54.1-3031 - Findings and declaration of purpose for compact. - Virginia Statutes

§ 54.1-3031. Findings and declaration of purpose for compact.

A. The party states find that:

1. The health and safety of the public are affected by the degree ofcompliance with and the effectiveness of enforcement activities related tostate nurse licensure laws;

2. Violations of nurse licensure and other laws regulating the practice ofnursing may result in injury or harm to the public;

3. The expanded mobility of nurses and the use of advance communicationtechnologies as part of our nation's healthcare delivery system requiregreater coordination and cooperation among states in the areas of nurselicensure and regulation;

4. New practice modalities and technology make compliance with individualstate nurse licensure laws difficult and complex; and

5. The current system of duplicative licensure for nurses practicing inmultiple states is cumbersome and redundant to both nurses and states.

B. The general purposes of this Compact are to:

1. Facilitate the states' responsibility to protect the public's health andsafety;

2. Ensure and encourage the cooperation of party states in the areas of nurselicensure and regulation;

3. Facilitate the exchange of information between party states in the areasof nurse regulation, investigation and adverse actions;

4. Promote compliance with the laws governing the practice of nursing in eachjurisdiction; and

5. Invest all party states with the authority to hold a nurse accountable formeeting all state practice laws in the state in which the patient is locatedat the time care is rendered through the mutual recognition of party statelicenses.

(2003, c. 249.)