Telenursing and the Nurse Licensure Compact

About 20 percent of US residents live in rural areas that do not have direct access to healthcare. One way to mitigate the lack of healthcare in these areas is through telemedicine—healthcare that is provided through video conferencing, over the telephone, or even through text message. Licensure requirements, however, may impede the availability and effectiveness of telemedicine. The Nurse Licensure Compact, (NLC), was introduced in 1999 and allows nurses to practice across state lines without obtaining additional licensure. The NLC intends to increase the mobility of nurses and hopefully redirect them to areas with current nurse shortages and high demand. If successful, the availability and effectiveness of telemedicine, specifically telenursing, should increase. More specifically, patient outcomes should increase in areas that previously experienced healthcare shortages. I exploit the staggered adoption of the NLC and examine patient outcomes in remote areas with increased access to telemedicine.