Washington state has an opportunity in 2021 to join the Nurse Licensure Compact, which is a 34-state partnership that allows nurses to practice across state lines. The state is facing a significant shortage of specialty nurses, and the compact would provide much-needed support by allowing nurses to join the state’s workforce easily, if they decide they want to work in Washington.

State lawmakers can enter Washington state into the compact by enacting legislation during the 2021 legislative session.

In a sampling taken last year between February and May, almost two-thirds of incoming nurses came from a state participating in the compact. While our state’s nurses worked around the clock combatting the worst public health crisis of our lifetime, there were additional nurses ready to help who couldn’t simply because of a time-consuming licensing process. Greater efficiency could have been a lifesaver.

Nurse vacancies are rife throughout Washington state, placing tremendous stress on the state’s nursing workforce. The lack of nurses also can superficially limit a hospital’s bed capacity, forcing it to turn away patients simply because there isn’t adequate staff, even if there is plenty of physical space.

We see this as common-sense legislation and an important staffing tool, which can help reduce the pressure on our state’s nurses. It allows our health care system to get more nurses practicing in Washington quickly. We need the help now more than ever, as we continue fighting the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed thousands of our friends, family members, and neighbors.

There are an average of 27 nurse vacancies per hospital in Washington state. Several hospitals have more than 50 vacancies to fill. In a 2018 survey, nearly a third of responding Washington state hospitals reported that the process of recruiting a single nurse took longer than three months. The state has spent $1 million to streamline nurse licensing temporarily, though the state would not have needed to spend that money had it been a member of the compact.

Through the compact, nurses complete uniform licensing requirements that allow them to start working immediately in any participating state. This is especially helpful for nurses who relocate, nurses who live in border communities, and military families that frequently relocate across the country. It also allows nurses to offer telemedicine across state lines.

If Washington state were to join the compact, it would still retain enforcement authority for a nurse with a multistate compact license. Also, Washington nurses would not be required to obtain a multistate license, as participation would be strictly voluntary. It is something that could be done now to help lift the exhaustion from our current nursing workforce.

Cassie Sauer is the president and CEO of the Seattle-based Washington State Hospital 

Association. Susan Stacey is the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital, in Spokane.