Nursing Compact

The Nursing Licensure Compact is an agreement among multiple states that honor RN's and LPN/LVN's with licenses from another compact state.

The effect of this on nurses is that they may work in another compact state without having a separate license from that state, as long as they maintain a primary residence in the state in which they hold their license.

The advantage of this is that it allows nurses who work with patients in other state to hold only one license.  This may be someone who works in a facility that borders another state.  It also means that Telehealth nurses can do teaching and give advice to patients in other states without holding
separate licenses in each state. Traveling nurses can also practice in another compact state without holding a license in that state. Nurses are still responsible to know the scope of practice for that  particular state they are working in.

Recommended links:
http://www.ncsbn.org/nic/index.asp