Tennessee Nurse - May 2022

May, June, July 2022 Tennessee Nurse Page 19
TN Board of Nursing Update
Nurse Licensure Compact
Sherry Richardson, MSN, RN
Executive Director, TN Board of Nursing
The Nurse Licensure
Compact (NLC) provides
increased access to care while
maintaining public protection
at the state level. States that
are members of the NLC issue
multistate licenses (MSL) that
allow an RN or LPN to practice
physically, electronically and/
or telephonically across a state
border to patients located in
other compact states.
Sherry Richardson
A nurse practicing in other
states on the multistate licensure privilege must
adhere to the laws and rules of the state where the
patient is located. If a nurse needs to practice in a state
that is not a member of the NLC, the nurse must obtain
a single state license issued from that state regardless
of where the nurse holds a MSL.
Currently, 39 jurisdictions have joined the NLC, and
member states will change as states pass laws to enact
the NLC. To view the latest map detailing NLC states,
please visit www.nlc.gov.
Licensure Requirements
New Tennessee licensees and those moving to another
NLC state must meet uniform licensure requirements
(ULRs) to be eligible for a MSL. ULRs include:
1. Meets the requirements for licensure in the home
state (state of residency);
a. Has graduated from a board-approved RN or LPN
prelicensure program; or
b. Has graduated from an international prelicensure
program approved by the accrediting body
in the country and that has been verified by
an independent credential review agency as
comparable to a US board-approved program;
2. Has passed an English proficiency exam if
prelicensure program was not taught in English or if
English is not the individual’s native language;
3. Has passed an NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN®
Examination or predecessor exam (State Board Test
Pool Exam);
4. Is eligible for or holds an active, unencumbered
license (i.e., without discipline);
5. Has submitted to state and federal fingerprintbased
criminal background checks (CBC);
6. Has no state or federal felony convictions (absolute
bar to MSL);
7. Has no misdemeanor convictions related to the
practice of nursing (determined on a case-by-case
basis);
8. Is required to self-disclose participation in an
alternative program, e.g. Tennessee Professional
Assistance Program; and
9. Has a valid United States Social Security Number.
What is the impact on nurses practicing in Tennessee on
the multistate privilege?
A nurse holding a MSL in another compact state may
practice in Tennessee on the multistate privilege and must
adhere to the laws and rules of Tennessee while caring for
Tennessee residents.
NLC impact on APRNs
APRNs practicing in Tennessee must hold a Tennessee
RN license (single or multistate) or multistate license
from an NLC party state in addition to a Tennessee APRN
certificate.
What does an employer need to know?
Employers that have nurse employees practicing in
Tennessee on the multistate privilege from a state must
ensure that the nurse is eligible to practice in Tennessee. Use
Nursys Quick Confirm lookup at https://www.nursys.com/.
The Board of Nursing recommends employers register its
nurses in E-Notify, also found at https://www.nursys.com/.
Follow the NLC at
https://nursecompact.com/about.htm.
Precepting: The Joy of Giving Back
April A. Reyes DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC
Director of Behavioral Health
Hope Family Health
Westmoreland TN
What brings us joy?
According to Webster, joy is
defined as “A strong feeling
of great happiness; delight.”
If we consider joy in our
work, what comes to mind?
Many aspects of our work
can create joy; a patient that
expresses appreciation for
our care, coming to the aid
of a coworker or receiving
a promotion. One central April A. Reyes
theme of our profession is
giving back. The reward of giving back can result in
the same joyous feeling. One way to give back is by
serving as a preceptor for up-and-coming nurses
and nurse practitioners. Have you considered this
as an option? When we give back, there is a sense
of joy inside, and that same feeling happens when
we offer to help train and mold those who may
follow in our footsteps. If you have not served as a
preceptor, I urge you to consider the possibility.
I remember the stress of finding a preceptor
during both my FNP and PMHNP time as a student.
I was fortunate to find great preceptors, but it did
not come easy. I spent countless hours making
phone calls, sending emails, making office visits,
and networking with contacts to secure a preceptor.
There is no shame in contacting a previous coworker
or acquaintance when it comes to finding a
preceptor. Once I found a willing preceptor, secured
a contract, submitted all the paperwork, and
received site approval, it was true joy and relief!
After graduation and completion of the board
exam, the entry into clinical practice begins
with immense joy and sometimes trepidation.
We utilize the skills learned during our student
clinical rotations, which serve as a guide in our
practice. It is not possible to learn everything
during the student rotation but having a wellrounded
experience is helpful. The clinical rotation
was different from my experience with the
PMHNP role versus the FNP role. As I journeyed
through my clinical rotation for the PMHNP, I
took a mental note of those things that I felt were
missing or aspects that I would change or improve.
Throughout clinical practice, you will continue to
discover tips, tricks, and skills that you wish you
would have seen, learned or experienced during
the student rotation. Take note, and even though
you cannot go back, you can pass this along.
I build my clinical rotation for students by taking
note of the missed opportunities and passing it
forward. I couple this with the skills that I use
daily to build a student clinical that will hopefully
result in a successful and positive experience
for the students. This includes working with our
medical assistant to become comfortable triaging
patients, observing and then performing an
AIMS assessment, and completing screenings for
anxiety, bipolar, depression, ADHD, etc. As the
student works with our medical assistant, who is
a certified mental health technician, they will see
that our workflow runs like a well-oiled machine
on most days. This rotation also helps reinforce
what the students learn during the didactic course
regarding medications and appropriate or required
monitoring. One of our quality measures this year
is performing a sleep apnea screen on all patients
diagnosed with depression, as there is a known link
between depression and untreated sleep apnea.
The students will also become familiar with the
Stop-Bang screening tool during rotation (Hobzova,
et al., 2017). Lipids are checked on 100% of the
patients that are on an antipsychotic medication as
well. I know that not every practice setting is the
same. I base my office set up on my previous work
as an FNP; therefore, I have found that utilizing a
well-trained medical assistant is essential to our
practice. It brings me great joy to pass along what
I have learned to the students that I precept.
Serving as a preceptor helps me grow and is always
a learning opportunity; therefore, the student’s
rotation may change depending on their feedback
and what I think works or may need adjusting.
Being a preceptor for PMHNP students is
rewarding. Finding PMHNP preceptors is difficult.
Just ask any current student, and it should not be
this way. As clinicians, we should be willing to give
our time to students who are our future clinicians
and coworkers to help ensure that they are well
prepared. What we learn during our student
rotation provides a basis for our practice. I may
have a unique way of thinking, but as difficult as
it was for me to find a clinical rotation in northern
middle TN, I find it my duty to give back. I hope
that you will consider serving as a preceptor. Joy!
Bring it on!
Reference
Hobzova, M., Prasko, J., Vanek, J., Ociskova, M., Genzor, S.,
Holubova, M., . . . Latalova, K. (2017). Depression and
obstructive sleep apnea. Neuroendocrinology Letters,
38(5), 343-352.