Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed legislation April 7 to alleviate the state's nursing shortage, including allowing more flexibility for out-of-state nurses to practice in the state.
The legislation also prohibits the state nursing board from restricting nursing school or nursing program student enrollment if the school or program has an 80 percent or higher average pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination. Additionally, it sets term limits for nursing board members.
"It is important that Kentucky has quality nursing care that will meet our future needs," Kentucky state Sen. Robby Mills said in a news release. "[Senate Bill] 10 is a big step forward in ensuring that our commonwealth's healthcare systems have the nurses to meet our citizens' health needs now and in the future."
Under the bill, nurses in other states and U.S. territories have fewer hurdles to practice in Kentucky, even if they are not from states in the Nurse Licensure Compact, according to radio station WFPL.
The legislation, among other things, requires the state nursing board to issue a license to a nurse "who has passed the jurisprudence examination prescribed by the board or its equivalent and who has been licensed as a registered nurse under the laws of another state or territory if the applicant is a currently licensed registered nurse in good standing in each state or territory in which the applicant has worked."
The signing of the measure comes after the governor in December declared the state's nursing shortage an emergency.