VIDEO UPDATE-The Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC)
VIDEO + FAQ’s
ATTN: The original Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is evolving to the new and improved Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC).
The Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC) increases access to care while maintaining public protection at the state level. This video explains what nurses, employers and educators in new eNLC states need to know as their state joins the compact. Employers may utilize the video for educating nurses in their organization.
The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) have been compiled to help nurses, employers and nurse educators better understand the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC).
What is the eNLC implementation date?
January 19, 2018
When does the eNLC go into effect?
The enhanced eNLC went into effect July 20, 2017, when 26 states enacted the eNLC legislation. The significance of this date is that the compact was officially enacted and the eNLC commission can begin to meet, draft rules, policies and set an implementation date. The effective date is not the same as the implementation date, which is when nurses can practice in eNLC states that have started issuing eNLC multi-state licenses.
How will the transition from NLC to eNLC affect employers of nurses?
The transition will effect employers in several ways. The transition may impact employers in eNLC states that have nurses practicing in the four states that remain in the original NLC. As of the implementation date, those nurses with an eNLC multistate license will not have the authority to practice in those four states without applying for a single state license in those states. The eNLC transition may also impact employers in original NLC states who have nurses practicing in the 21 former original NLC states that joined the eNLC. As of Jan. 19, 2018, those nurses with an original NLC multistate license will not have the authority to practice in eNLC states without applying for a single state license in those states. Nurses residing in eNLC states who are not eligible to be grandfathered may not have a multistate license on the January 19, 2018 implementation date until they have completed an eligibility process. This process will determine if the licensee meets the licensure requirements for a multistate license. In some eNLC states, the nurse may need to proactively engage in this eligibility process. By October 2018, nurses in all eNLC states should receive a letter from the respective board of nursing with more information.
When will nurses have multi-state licenses in eNLC states?
Nurses in the original NLC states that were grandfathered into the eNLC will be able to practice in eNLC states as of the implementation date, Jan. 19, 2018. Nurses in new states that joined the eNLC (Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Georgia and Florida) will be able to practice in eNLC states upon issuance of a multistate license. Each eNLC state will notify its licensees by mail of the implementation date and the process by which a nurse can obtain a multistate license.
What happens to nurses in the original compact if their state does not pass the enhanced NLC legislation?
States that do not pass the eNLC will remain in the original NLC until: a) the state enacts the eNLC, b) the state withdraws from the original NLC or c) the original NLC ends due to having less than two states as members. As of now, Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico and Rhode Island are members of the original NLC that have not yet joined the eNLC. These states plan to introduce legislation in 2018 or sooner.
Which nurses are grandfathered into the enhanced NLC and what does that mean?
Nurses in eNLC states that were members of the original NLC may be grandfathered into the eNLC. Nurses who held a multistate license prior to the eNLC effective date of July 20, 2017, in original NLC states, will not need to meet the requirements for an eNLC multistate license. They are automatically grandfathered. Nurses issued a multistate license after July 20, 2017, will be required to meet the eNLC multistate license requirements.
Why was there a change to the enhanced NLC from the original NLC?
he original NLC began in 2000 and grew to 24 member states by 2010. From 2010 to 2015, one more state joined. A primary reason identified for the slowed adoption of the NLC was the lack of uniform criminal background check (CBC) requirements among NLC states. As a result, the eNLC requires that all member states implement CBCs for all applicants upon initial licensure or licensure by endorsement. This revision, along with other significant updates, will remove barriers that kept other states from joining. The eNLC will make it possible to get closer to the goal of all states joining the eNLC.
Why would a nurse need a multistate license? What are the benefits for a nurse?
Nurses benefit from a multistate license for a variety of reasons. The foremost reason is that a nurse will not need individual licenses in each state where the nurse needs authority to practice. Obtaining individual licenses is a burdensome, costly and time-consuming process to achieve portability and mobility. Nurses are required to be licensed in the state where the recipient of nursing practice is located at the time service is provided. Any nurse who needs to practice in a variety of states benefits significantly from a multistate license. These nurses include military spouses, telehealth nurses, case managers, nurse executives, nurses living on borders, nurses engaged in remote patient monitoring, school nurses, travel nurses, call center nurses, online nursing faculty, home health nurses, nurses doing follow up care and countless more