After I complete the NCLEX-RN exam, I plan to become licensed as a registered nurse in the state of Maine with a compact nursing license. The Maine State Board of Nursing declares that Maine is a compact state, which means once I am licensed in Maine, I would have the ability to practice nursing in a total of 39 states throughout the United States without having to be licensed separately for those states.  Therefore, if I decide to leave Maine at some point later in life, I will have the opportunity to practice nursing in any of those applicable states.  The application for licensure I plan on attaining is a web-based application. This application I am filing does not require official transcripts because I have received my education through The University of New England (UNE) in the state of Maine. However, the application will require a verification sign off by the director of the UNE nursing program, which will be done May 14, 2023, when grades are finalized for the semester.

In addition, as part of the licensing process, the State of Maine Board of Nursing requires a criminal background check, which is done through The Maine Department of Public Safety. Licensure also requires finger printing, which is done through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which costs approximately fifty dollars. For this process in order to become licensed, I will have my fingerprinting conducted through “IdentoGo” which is an electronic digital scan of my finger using “Livescan”.

Also, the State of Maine Board of Nursing requires mandatory reporting for suspected impairments, disciplinary measures, and resources for recovery. As a nurse in Maine, failure to do so can result in serious consequences for our licensure, such as suspension or termination. Therefore, I must ensure to document all suspected harm as well as harm I have witnessed. As a nurse, I am aware that legal issues commonly associated with licensure involve patient safety, informed consent, patient refusal of treatment, patient personal belongings, malpractice, negligence, mandatory reporting, abuse, and overall unsafe nursing practices. Therefore, as a nurse, it is of utmost importance to protect myself and licensure from a vast array of legal issues. Consequently, to protect myself, I will ensure to prioritize patient safety at all times by using restraints properly as needed; turning my patient every two hours to avoid skin damage; ensure proper disposal of needles; ensuring to use patient transport equipment properly (e.g., wheelchair); ensuring side rails are down on the bed and that the bed is locked. I will ensure consent is fully explained and granted by the patient. I will ensure to use the five rights of medication administration to ensure patient safety as well as proper disposal of patient medication. In addition, I will ensure to monitor the patient before and after treatment is administered. I will ensure to document anything and everything. In addition, if I were to witness improper treatment of a patient or suspect improper treatment, I would report it.

Overall, it is my ultimate intention to provide the best patient care possible as a nurse in my future career, and therefore, I will practice safe protocols at all times while caring for my patients and report any questionable issues should I encounter any.