NJ Board of Nursing - What the Heck?

U.S.A. New Jersey

Published

So I know that the NJ BON is notoriously bad. My husband graduated from nursing school in 2009 and had a six week wait, and my mother-in-law graduated in 2010 and waited two months from start to finish. Knowing this, I sent my paperwork in back in April. I tracked it as being received by April 16th. Check was cashed April 30th. Paperwork was entered into system May 14th. I was expecting about a two month wait once everything was received, and I was prepared for it.

It has now been three months, and I still have yet to receive my fingerprinting paperwork. I somehow got my ATT at the end of June, took my boards a few days later and passed, but they still haven't processed the fingerprinting paperwork. I've repeatedly called because I start my RN job on the 25th, and the BON just keeps saying that they've implemented a "new procedure" that makes them even slower than usual (awesome time to implement it, when everybody's graduating).

It's so frustrating, because I know that I'll have a wait for scheduling my fingerprinting, and then it'll be weeks after that is received by the BON before I get my license. I expected it to take a couple of months; now I'm looking at four (an optimistic outlook) or five months at least that it will take to get my license. I got a great job at a trauma center in south Jersey, and I'm not going to be happy if I lose it because NJ can't send out fingerprinting paperwork.

Does anybody have any suggestions on how to light a fire under these people? I don't understand why it is so difficult to send out one bloody letter that says, "you can schedule your fingerprinting." To still be waiting for that after three months is asinine. I'm so frustrated. :madface:

Specializes in Home Health, PDN, LTC, subacute.

I applied early too. Took Nclex Jan 3, 2013, license Feb 25th.

When i graduated LPN school in 2005, everything was much faster.

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That's pretty impressive short time from NCLEX pass to license. Congrats. The ATT delay could also have been due to "graduation season" a and a large number of applications submitted at once! Good luck in the job search

Thank you. What I didn't include in the timline was the countless phone calls. I got the names of everyone I spoke to and held them to what they said. I guess I was kind of a pain :)

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Thank you. Everything on the online checklist is complete with the exception of the committee approval. That's what they said I have to wait 25 business days for.

I know NJ's process is different from other states. What I do not understand is why they continue to use the same inefficient system when the rest of America has figured out a better way. Clearly it is possible to be far more efficient if virtually every other state is doing it.

You'll have to excuse my ranting, but I'm in desperate need of a job and I can't even apply for jobs without my license #. This is my second career. I'm not a kid living with their parents. I need to work or I can't pay my bills.

Don't sit and wait 25 days. I believe you're wasting your time. And if you were told this over the phone, you're definitely wasting your time. Wait a couple of days and walk into the bon. Ask to speak with ----------------- tell her all everything on your checklist is completed online and you've waited a couple of weeks and still no approval and if she can check and do anything.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Don't sit and wait 25 days. I believe you're wasting your time. And if you were told this over the phone, you're definitely wasting your time. Wait a couple of days and walk into the bon. Ask to speak with ms ******* (sp) tell her all everything on your checklist is completed online and you've waited a couple of weeks and still no approval and if she can check and do anything.

Nightbloom received license 7/1. Only a few weeks post NCLEX.

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hey mcmcalla can you please email at [email protected] or i can email you? I need to know where to go at the BON. I applied for endorsement and paid the fee on 4/17. Still nothing. Thank you so much.

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4\17 wow that's a long time, when did you pass your nclex? And are your documents are in and checked? BTW I emailed you see your inbox

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I have a question about endorsement in NJ. I'm currently going to school in PA, but am immediately moving back home to Northern NJ. Some past graduates were giving the advice of sitting for the NCLEX-RN in PA, since you get your ATT fairly quickly and are able to take the exam faster than you would with NJ. My question is: how long does it take to get endorsement in NJ vs. getting a license in NJ? I graduate in September, and this is my second degree, so I am looking to hit the ground running with job searching. I'm just really confused with all this information and would like some guidance on the matter.

Thanks

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I have a question about endorsement in NJ. I'm currently going to school in PA, but am immediately moving back home to Northern NJ. Some past graduates were giving the advice of sitting for the NCLEX-RN in PA, since you get your ATT fairly quickly and are able to take the exam faster than you would with NJ. My question is: how long does it take to get endorsement in NJ vs. getting a license in NJ? I graduate in September, and this is my second degree, so I am looking to hit the ground running with job searching. I'm just really confused with all this information and would like some guidance on the matter.

Thanks

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I have a question about endorsement in NJ. I'm currently going to school in PA, but am immediately moving back home to Northern NJ. Some past graduates were giving the advice of sitting for the NCLEX-RN in PA, since you get your ATT fairly quickly and are able to take the exam faster than you would with NJ. My question is: how long does it take to get endorsement in NJ vs. getting a license in NJ? I graduate in September, and this is my second degree, so I am looking to hit the ground running with job searching. I'm just really confused with all this information and would like some guidance on the matter.

Thanks

I was making a similar decision not too long ago. NJ license by endorsement takes much longer than NJ initial license (although that takes long too). I applied for initial NJ license April 23rd and got my license number July 1st. I called and asked the BON how long endorsement would have taken if I had gotten my PA license initially and then applied for endorsement, and they told me up to 4 months. The NJ process is much longer and stressful than PA but if you wait for endorsement you'll be waiting almost a half a year.

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I was making a similar decision not too long ago. NJ license by endorsement takes much longer than NJ initial license (although that takes long too). I applied for initial NJ license April 23rd and got my license number July 1st. I called and asked the BON how long endorsement would have taken if I had gotten my PA license initially and then applied for endorsement, and they told me up to 4 months. The NJ process is much longer and stressful than PA but if you wait for endorsement you'll be waiting almost a half a year.

Thanks so much for your reply!

So either way, I'm screwed, huh? Do you think the endorsement would get moved along a bit faster since I'm done with school at a weird time? I also heard something from one of my classmates that if you're licensed in another state, some facilities in NJ will allow you to work if you have proof that you are in the process of getting endorsement. I have no idea if this is true or not. Does anyone know about testing and license timeframe for NY? I've been looking but haven't found anything helpful.

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Thanks so much for your reply!

So either way, I'm screwed, huh? Do you think the endorsement would get moved along a bit faster since I'm done with school at a weird time? I also heard something from one of my classmates that if you're licensed in another state, some facilities in NJ will allow you to work if you have proof that you are in the process of getting endorsement. I have no idea if this is true or not. Does anyone know about testing and license timeframe for NY? I've been looking but haven't found anything helpful.

You can call the NJ BON directly and they'll give you a better idea of the time frame. I'm sure you can call NY BON as well. They're probably faster than NJ. I can tell you that no matter what you do or when you apply, the NJ BON is extremely slow.

Some states offer a temporary work permit but NJ is not one of them. I have been applying to tons of jobs in NJ and they all require your license # on your application. They may pass you over if it's not a NJ license.

I don't know how there are any nurses in NJ with how hard they make the process.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Thanks so much for your reply!

So either way, I'm screwed, huh? Do you think the endorsement would get moved along a bit faster since I'm done with school at a weird time? I also heard something from one of my classmates that if you're licensed in another state, some facilities in NJ will allow you to work if you have proof that you are in the process of getting endorsement. I have no idea if this is true or not. Does anyone know about testing and license timeframe for NY? I've been looking but haven't found anything helpful.

You cannot work in NJ until licensed as a nurse by NJBoN. Showing proof of endorsement in progress is meaningless. NJ stopped temp permits years ago.

You may have a quicker time for license by examination with an "off" graduation date (not May or Dec/Jan). I graduated in July and had my license by September. (About 7 weeks from mailing application to license posted. And we only had paper applications that had to be manually scanned and entered into the database). I didn't send in my application early because I was short on funds and had to get the photos done. I also had a scheduling delay with fingerprinting as they were renovating the local Morpho office and there was less availability. My classmate applied the week we graduated, tested 2.5 weeks later (went out of state to take the earliest date) and had license posted by the 6 week mark.

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