There are no standard rules when it comes to the license required in different states. There has been an effort to standardize the process with the licensing compact where you can use your nursing license in the states involved in the program without having to re-certify the license. There are more than a dozen states involved in the NLCA (Nursing License Compact Administrators) program.
However, if the state you are going to work in is not part of the program, the licensing process will differ from state to state, with different CEUs (Continuing Education Units), processing time, cost, and date of application. temporary expiration of the license. Not many states offer permanent licenses.
However, it shouldn’t be difficult to obtain a temporary license from most states. Just keep in mind that the rules and regulations governing licensing for non-program states will likely be different. For example, in most states you don’t need to show your CEUs to get your license, but you can if you’re renewing. To avoid being overwhelmed by the intricacies of licensing in different states, the best thing to do first is decide which state you’d like to work in, and then do some research on how it works there.
One of the benefits that an agency offers is reimbursement for leave, although it is usually a portion rather than the full amount and is paid once you have started your nursing assignment.
If you are with a travel nurse recruitment agency, the agency should be able to advise you on the license required and how long it will take to become licensed and what you need to do. If you can’t wait and are desperate to travel right away, it’s a good idea to ask your recruiter which states offer the easiest and fastest process to get licensed. There are some states known as ‘tour’ states that can provide you with your license the same day if you bring the required paperwork to their office.
If you had the option of getting a temporary or permanent license, there are pros and cons to getting one or the other. With temporary licenses, there is a limited period of time before the license becomes inactive, sometimes as short as 3 months. So if you enjoy your job in that state and would like to extend your assignment or work at a different medical center within the same state, at least with a permanent license, you have more flexibility.
There are benefits to renewing your license obtained in your home state. One is so that you can increase your tax benefits, but to do this, it means that you must maintain a permanent residence in your home state and work from time to time. This is a possibility, especially when you come home for a while to see family and friends. However, you may not want to return to your home state and don’t want to go through the hassle of maintaining a permanent residence, so if that’s the case, you can keep your home state license inactive. Making the license status inactive is probably a good idea because it costs nothing to keep it inactive and the process is much easier if you want to reactivate the license than trying to reapply for your nursing license.
In general, the process of obtaining the license is normally not a big problem that prevents you from traveling, since the process is simple in most states. It just helps to think about license requirements when you’re timing your nursing assignments and organizing your various nursing commitments.