TEMPLATE LETTER FOR WRITING YOUR STATE BOARD OF NURSING
Locate your State Board at www.ncsbn.org
Date
Executive Director
State Board of Nursing
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Mr./Ms. ________:
I am a member of the [STATE CHAPTER NAME] and I am writing in support of the establishment of an RN and LPN/LVN Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). I am hopeful that the Board of Nursing will be supportive of this endeavor and will lend whatever assistance it can in implementing state legislation.
In general, I am supportive of NLC implementation because passage would provide for:
- clarification of the authority to practice for many nurse currently engaged in telenursing or interstate practice;
- greater mobility for nurses;
- improved access to licensed nurses during a disaster or other time of great need for qualified nursing service;
- improved access to nursing care; and
- enhanced discipline and information sharing among participating NLC states.
Requiring nurses to have a license in each state in which they practice, whether it be physically or electronically, creates a burden for nurses in general and occupational and environmental health nurses in particular, who often may have clients in multiple states.
As you know, the NLC is an agreement among states recognizing the authority for nurses to practice in multiple states as long as the nurses have established primary residence and have obtained a state license within a state that has joined the compact. To date, over 22 states have passed enabling NLC legislation, [INCLUDING NEIGHBORING STATE/S, ________]. The National Counsel of State Board of Nursing (NCSBN) has approved the NLC for registered RNs and for licensed practical/vocational nurses LPN/LVNs.
We support the interstate compact for nursing licensure, which enables occupational and environmental health nurses to effectively serve their clients, regardless of the client’s location. I am requesting your assistance, and that you will do what you can to get this important measure enacted in our State.
Sincerely,
