The Power of Reciprocity

NCLEX processing is a tedious and complicated process. One mistake with the forms could mean months of delay in taking the exam. That is why it is recommended that one should get help from professionals who have had years of experience in processing NCLEX for the different boards of nursing in the United States.

A Crash Course

With this in mind, my friend and I went in search for agencies that helped in processing the NCLEX. We were technically clueless about NCLEX application except for the basics but thankfully this guy gave us a crash course on it.

He talked about a lot of stuff on NCLEX processing which I didn’t really understand until a little later. He also told us about reciprocity and how it is possible to apply in one state and practice in another. He said that it would be easier if we applied in a certain state where the processing is faster. Once we have passed the NCLEX, we can then work for that certain state for a year or so and then apply for reciprocity to another state that we originally liked.

That sparked a curiosity in me. I knew about the basics of reciprocity from college but I didn’t know how it was really applied in the real world. It was also a bit skeptical that it could apply to all states. If that were true then there would’ve been a lot of NCLEX applicants who have done this already. I had to do my own research.

22 Compact States

In 1996, the nurse licensure compact was created to allow a nurse licensed in one state to be able to practice his profession in another state. The states wherein the nurse can practice are limited to the ones that have joined in the compact. There are currently 22 states that have joined the compact. This includes the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, North and South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

If you applied for NCLEX in any of the 22 compact states, say for example the Arizona Board of Nursing, and you passed, you can work there for a year or two and apply for reciprocity to the Texas Board of Nursing. After qualifying for the reciprocity, they will issue a temporary permit that would allow you to practice nursing while they will be doing a background check on you. If you have passed, you will then be given a license to practice nursing in Texas.

Use the Power

Reciprocity sounds great especially to nurses who would want to move to another state. There will be less hassle for taking another exam and also for paying additional fees. It would also help a lot for those who want to apply for NCLEX in a hurry and can’t wait for the six months long wait for the California Board of Nursing to approve their applications.

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