LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- Legislation is being passed across the country to make it easier for nurses to work across state lines. Medical professionals hope this will lessen the burden on an aging workforce and nursing shortages.
At least 30 states have joined the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC), which allows nurses to practice in multiple states with just one license. Kentucky is among the 30. Indiana is not, but there is a push from local lawmakers and multi-hospital systems to change that.
"I think [Floyd] could benefit from it, as could Clark or any of the hospitals on the border with Kentucky," Karen Newman, the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer with Baptist Health Louisville said.
Newman says nurses who hold a multi-state license have better flexibility and opportunity.
"It's sort of like a driver's license. You don't need a license for every state you travel through," Newman said. "Makes it more fluid and nimble for a nurse to practice in both states."
Currently, Kentucky nurses can practice in other compact states, but it's not as easy to also work in Indiana. The Hoosier state requires all nurses to apply for a separate license, which takes time.
"Some are waiting two to three months to get their Indiana license, which puts us two to three months without that nurse on the floor taking care of patients," Linda Menton, the director of Emergency, Women's & Surgical Inpatient Services at Baptist Health Floyd said.
Menton says she's had to turn nurses away because the process was taking too long.
"They'd been through the interview process, met everyone, and done all the requirements and we just waited and waited and waited," Menton said.
An Indiana representative, from New Albany, plans to introduce a bill next year that would ask Indiana to join the compact. It will be Rep. Ed Clere's second attempt. He authored a bill this year, under HB1317, which included the nurse compact. The bill later passed, but after that section was removed. Clere will be a part of study group this summer to discuss the pros and cons and hopes to gain support from bigger cities across Indiana.
Nurses within Baptist Health say it would be a great advantage to work across the river when needed.
"For one, you'd have more choices. You could be working here at Floyd in part time position and then possibly go to Baptist Louisville and work PRN as needed," Menton said.
The benefits of a compact would extend beyond Baptist Health. Local advocates from One Southern Indiana say there are big supporters from Norton Healthcare and Hosparus.
"Nurses today really like having the opportunity to do multiple things, different things that suit their lifestyle, childcare needs, personal life, work balance. We think that makes for a rich experience," Newman said.
Kentucky is the only state bordering Indiana that is part of the eNLC.
The Indiana State Nurses Association released details on a study in 2016 on the impacts of the eNLC. At the time, it revealed more than 9,000 licensed Indiana nurses lived in a compact state. That meant Indiana received about $467,550 in application and renewal fees every two years. Indiana also had more than one thousand LPN's which would add up to $2,70 in licensing fees for the state.
►Contact reporter Brooke Hasch at bhasch@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Hasch) and Facebook.