online reporting form provided by [the Washington State Board of Nursing]," the release states. "Reporting will include the employer's attestation that the nurse has completed required suicide prevention training and submitted demographic data to WSBON via Nursys e-Notify."
The state was the 40th to join the compact which allows nurses with licenses from outside Washington to practice in person or via telehealth — something proponents say could help alleviate some of the burden caused by the ongoing nursing shortage. Meanwhile, critics of the initiative have concerns about state-to-state differences in procedures.