1. Where (what state/territory) do you intend to become licensed by examination, and is this a Nurse Licensure Compact state? 

I intend to become licensed by examination in the state of New Hampshire. I’m choosing New Hampshire for many reasons that I’m excited for! For one, my entire family lives in NH and I’m very much a homebody. I can secondly save money while living at home for a year or two with my parents while paying off loans and saving money. I can then get my own place in NH to continue to learn and grow as a Nurse!  Once I become a NICU nurse, I aspire to become a NICU NP one day as I love learning, and have a passion for babies and intensive care.

2. How is the application completed and submitted (web-based, manual/paper-based, or either), and does the application you are filing require official transcripts, verification sign off by the director of the program, or both? 

The application to take the NCLEX and become licensed in NH is a web-based application on the New Hampshire Board of Licensure website found at the following link

https://www.oplc.nh.gov/nursing/licensure.htm

Before filling out the application, it requires a $120 application fee, FBI background check, Declaration of Primary state of residence Form, Official Transcript, Government issued ID, and Registration for RN Verification.  This is a lot of information, and I’m glad I know this now so I can start to plan ahead. My goal is to take NCLEX within a month of graduating. I will review even more information and NCLEX questions within two months of taking NCLEX through Uworld. We are also practicing through ATI during school which is very important and helpful.

3. Does the state where you intend to become licensed require criminal background checks and/or fingerprinting? If so, what is the process? 

New Hampshire does require background checks and fingerprinting. This is done at the capital of NH in Concord. You would make an appointment ahead of time, and this takes time to go through the system, so I will need to plan accordingly.

4. Reflecting on presentations from the Attorney General’s Office and the Medical Professionals Health Program, consider the following: 

a. Describe any provisions for impaired nurses in the state where you intend to become licensed as described on or linked from the State Board of Nursing website, including any mandatory reporting requirements for suspected impairment, disciplinary measures, and resources for recovery.

If a nurse needed to file a complaint you could simply email enforcement.complaints@oplc.nh.gov who will help to follow disciplinary measures depending on what an individual has done. It’s our job to report any disciplinary action within 30 days to this email address. On the website, there’s a PDF explaining many examples of mandatory reporting to the state for RN to report if something were to occur. The website is very helpful to remind Nurses our scope of practice, along with others scope of practice. If something were to happen, it’s our responsibility to report the incident, and they will then prosecute the case.  As a Registered Nurse it’s our responsibility to report any signs of abuse and neglect in kids and elders. To find more about reporting non-compliance visit: https://www.oplc.nh.gov/report-non-compliance 

 b. Some of the most commonly occurring legal issues that impact nursing and nursing practice relate to informed consent and refusing treatment, licensure, the safeguarding of clients’ personal possessions and valuables, malpractice, negligence, mandatory reporting, abuse, and unsafe practices. How will you protect yourself and your license from these legal issues?

I will become informed of my scope of practice before starting my first job as a Nurse. It’s important to know this information before going into the field, so I will re-read my scope on this website to become familiar with it even more. I will follow the guidelines of reporting mandatory information when it comes my way, and will continue to be loyal and honest.  Some other ways to protect my license would include communicating between the care team to limit mistakes. I will research and become familiar with my RN guidelines per hospital protocol. I will be aware that anything posted on social media will always be there.  Lastly, one thing I will be investing in is legally protecting my license with insurance. I will do this by investing in a Nurses Service organization and provide myself with professional liability insurance. This would help me if i were ever to have a medication error, malpractice, and more.