This Wednesday, July 1, 2020, Indiana officially joins 33 other states in implementing the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), making it easier for healthcare travelers with compact licenses to work across state lines without having to get separate licenses.

Registered nurses and licensed practical/vocational nurses whose primary state of residence is in an NLC state and they hold an active multistate nursing license can now add Indiana to the list of states they can work in.

“Indiana has always had several travel nursing needs but the single-state license requirements added a hurdle for travelers who didn’t have an Indiana license to work there,” said Leah Moss, Senior Recruiter at StaffDNA, the fastest-growing digital marketplace for healthcare. “Now, nurses with compact licenses looking for an assignment in Indiana will be able to start quicker and vice versa.”

Indiana nursing professionals will be able to apply for a multistate license effective July 1. It’s not necessary for Indiana license holders to wait until their renewal period to apply. The application will be available on the Indiana State Board of Nursing website.

In announcement from the NCSBN, Toni Herron from the Indiana State Board of Nursing said: “The NLC presents innovative ways for our Indiana nurses to improve both access to care for patients, while simultaneously reducing the regulatory burden on licensees. This is also great news for nurses who already hold a multistate license from another NLC state, because, as of July 1, 2020, they will be able to practice in Indiana, in person or via telehealth. Our staff looks forward to working with stakeholders to ensure that all Hoosiers, both providers and patients, are fully informed about the dynamic changes on the horizon.”

Licensure requirements are aligned in NLC states, so all nurses applying for a multistate license are required to meet the same standards, including submission to federal and state fingerprint-based criminal background checks.

For more information, please visit the Indiana State Board of Nursing website.

For general information about the NLC, visit the NCSBN NLC webpage.