Nursing is the largest healthcare field. Three out of five nurses work in hospitals, but a wide variety of organizations also employ nurses. Many nursing positions have flexible schedules and allow for part-time work.
Nursing combines science and technology with the desire to help people. One must enjoy helping people of all types and backgrounds. Nursing requires both physical stamina and emotional stability. Nurses must be able to follow orders and direct others.
Entering a field of advanced practice nursing, for example a clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist, or nursing administration, requires earning a master's degree. Teaching or conducting research may even require a doctoral degree.
For more information about nursing as a career, visit the following links:
All states regulate nursing by requiring licensure, and requirements for licensure vary by state. If a nurse is licensed in Missouri as their primary state, they may be able to practice in other states under their Missouri license. However, if you are looking to be licensed in a state or U.S. territory other than Missouri, please review that state or territory's requirements as we cannot guarantee our program will meet their licensure requirements.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
- Missouri is part of the NCSBN's Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The NLC allows nurses to practice in other NLC jurisdictions without having to obtain additional licenses. Click here to view the map of states and territories in the NLC and their status.
- Click here to view the list of NLC Member jurisdictions
- To view information such as which state you can take the NCLEX in and how to obtain a compact multistate license if your home state is a noncompact state, view the NCSBN's FAQs.
- Missouri State Board of Nursing
- Illinois State Board of Nursing
- Students applying for licensure by NCLEX examination in Illinois also need to submit the Ed-NUR form to the Registration Office
The following states and territories are not currently in the NLC compact. Their status and a link to the state or territory's licensure information is available under its name:
- Alaska
- American Samoa
- No determination made
- American Samoa Health Services Regulatory Board
Department of Health
Pago Pago, AS 96799
- California
- Meets
- Students must complete the required prerequisite courses listed on the page below and submit their official transcripts from GSON to the California Board of Nursing
- https://www.rn.ca.gov/status.shtml
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Guam
- Pending NLC implementation in 2022.
Nurses holding a multistate license in other NLC states may now utilize that license to practice in Guam.
- Guam residents will not be able to apply for a multistate license until implementation is complete.
- http://dphss.guam.gov/guam-board-of-nurse-examiners-2/
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New York
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Virgin Islands
- No determination made
- NLC enacted December 6, 2021, but the implementation date is TBD.
- VI residents cannot obtain a multistate license until implementation is complete.
- Nurses from other states with multistate licenses cannot practice in the VI until implementation is complete.
- https://doh.vi.gov/programs/permits-licenses-and-certificates
- Washington