Going away for school

Each state has a Practice Act that outlines the rules and laws that govern nursing in that state. It outlines some areas of scope of practice, licensure and certification requirements, disciplinary issues, etc.. Although nursing is generally the same country wide it is important to recognize that practice can vary state to state. This becomes important if you are planning on leaving the state that you earned your RN license in to go away to graduate school. Some states require additional certification/course work beyond the standard ADN/BSN course work such as HIV/AIDS awareness, and IV certification. Also note that only 21 states are part of the Interstate Compact.

Nurse practice acts, how they are written, and where they are put into state law is about as varied as the acts themselves are. TheTravelNurse.com has a nice database of practice acts for all 50 states and some other areas such as Samoa and Guam; here.