Live in one state and practice in another? BEWARE
Multistate Compact Licensure rules can impact a nurse even if the nurse is not working under a compact license. If you have a license in the state in which you practice, but live in another state, you may be affected by the compact rules for multistate licensing even if you are not working under a compact license. If a nurse moves to a compact party state, the nurse must obtain a nursing license in that state. The nurse has 30 days to obtain the new license. Wherever the nurse’s legal residence is located is where the nurse is considered to be living. For example, a nurse has a Texas nursing license and is working in El Paso. The nurse moves to New Mexico, but continues to work in Texas. Because Texas and New Mexico are both compact license states, the nurse would have 30 days to obtain a New Mexico license. The nurse would then work in Texas under the nurse’s New Mexico multistate nursing license. There are many nurses that live and work near Texas borders and they need to be aware of these rules (this also applies to other compact states as well). The compact states are found at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing