(a)  The general assembly finds and declares that:

(1)  The health and safety of the public are affected by the degree of compliance with and the effectiveness of enforcement activities related to state nurse licensure laws;

(2)  Violations of nurse licensure and other laws regulating the practice of nursing may result in injury or harm to the public;

(3)  The expanded mobility of nurses and the use of advanced communication technologies as part of our nation’s healthcare delivery system require greater coordination and cooperation among states in the areas of nurse licensure and regulations;

(4)  New practice modalities and technology make compliance with individual state nurse licensure laws difficult and complex; and

(5)  The current system of duplicative licensure for nurses practicing in multiple states is cumbersome and redundant to both nurses and states.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-3

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Nurse: means a registered nurse or licensed practical/vocational nurse, as those terms are defined by each party's state practice laws. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • Party state: means any state that has adopted this compact. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • State: means a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4
  • State practice laws: means those individual party's state laws and regulations that govern the practice of nursing, define the scope of nursing practice, and create the methods and grounds for imposing discipline. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-34.3-4

(b)  The general purposes of this compact are to:

(1)  Facilitate the states’ responsibility to protect the public’s health and safety;

(2)  Ensure and encourage the cooperation of party states in the areas of nurse licensure and regulation;

(3)  Facilitate the exchange of information between party states in the areas of nurse regulation, investigation and adverse actions;

(4)  Promote compliance with the laws governing the practice of nursing in each jurisdiction; and

(5)  Invest all party states with the authority to hold a nurse accountable for meeting all state practice laws in the state in which the patient is located at the time care is rendered through the mutual recognition of party state licenses.

History of Section.
P.L. 2007, ch. 50, § 2; P.L. 2007, ch. 62, § 2.