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Let us help you land on your dream job here in New Hampshire! Read on this article to know more about the licensing process in New Hampshire, and more!
Through this article, you will be able to know the following:
Fees for the licensing
Licensing renewal process (step-by-step)
Requirements for Continuing Education in Nursing
Licensing and certification
Job and Salary Expectations of Nurses in New Hampshire
Popular hospitals in New Hampshire
Nursing associations in New Hampshire
Contact details
Fees for the Licensing
The table below shows the required payments for the licensing, whether you are a first-time nurse, applying by endorsement, or renewing your license. For more information, visit the New Hampshire licensing page
As a nursing compact state, New Hampshire lets nurses hold multi state licenses.
*Fees may change without any notice.
Licensing Renewal Process
Check when your license expires by visiting the New Hampshire Board of Nursing website. New Hampshire has a Verification page for you to verify your license.
Complete all your continuing education requirements BEFORE your license expires.
Apply for your renewal process by going to the New Hampshire Board of Nursing. You may check on the Renewal Information page for more specific information. Be reminded that if your Primary State of Residency is not New Hampshire, you can not apply for a licensure in New Hampshire because it is a compact state. You must declare that New Hampshire is your Primary State of Residency to be able to do so.
Requirements for Continuing Education in Nursing
The following are the Continuing Education Requirements for nurses in New Hampshire.
For RN/LPN:
Active Practice Requirements: You must have 400 working hours within 4 years of application date.
Education Requirements: You must have 30 CEUs within 2 years of application date.
For APRN:
Education Requirements: You are required to have 60 CEUs, where specialty certification counts for 30 of the required 60 contact hours. An additional 30 hours should include 5 hours of Pharmacology.
Active Practice Requirements: You must be 400 hours active in practice specialty in the 4 years immediately preceding date of application.
*Licensees who possess active DEA # for prescribing in New Hampshire are required 3 of the 5 hours that must be in opioid prescribing, pain management, or substance abuse disorder.
The New Hampshire Board of Nursing accepts courses that are ANCC accredited.
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Licensing and Certification
Step 1: Education
To earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), you must attend an accredited institution that offers ADN for 18-24 months. You can also take a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree in an accredited institution. These programs typically take 4 to 5 years to complete. If you have an ADN but you wanna pursue your bachelor’s, there are certain programs that let you earn your BSN in 12 to 18 months. There is also an RN to BSN program that will take one year for you to earn the degree. Said programs let you save on time and money as you work towards advancing your career.
Step 2: Licensing
Six weeks before your graduation, you can start the process of your application for the NCLEX-RN exam. This exam is composed of 75-265 items and you will be given a limit of 5 hours to finish all of it. Failing the exam does not necessarily mean that you do not have the chance anymore. After your first try, you just have to wait for 45 days and you can apply again.
The scope of NCLEX includes questions about: (1) health promotion and maintenance; (2) safe and effective care environment; (3) physiology and integrity; and (4) psychology and integrity.
Step 3: Experience
This time, you must learn how to take the opportunities in gaining first-hand experiences in dealing with patients, with colleagues and superiors, and with the different situations that you might face. These invaluable experiences will make you more attractive to bigger employers in the future.
Step 4: Certification
Your last step is to obtain certifications for your chosen career. There are different requirements for earning a certification, depending on your preferences so it is important to check with the governing provider for information. You can attend several trainings, seminars or workshops in varied institutions for this purpose.
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Job and Salary Expectations of Nurses in New Hampshire
Shortage of healthcare professionals, specifically nurses, has been a perennial issue in the country. This makes nurses highly in demand during this period of time. This profession will increase by about 9% from 2020 to 2030. The average annual salary is $78,270.
Let us help you check out average wages of nurses to help determine if New Hampshire is the right place for you.
Popular Hospitals in New Hampshire
Still not decided on whether to work as a nurse in New Hampshire or not? This list of the best hospitals in the state will surely help you make that decision to go in the right direction. U.S. News and World Report made a list of the best and popular hospitals in New Hampshire. Here are some of them:
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center – (Lebanon, NH):
Regionally ranked #1 in New Hampshire
Rated high performing in 11 adult procedures and conditions
General medical and surgical facility and a teaching hospital
Specialties include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Hip Replacement, Stroke, and Heart Bypass Surgery
Concord Hospital – (Concord, NH):
Regionally ranked #2 in New Hampshire
Rated high performing in 6 adult procedures and conditions
General medical and surgical facility
Specialties include Lung Cancer Surgery, Heart Attack, and Kidney Failure
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital – (Lebanon, NH)
Rated high performing in 1 adult procedure and condition
General medical and surgical facility
Specialties include Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion), Pneumonia, and Heart Failure
Catholic Medical Center – (Manchester, NH)
Rated high performing in 5 adult procedures and conditions
General medical and surgical facility
Specialties include Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Kidney Failure, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Concord Hospital-Laconia – (Laconia, NH)
Rated high performing in 1 adult procedure and condition
General medical and surgical facility
Specialties includes Kidney Failure, among other fields.
Nursing Associations in New Hampshire
Becoming a member of a nursing association opens a lot of opportunities to your career growth. It gives you the advantages of varied job offers and networking, and a bunch of information and experiences shared between you and your fellow nurses. Through these organizations, learning and professional growth never stop. Listed below are just a few of the nursing organizations that you can find and join once you are in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire School Nurses Association “This institution of nurses advocates in leadership and education to support School Nurses in New Hampshire specifically when it comes to standards of practice, care, leadership, and advancement of public health.”
New Hampshire Nurses Association “This is an organization that works for no cause and it is the only one in the state that leads nurses regardless of their practice.”
National Nurses United - New Hampshire “This association has been able to unite the three most active nurse institutions in the country. One of its campaigns is to advance the interests of nurses in the direct care for patients in the country.”
For more information about the nursing associations, you may visit the comprehensive list of national organizations as well.
Contact Details
New Hampshire Board of Nursing
Phone: (603) 271-2152
Office of Professional Licensure & Certification
7 Eagle Square
Concord, NH 03301