The chief nurse at Majuro hospital in the Marshall Islands says patients can feel a lot more confident about the care they're getting with a new licensing system in place.
Cathy Antolok says 150 graduate and practise nurses were registered and licensed last week.
She says the nurses have spent many years working on putting a licensing system in place in accordance with the nursing act.
Ms Antolok says patients and nurses benefit as a result.
"Now we are confident that we can deliver the care with our license. Just like a car - when you don't have your license, you cannot drive the car. So, it's same to us - now that we have our license, we feel confident to deliver the nursing care to our patients."
Cathy Antolok says despite the licensing, they remain short of nurses in the country.