Connecticut recently joined a multistate compact that makes it easier for nurses who are trained out of state to work here—and for Connecticut nurses to leave the state.
The agreement, which is called the Nurse Licensure Compact, allows Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to obtain multistate licenses in the 43 participating states and territories. Previously, Connecticut nurses would have to apply for a Connecticut-specific license if they wanted to practice in this jurisdiction.
“Modern healthcare requires a mobile workforce, whether responding to provider shortages or assisting during disasters,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in a press release. “The compact not only gives our Connecticut nurses the flexibility to respond to the needs of communities across the country, but it also helps us address our own nursing shortage by allowing qualified nurses from other states to practice here more easily.”
Even though health care is one of the largest industries in Connecticut, there is a shortage of workers and of nurses in particular. In October, Health Care and Social Assistance Jobs decreased by 1,700.
The Connecticut Health Policy Project estimated that the state would be short about 500 nurse practitioners and 1,400 RNs by 2028. This estimate was made in September 2024, before the state joined the Compact, but after legislation to join was passed.
“By making it easier for nurses to practice across state lines, the compact supports recruitment and retention and helps keep Connecticut competitive with our neighboring states,” Laura Bailey, regional vice president of patient care services for Hartford HealthCare, said in the release. “This is a meaningful step within the broader work needed to sustain a strong nursing workforce for the future.”
Connecticut officially joined the Nurse Licensure Compact on Oct. 1. Since October, more than 3,500 nurses have applied, Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Manisha Juthani said in the same press release, which was published on Dec. 11.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) could not be reached for questions about whether or not it believed nurses applying for licenses to work in other states could reduce the number of healthcare workers in Connecticut.
But licenses aren’t the only obstacle to recruiting nurses in Connecticut.
Connecticut healthcare systems have laid off hundreds of employees so far this year, including many RNs.
Furthermore, Connecticut has one of the highest costs of living in the country. In 2024, it had the 12th -highest cost of living out of any state in the nation. Five of the states that have a greater cost of living are not in the Nurse Licensure Compact and do not have plans to join it. Massachusetts, which has a higher cost of living than Connecticut, has committed to the Compact, but hasn’t implemented it yet.
While nurses in Connecticut make competitive salaries compared to nurse in other states—for example, Indeed reports that RNs in Connecticut make around the same hourly wage as RNs in most New England states and New Jersey—Connecticut residents pay some of the highest taxes in the nation.
Despite this, many people are still hopeful about this compact.
“This has been a Republican priority for more than a decade. We have worked in bipartisan fashion to make Connecticut a role model for the nation in terms of our public health policies,” a statement from Senators Heather Somers (Groton), Jeff Gordon (Woodstock), and Stephen Harding (Brookfield) said. “There is always more to be done in developing our health care workforce and encouraging people of all ages to consider entering health care careers in Connecticut. All of us agree that nurses are professionals and should be treated as such.”
Nurses who are interested in joining the Compact can find out more information about converting their license on DPH’s website.
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