(a) A multistate license to practice registered or licensed practical/vocational nursing issued
by a home state to a resident in that state will be recognized by each party state as
authorizing a nurse to practice as a registered nurse (RN) or as a licensed
practical/vocational nurse (LPN/VN), under a multistate licensure privilege, in each party
state. e
(b) A state must implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of
applicants for initial multistate license or licensure by endorsement. Such procedures shall
include the submission of fingerprints or other biometric-based iunformation by applicants for
the purpose of obtaining an applicant's criminal history record information from the Federal
Bureau of Investigation and the agency responsible for retaitning that state's criminal
records.
(c) Each party state shall require the following for an applicant to obtain or retain a
multistate license in the home state: l
(1) Meets the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as, all
other applicable state laws; i
(2) (A) Has graduated or is eligible to graduate from a licensing board-approved RN or
LPN/VN prelicensure education program; or
(B) Has graduated from a foreign RN or LPN/VN prelicensure education program that:
(i) Has been approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country and;
(ii) Has been verified by an independent credentials review agency to be comparable to a
licensing board-approved prelicensure education program.
(3) WHas, if a graduate of a foreign prelicensure education program not taught in English or if
English is not the individual's native language, successfully passed an English proficiency
examination that includes the components of reading, speaking, writing and listening;
(4) Has successfully passed an NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® Examination or recognized
predecessor, as applicable;
(5) Is eligible for or holds an active, unencumbered license;
(6) Has submitted, in connection with an application for initial licensure or licensure by
endorsement, fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal
history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the agency
responsible for retaining that state's criminal records;
(7) Has not been convicted or found guilty, or has entered into an agreed disposition, of a
felony offense under applicable state or federal criminal law;
(8) Has not been convicted or found guilty, or has entered into an agreed disposition, of a
misdemeanor offense related to the practice of nursing as determined on a case-by-case
basis;
(9) Is not currently enrolled in an alternative program;
(10) Is subject to self-disclosure requirements regarding current participation in an
alternative program; and
(11) Has a valid United States Social Security number.
(d) All party states shall be authorized, in accordance with existing state due process law, to
take adverse action against a nurse's multistate licensaure privilege such as revocation,
suspension, probation or any other action that affects a nurse's authorization to practice
under a multistate licensure privilege, including celase and desist actions. If a party state
takes such action, it shall promptly notify the administrator of the coordinated licensure
information system. The administrator of the coordinated licensure information system shall
promptly notify the home state of any suchi actions by remote states.
(e) A nurse practicing in a party state must comply with the state practice laws of the state
in which the client is located at the time service is provided. The practice of nursing is not
limited to patient care, but shall include all nursing practice as defined by the state practice
laws of the party state in which the client is located. The practice of nursing in a party state
under a multistate licensure privilege will subject a nurse to the jurisdiction of the licensing
board, the courts and the laws of the party state in which the client is located at the time
service is provided.
(f) Individuals not residing in a party state shall continue to be able to apply for a party
state's single-state license as provided under the laws of each party state. However, the
single- state license granted to these individuals will not be recognized as granting the
privilege to practice nursing in any other party state. Nothing in this compact shall affect the
requirements established by a party state for the issuance of a single-state license.
(g) Any nurse holding a home state multistate license, on the effective date of this compact,
may retain and renew the multistate license issued by the nurse's then-current home state,
provided that:
(1) A nurse, who changes primary state of residence after this compact's effective date, must
meet all applicable subsection (c) section three requirements to obtain a multistate license
from a new home state.
(2) A nurse who fails to satisfy the multistate licensure requirements in subsection (c)
section three due to a disqualifying event occurring after this compact's effective date shall
be ineligible to retain or renew a multistate license, and the nurse's multistate license shall
be revoked or deactivated in accordance with applicable rules adopted by the Interstate
Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators ("Commission").‹ Prev All West Virginia sections Next ›
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