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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/

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