There has been a lot of buzz in the nursing world surrounding the recently implemented Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC). However, it leaves some, including nursing students, with questions. Questions like, what exactly is the eNLC? Which states are part of this compact? And, more importantly, what does this mean for those nurses interested in traveling in the future?
On January 19, 2018, more than half the states within the U.S. implemented the eNLC. To implement this, each state had to pass specific legislation to move forward. This compact is a transition from the previous Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). While the majority of states transitioned from the NLC to the eNLC, you’ll see some new faces too, like Florida and Oklahoma.
What this means is that if a nurse holds an eNLC multi-state/compact license, then other states that are part of the compact will grant license reciprocity to that nurse, allowing them to work in other states without having to obtain separate licensure. As a traveler, this is HUGE! If you want to take assignments throughout the country, being able to have this reciprocity makes the travel process much easier by reducing the number of licenses to apply and pay for. This is also helpful for hospitals with immediate openings, considering many positions can only accept applications from those who already hold that specific state license.
One of the key components to holding a multi-state license is that a nurse must have a permanent residence within the compact state in which they hold the license. For example, if the RN lives in Nebraska and has the Nebraska license, they would be able to have the reciprocity for the other states within the eNLC. However, if this nurse moves their permanent residence to California, a non-eNLC state, their Nebraska license will now only be good in the state of Nebraska, and they would need to apply for licensure for each of the states the nurse wants to be able to work in.
As nursing students and current RNs progress in their careers and look at traveling as an option, they should highly consider the benefits of holding a compact license as a contract nurse.
For more information and a map of the current eNLC states, please visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website.
