Travel nursing is not without its share of challenges. Let’s face it, with the tighter market conditions, hospitals have implemented greater requirements on who they select for their travelers. One area where we are seeing this emphasized is licensure. Historically, if a temporary license could be obtained within a few weeks, healthcare facilities would regularly take candidates without a license. While some still do this, we are seeing more facilities require a current license just to be considered. With that, it is important to keep your licenses current and in order. It could mean the difference between you and other candidates. Here are some tips to make sure your licenses are in order:
- Know the expiration dates of each license. Seems easy, but when you have multiple licenses, it can be difficult to remember when you got each one. Use a reminder system to alert you a few months before the expiration date.
- Keep the contact information for each state’s Board of Nursing, including phone number and web address.
- Notify the Board of Nursing of any address changes. Reminders are sometimes sent so make sure they know where to send them.
- Visit the website for the Board of Nursing in the state that you need. Here, you can see the instructions to renew your licenses. In some instances, this can be done on-line. You can also verify the status of your license.
- Begin the renewal process before your license expires. After your license lapses, it can take much longer to get a new one. Allow 3-4 months. For example, in one state, if you renew while your license is still active, your renewal is processed in 8 days. Miss the deadline by even 1 day and you are going to wait up to 6 weeks.
- If you are carrying a multi-state license (compact), be sure to verify the state you intend to go to will accept a compact license. If you move out of your primary state, the license will no longer be compact.
- Utilize your Aureus Account Manager. When discussing your next assignment, ask about licensure requirements and time frames. We are here to help!
- Lastly, make sure you have completed the requirements for continuing education. Take advantage of annual CEU reimbursements offered by Aureus!
Logan Hendrickson is a Branch Manager for the Nursing Division of Aureus Medical Group. He joined C&A Industries, the parent company of Aureus Medical, in January of 2005, where he began his career as a Staffing Supervisor. Since then he has received promotions to Team Leader and to Branch Manager, the position which he currently holds. Logan has extensive experience in recruiting, hiring, developing work teams, performance counseling, and problem solving. An advocate of continuing education, one of Logan’s greatest accomplishments was receiving his MBA, which he began and finished while working for C&A Industries.