Which state was the first to pass legislation requiring nurses to be registered?

Which state was the first to pass legislation requiring nurses to be registered?

• A. New York
• B. California
• C. Massachusetts
• D. North Carolina

Answer: (D)

Regulation of nursing began with creating an official list of qualified practitioners to protect patients. North Carolina was the first to require nurses to be registered, establishing a state registry and a regulatory board to oversee the profession. This foundational move set the pattern for how nursing would be validated and supervised, and it served as a blueprint others quickly followed, eventually broadening to licensure in many states. The later adoption of registration or licensure by New York, California, and Massachusetts built on that initial step, but North Carolina led the way.

Regulation of nursing began with creating an official list of qualified practitioners to protect patients. North Carolina was the first to require nurses to be registered, establishing a state registry and a regulatory board to oversee the profession. This foundational move set the pattern for how nursing would be validated and supervised, and it served as a blueprint others quickly followed, eventually broadening to licensure in many states. The later adoption of registration or licensure by New York, California, and Massachusetts built on that initial step, but North Carolina led the way.