IMPACT IN ACTION:
Nurses Share their NLC Stories
I
n the last year, the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) has experienced extraordinary change. Membership has grown to include 32 states that have implemented the NLC. Two additional states, Indiana and New Jersey, have pending implementation. NLC legislation has also been introduced in Alaska, California, Guam, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. With the NLC’s current state of evolution, the compact is becoming ever more vital to nurses and their employers. The NLC helps remove barriers or unnecessary burdens to borderless practice and increases access to care. It also helps address and reduce workforce shortages and enhances disaster preparedness. In an effort to communicate these and other benefits of the NLC to policymakers and stakeholders in states considering joining, NCSBN is sharing compelling NLC stories to show how the compact can positively impact nurses and their patients. The common thread running throughout these stories is that these individuals have experienced firsthand the value of the NLC, and its positive impact on patient care.
8 | In Focus
