What is the Nurse License Compact?
Florida has elected to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, an agreement in which member states mutually recognize nursing licenses. The compact permits nurses to practice both in their home state and in other states that participate.
Twenty-five states are a part of the existing Nurse Licensure Compact. The effective date for Florida is December 31, 2018, or upon enactment of the Nurse Licensure Compact into law by 26 states, whichever occurs first. This legislation only applies to RN or LPN/VN licenses; APRNs are not included in this agreement.
What this means for you
The Nurse Licensure Compact agreement opens the doors for nursing professionals to practice in the state of Florida as long as they hold a valid license from one of the 25 member states. This translates to a more expansive pool of nursing applicants eligible for hire or to practice in a locum in the state of Florida. With the nursing pool now broadened, Florida is more equipped to respond to events in which demand for nursing professionals is high. This includes general labor shortages or unexpected disasters requiring healthcare professionals’ support.
Managing licensure from out-of-state nursing boards may present its own set of obstacles, despite the value. Each licensing board is responsible for managing disciplines and sanctions reported against one of their licensed nursing professionals. As the employer, it remains your responsibility to ensure the credentials of your nursing professionals are active and clear to work. Moreover, license renewal deadlines vary from state to state. This will require adjusting your processes to manage primary source verification accordingly.
We’re ready
With EverCheck’s automated license verification solution, credentials are verified across all 50 states every day, including all of the current compact states. In addition to monitoring license renewals, EverCheck also monitors disciplinary actions and license statuses reported by each licensing board. All changes are delivered to you via email notifications and documented in EverCheck.
More importantly, all renewals, disciplinary actions, and/or status changes are documented electronically in an easy-to-retrieve archive. This piece is critical to ensuring compliance with accreditation standards for primary source verification such as Joint Commission, DNV, and HFAP. Remaining compliant while transitioning to the compact will be seamless!
Resources for you
If you’re interested in learning more, we recommended these “straight-from-the-source” resources:
The Nurse Licensure Compact: What Employers Need To Know
The Florida Senate: HB 1061: Nurse Licensure Compact
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing Official Website :: Licensure Compact
