I intend to become licensed in the state of New Hampshire. The state of New Hampshire does participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). This is comforting for my future because if I ever wanted to practice in a different state, it is possible that the process of moving would be that much easier. An official copy of my transcript will be required. I can request that the school sends official copies of this when I begin my application process. The application can be completed online or on paper but the more convenient process appears to be online. A background check and fingerprint scans will be required for the application. The fingerprints will be done via LiveScan and assigned a tracking number. The New Hampshire Board of Nursing will forward it to the New Hampshire State police for completion. The background checks are only valid for a limited amount of time so if I were to postpone my NCLEX test date or be unsuccessful on my first attempt, I would likely need to complete another background check.

Mandated reporting is a serious concern for all states. In New Hampshire, if a nurse suspected another nurse was under the influence or impaired they are required to report that suspicion. This report must be done in a way that maintains privacy of the individual. There are programs that can assist someone that may be struggling with addiction because it is unsafe to practice if the individual is impaired. This kind of reporting encourages me to be aware of how I will protect my license. Documentation is very important to protect your license, in the eyes of the law if it is not documented it didn’t happen. I want to work to perfect my documentation skills very early in my career. I also think building trust with my supervisors will be a good way to protect my license. Reporting issues can feel uncomfortable, but if you don’t report something it can have serious consequences. I think having a strong and trusting employee relationship with my supervisor will help me feel comfortable telling them things that I feel they need to be aware of.