The act that defines RN practice in Puerto Rico
The compact decides whether you may practice in Puerto Rico. What RN practice actually means here — scope, titles, what you may do and delegate — is set by Puerto Rico’s own nurse practice act, Ley para Regular la Práctica de la Enfermería en Puerto Rico, 20 L.P.R.A. ch. 9A (board powers at § 204f), and interpreted by the Puerto Rico Board of Nurse Examiners. Two states can both recognize your license and still differ on what you may do with it.
How the compact treats RN licenses
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN licenses. In a compact state, a single multistate RN license lets you practice in every compact state; a single-state RN license is valid only where it was issued. Puerto Rico does not currently issue multistate RN licenses to its residents, so a Puerto Rico RN license is single-state.
Verifying your Puerto Rico RN license
The fastest check is Nursys QuickConfirm, which shows whether an RN license is single-state or multistate, its status, and its expiration. For official requirements, go to the Puerto Rico Board of Nurse Examiners. See our Puerto Rico verification guide.
RN vs LPN/LVN vs APRN
The compact treats RN and LPN/practical-nurse licenses the same way. APRN roles are different — the compact does not cover them, so APRN authority is handled state by state even when your RN license is multistate.