Guest Author - Ruby Joiner

A reader email me with a question pertaining to interstate practice. I thought I would provide some insight into this subject,be sure to check out the links to The Regulation Homepage.

Historically in the U.S. regulation of health professionals has been a stat-based function. Whereby each state or territory regulates the health care workforce within its geographic boundaries.. However, with the soaring popularity of telecommunication and other technologies being used to deliver healthcare services, practice is no longer limited by geographical boundaries. Telephone triage, telehealth consultation, and air transport nursing are just a few examples of how nursing practice is crossing state lines, either physically or via telecommunications technologies.

The nurse licensure compact and interstate compact,is an agreement between two or more states to coordinate activities associated with nurse licensure.Although nurses are not usually schooled in the legal implications of interstate compact administration, it is imperative that all nurses understand the implications a regulatory charge such as a mutual recognition model of nursing liscensure,may have on consumers, nurses, and the profession.

Many factors, including but not limited to telehealth, workforce mobility, and globalization are affecting the health care regulatory system.Over the past several years, the nursing community has been exploring and debating new models of regulation of interstate practice.

Although the process is far from complete, nursing should be applauded for recognizing the need to evaluate the current regulatory model that has been.