Reducing all the bureaucracy, paperwork and burden during the time of a crisis or national public emergency just makes reasonable sense. 

As with any crisis, at some point we need to pause and assess to understand
 lessons learned. From these lessons learned, we can better prepare ourselves
 for the future and for any additional emergencies or crises that may occur.



 During this COVID event, we learned many things during the early stages of the
 pandemic. A number of states made changes and implemented new measures to
 ensure nurses were available to care for COVID patients in need. Some
 areas/states were asking for nurses from other locations to come and assist
 them in handling the high caseload of patients. Many of those patients were
 critically ill and needed high skill sets from the healthcare professionals.



 Some states were even declaring states of emergency and asking Governors to
 lift requirements to move the needed staff at a rapid pace to care for the ill
 in their region. The Governors were allowing the licensure process to be
 expedited to move healthcare professionals at record speed through the
 permitting process. Meaning, nurses could apply from another state and were
 approved to practice in the new location, sometimes in a matter of hours.



 Now, many states are currently a part of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact
 (eNLC). Meaning those nurses holding a compact license may cross state lines
 to provide care in member states without all of the paperwork now required to
 go and practice in another state.



 The other unique part of this program is that the requirements are
 standardized to protect the public. This also allows for a consistent set of
 practice requirements across the board, ensuring a minimal set of standards
 for the healthcare professional to practice under.



 The need for more nurses to participate in this program could not be more
 evident post COVID. We need to have staff ready to deploy when and where
 the needs arise in rapid fashion. Their specialized skill sets are crucial
 during a national crisis or public emergency. We simply cannot wait for
 paperwork to be processed. We need the person, their knowledge and their
 skills at the bedside to ensure that outcomes for the patients are positive.



 Reducing all the bureaucracy, paperwork and burden during the time of a crisis
 or national public emergency just makes reasonable sense. We need to remove
 the roadblocks and create a path for healthcare professionals to be deployed
 with their skill sets immediately when and where needed they are needed.



 Let us hope and pray we do not experience another pandemic ever again. Even if
 we do not see another pandemic in the future, the need for compact licensure
 will still exist. We will always need to deploy staff to where the needs are!



 As you think about healthcare needs today, you realize we have many
 underserved communities and populations out in the world. We need to move
 healthcare professionals to these regions to provide expert care and offer
 residents there a better way of life.



 Think about how telehealth is rapidly expanding. Many patients that do not
 have life-threatening symptoms could be treated efficiently and more cost
 effectively by telehealth. Telehealth is rapidly expanding in the mental
 health, primary care, home care and family therapy fields. The list is endless
 and continues to grow. All of these areas will have needs for nurses!



 We need to do all that we can and with all that is in our power to make
 nursing more mobile, remove the barriers and shift to a model of one, unified
 standard for licensure. So, now I am speaking to you nurse to
 nurse&hellip; if you haven&rsquo;t applied for your compact licensure, now is
 the time!

How the COVID Emergency Highlighted the Need for Widespread Nursing Compact Licensure