States are increasingly adopting the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses to practice in person or via telehealth in all participating states under one multistate license.
Nurses in states without the NLC must obtain a new license for each state in which they practice, creating barriers for healthcare organizations hiring travel or temporary nurses across state lines. The NLC can also help fill understaffed rural hospitals and allow nurses to cross state lines during emergencies.
Here, Becker's outlines a list of states that have implemented and/or signed the NLC into law as of July 25.
States that have implemented the NLC:
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
States that have signed the NLC into law, but have not yet implemented it:
- Alabama (implementation set for Jan. 1, 2020)
- Indiana (date TBD)
- New Jersey (date TBD)
To view the full list on NLC's website, including states that have pending NLC legislation, click here.