Nursing (Registered Nurse)
Professional Licensure Disclosure
To be licensed as a Registered Nurse in Tennessee students must graduate from a Tennessee Board of Nursing approved Nursing program and pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) Registered Nurse (RN) exam. The NCSBN administers these examinations on behalf of its member boards, which consist of the boards of nursing in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The NCSBN does not administer licensure examination in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Republic of Palau, and therefore graduates are ineligible for licensure in these Freely Associated States.
Tennessee Technological University is currently an approved RN educational program in Tennessee. Further information on the Tennessee Board of Nursing approved Educational Programs is available at https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board/nursing-board/educational-programs.html
In addition, Tennessee RN licensure requires applicants to meet requirements related to legal residency and criminal history. Information about these requirements may be found at https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board/nursing-board/applications.html
The NCSBN National Licensure Compact (NLC) is a licensure reciprocity agreement that may be legislatively implemented at the state or territorial level. Information about the NLC may be found at https://www.ncsbn.org/compacts.page
Information about Tennessee’s implementation of the NLC legislation can be found at https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board/nursing-board/multistate.html
Students who meet Tennessee RN licensure requirements are also eligible for licensure in any other states or territories that have fully enacted NLC legislation. States that have not fully enacted this legislation may have additional requirements to be eligible for licensure, including but not limited to:
-Requirements for residency or citizenship.
-Requirements for additional coursework, workshops or Continuing Education Units related to local pharmaceutical, mandated reporting, or other laws.
Students seeking licensure in any non-NLC state should contact the licensure agency for that territory to determine what additional requirements may be in place for licensure.
| State or Territory | Licensure Determination | Licensure Agency | |
| Alabama | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.abn.alabama.gov/ | |
| Alaska | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofNursing.aspx | |
| American Samoa | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.americansamoa.gov/ | |
| Arizona | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.azbn.gov/ | |
| Arkansas | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/arkansas-board-of-nursing | |
| California | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.rn.ca.gov/ | |
| Colorado | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing | |
| Connecticut | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Public-Health-Hearing-Office/Board-of-Examiners-for-Nursing/Board-of-Examiners-for-Nursing | |
| Delaware | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/nursing/ | |
| District of Columbia | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://dchealth.dc.gov/bon | |
| Florida | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://floridasnursing.gov/ | |
| Georgia | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.sos.ga.gov/georgia-board-nursing | |
| Guam | Undetermined; this state or territory has enacted partial Nurse Licensure Compact legislation as of September 1st, 2023. | https://guamhplo.org/boards-commissions/hplo/guam-board-nurse-examiners | |
| Hawaii | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/nursing/ | |
| Idaho | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://ibn.idaho.gov/ | |
| Illinois | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://idfpr.illinois.gov/profs/nursing.html | |
| Indiana | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.in.gov/pla/professions/nursing-home/nursing-board/ | |
| Iowa | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://nursing.iowa.gov/ | |
| Kansas | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://ksbn.kansas.gov/ | |
| Kentucky | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://kbn.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx | |
| Louisiana | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.lsbn.state.la.us/ | |
| Maine | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.maine.gov/boardofnursing/ | |
| Mariana Islands | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://nmibon.info/ | |
| Maryland | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://mbon.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx | |
| Massachusetts | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.mass.gov/orgs/board-of-registration-in-nursing | |
| Michigan | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bpl/health/hp-lic-health-prof/nursing | |
| Minnesota | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://mn.gov/boards/nursing/ | |
| Mississippi | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.msbn.ms.gov/ | |
| Missouri | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://pr.mo.gov/nursing.asp | |
| Montana | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://boards.bsd.dli.mt.gov/nursing/ | |
| Nebraska | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Nurse-Licensing.aspx | |
| Nevada | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://nevadanursingboard.org/ | |
| New Hampshire | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.oplc.nh.gov/new-hampshire-board-nursing | |
| New Jersey | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/nur | |
| New Mexico | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.bon.nm.gov/ | |
| New York | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://op.nysed.gov/professions-index/nursing | |
| North Carolina | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.ncbon.com/ | |
| North Dakota | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.ndbon.org/ | |
| Ohio | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://nursing.ohio.gov/ | |
| Oklahoma | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://oklahoma.gov/nursing.html | |
| Oregon | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.oregon.gov/OSBN/pages/index.aspx | |
| Pennsylvania | Undetermined; this state or territory has enacted Nurse Licensure Compact information but implementation is pending as of September 1st, 2023. | https://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Nursing/Pages/default.aspx | |
| Puerto Rico | Undetermined; this state or territory has not enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.ncsbn.org/bon-member-details/PuertoRico | |
| Rhode Island | Undetermined; this state or territory has enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation but implementation is pending as of September 1st, 2023. | https://health.ri.gov/licenses/detail.php?id=231 | |
| South Carolina | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.llr.sc.gov/nurse/ | |
| South Dakota | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://doh.sd.gov/licensing-and-records/boards/nursing/ | |
| Tennessee | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/health-professional-boards/nursing-board/nursing-board/about.html | |
| Texas | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.bon.texas.gov/ | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Undetermined; this state or territory has enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation but implementation is pending as of September 1st, 2023. | https://vibnl.vi.gov/ | |
| Utah | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://dopl.utah.gov/nursing/ | |
| Vermont | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://sos.vermont.gov/nursing/board-meetings-members/ | |
| Virginia | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Nursing/index.html | |
| Washington | Undetermined; this state or territory has enacted partial Nurse Licensure Compact legislation as of September 1st, 2023. | https://nursing.wa.gov/ | |
| West Virginia | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://wvrnboard.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx | |
| Wisconsin | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://dsps.wi.gov/pages/BoardsCouncils/Nursing/Default.aspx | |
| Wyoming | BSN graduates are eligible for licensure as this state or territory has fully enacted Nurse Licensure Compact legislation. | https://wsbn.wyo.gov/ | |