New Nurse Licensure Compact rule
Beginning Jan. 2, 2024, a revised Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) rule will go into effect. This new rule clarifies that nurses relocating to another compact state will have 60 days from the date of relocation to apply for licensure in the new state of primary residence. Although nurses holding a compact license have been required to obtain a license in their state of primary residence since 2018, this revision creates a timeframe for which this action must be completed.
IHCA reminds members that licensed nurses must have either an active single-state Iowa license or an active multi-state license. Licensure status can be verified, free of charge, through the QuickConfirm function on the National Council of State Boards of Nursing website. Employers seeking further information about the NLC are encouraged to review the information found here. Resources for licensed nurses can be found here.
About the NLC:
The NLC allows for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/licensed vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs) to have one multi-state license, with the ability to practice in person or via telehealth in both their home state and other NLC states. Forty-one jurisdictions are presently members of the NLC. Licensing standards are aligned in NLC states, so all nurses applying for a multi-state license are required to meet the same standards, which include a federal and state criminal background check that will be conducted for all applicants for multi-state licensure.
The NLC also enables nurses to provide telehealth nursing services to patients located across the country without having to obtain additional licenses. In the event of a disaster, nurses from multiple states can easily respond to supply vital services. Additionally, almost every nurse, including primary care nurses, case managers, transport nurses, school and hospice nurses, among many others, need to routinely cross state boundaries to provide the public with access to nursing services, and a multi-state license facilitates this process.
Helpful FAQs and a brief video about the new rule are available online. For questions, contact Brenda Irlbeck, VP, Quality Improvement and Regulatory Compliance, at 515-978-2204.