January 2018 will bring some changes to the licensing requirements for travel nurses who travel to other states for their assignments.

As you know the Compact License allows multistate traveling blanketed under the single license versus each state requiring their own licensing. The Compact License was created to help the traveler avoid additional licensing fees when working in states other than their home state. Your home state must be one of the NLC (Nurse Licensure Compact) participating states. Continuing education requirements must be met and the primary license must be renewed and paid when due. Of course, you can't have any disciplinary actions or restrictions against your current license.

Beginning in January 2018 New Mexico and Colorado will drop from the NLC program and require a state specific license for travel nurses.

The states that do participate in the Compact Licensing are as follows:

Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming

So just keeping you abreast of changes that are relevant to you in the coming months. Your recruiter will be able to help you with licensing requirements before an assignment starts.

Safe Travels!

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network