Wisconsin Enacts Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC)
Wisconsin has joined 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 as a member of the eNLC. Gov. Scott Walker signed the bill Dec. 11, 2017. The eNLC will be implemented on Jan. 19, 2018, with 27 states as members.
Allowing nurses to have mobility across state borders, the eNLC increases access to care while maintaining public protection. The eNLC, which is an updated version of the current NLC, allows for registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs) to have one multistate license, with the ability to practice in both their home state and other NLC states.
“Wisconsin nurses and key stakeholders overwhelmingly supported legislation to join the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact. We are eager to move forward with the eNLC to facilitate access to care while providing even greater public protection through uniform licensure requirements,” comments Sheryl Krause, chair, Wisconsin Board of Nursing.
Patient safety being of paramount importance led to the addition of new features found in the provisions of the legislation of the eNLC. Licensing standards are aligned in eNLC states so all nurses applying for a multistate license are required to meet the same standards, which include a federal and state criminal background check that will be conducted for all applicants applying for multistate licensure.
The eNLC enables nurses to provide telehealth nursing services to patients located across the country without having to obtain additional licenses. In the event of a disaster, nurses from multiple states can easily respond to supply vital services. Additionally, almost every nurse, including primary care nurses, case managers, transport nurses, school and hospice nurses, among many others, needs to routinely cross state boundaries to provide the public with access to nursing services, and a multistate license facilitates this process.
Boards of nursing (BONs) were the first health care provider regulatory bodies to develop a model for interstate practice with the original adoption of the NLC in 1997 and its implementation in 2000. While other health care provider regulatory bodies are just getting started in this process, the NLC has been operational and successful for more than 15 years.
Additional information about the eNLC can be found at https://www.ncsbn.org/enhanced-nlc-implementation.htm.
