§ 5-34.3-4. Definitions. [Expires January 1, 2027]
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Adverse action� means any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action permitted
by a state's laws which is imposed by a licensing board or other authority against
a nurse, including actions against an individual's license or multistate licensure
privilege such as revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee, limitation
on the licensee's practice, or any other encumbrance on licensure affecting a nurse's
authorization to practice, including issuance of a cease and desist action.
(2) "Alternative program� means a voluntary, nondisciplinary monitoring program approved
by a nurse licensing board.
(3) "Commission� means the interstate commission of nurse licensure compact administrators,
the governing body of the nurse licensure compact.
(4) "Coordinated licensure information system� means an integrated process for collecting,
storing, and sharing information on nurse licensure and enforcement activities related
to nurse licensure laws that is administered by a nonprofit organization composed
of and controlled by state nurse licensing boards.
(5) "Current significant investigative information� means investigative information that
a licensing board, after a preliminary inquiry that includes notification and an opportunity
for the nurse to respond if required by state law, has reason to believe is not groundless
and, if proved true, would indicate more than a minor infraction; or investigative
information that indicates that the nurse represents an immediate threat to public
health and safety regardless of whether the nurse has been notified and had an opportunity
to respond.
(6) "Encumbrance� means a revocation or suspension of, or any limitation placed on, the
full and unrestricted practice of nursing imposed by a licensing board.
(7) "Home state� means the party state which is the nurse's primary state of residence.
(8) "Home state action� means any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action
permitted by the home state's laws that is imposed on a nurse by the home state's
licensing board or other authority including actions against an individual's license
such as: revocation, suspension, probation, or any other action that affects a nurse's
authorization to practice.
(9) "Licensing board� means a party state's regulatory body responsible for issuing nurse
licenses.
(10) "Multistate licensure� means a license to practice as a registered nurse (RN) or a
licensed practical nurse/vocational nurse (LPN/VN) issued by a home state licensing
board, that authorizes the licensed nurse to practice in all party states under a
multistate licensure privilege.
(11) "Multistate licensure privilege� means a legal authorization associated with a multistate
license, permitting the practice of nursing as either a registered nurse (RN) or licensed
practical nurse/vocational nurse (LPN/VN) in a remote state.
(12) "Nurse� means a registered nurse or licensed practical/vocational nurse, as those
terms are defined by each party's state practice laws.
(13) "Party state� means any state that has adopted this compact.
(14) "Remote state� means a party state, other than the home state.
(15) "Remote state action� means any administrative, civil, equitable, or criminal action
permitted by a remote state's laws that is imposed on a nurse by the remote state's
licensing board or other authority including actions against an individual's multistate
licensure privilege to practice in the remote state, and cease and desist and other
injunctive or equitable orders issued by remote states or the licensing boards thereof.
(16) "Single-state license� means a nurse license issued by a party state that authorizes
practice only within the issuing state and does not include a multistate licensure
privilege to practice in any other party state.
(17) "State� means a state, territory, or possession of the United States and the District
of Columbia.
(18) "State practice laws� means those individual party state's laws and regulations that
govern the practice of nursing, define the scope of nursing practice, and create the
methods and grounds for imposing discipline. It does not include the initial qualifications
for licensure or requirements necessary to obtain and retain a license, except for
qualifications or requirements of the home state.