Qualified spouses of military personnel who have been relocated to New Jersey can be granted temporary nursing licenses now that legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Herb Conaway, Jr., Cleopatra G. Tucker, Wayne P. DeAngelo, John S. Wisniewski and Celeste Riley has been signed into law.
The law (A-2889) directs the New Jersey Board of Nursing to establish criteria for the issuance of temporary courtesy licenses allowing nonresident military spouses to lawfully practice nursing in New Jersey on a temporary basis. A temporary license would be valid for six months, and could be extended at the discretion of the board for six more months upon request.
“Relocating is part of military life, but can make steady employment difficult,” said Conaway (D-Burlington). “This law is consistent with legislative efforts being made in other states to make it easier for qualified military spouses to maintain their professional nursing licenses and pursue nursing employment options as they move from one jurisdiction to another.”
Demand for nurses is expected to rise as the state’s population continues to age, and Tucker (D-Essex), who chairs the Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said such a law would help meet that demand.
Military spouses must meet a set of requirements set forth in the law to receive their temporary licenses.
