This article describes a new regulatory model for the profession of nursing developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), namely the mutual recognition model. In recent years, environmental changes in the health care delivery system, technological advances, and changes in the expectations of the health care consumer have necessitated revisions in the way nursing is regulated to ensure the protection of the public. A number of potential regulatory models that have been proposed for regulation of today's health care professions are described. The interstate compact, which is the mechanism to implement the mutual recognition model of nurse licensure, is described in terms of jurisdiction, discipline, information sharing and administration of the compact. The current status of this mutual recognition model in eight states is presented.

On March 14, 1998, Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt signed Senate Bill 149 which adopted the Nursing Regulation Interstate Compact. The Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing and the Utah Board of Nursing have been studying the issues of multistate practice and licensure since 1996. Several issues provided the necessary impetus to precede with changing nursing regulation including the changing delivery of nursing services. This article describes the reasons why Utah chose to adopt the compact language and the process that was followed. Advice to states who are interested in adopting the mutual recognition model of nursing regulation is also provided.