Graduated Nursing 4 years ago, only had related nursing experience, planning to take NCLEX

[Sophia03]

Hi everyone! I just arrived in Louisiana from the Philippines. I graduated Nursing 4 years ago and I have mostly Related Learning Experience. I had 6 months paid job as a clinic nurse but after that I moved to UAE and worked in real estate for 3 years. Now I am planning to take the NCLEX and pursue my passion in Nursing. My question is, do I need to take refresher course before taking NCLEX? or will there be any difficulty finding a job after passing the NCLEX since I had a 3-year gap of not practicing nursing? Or are there any hospitals who accept nurses with no experience?

Thank you in advance!

[Isakolistic]

You may want to look into doing some kind of refresher/review course. In any case, it wouldn't hurt; that 3-year gap will probably raise some eyebrows in potential employers. It may be different in your area, but many hospitals require some nursing experience; most in my area "require" a year of nursing experience, but it probably differs based on the facility. I put "require" in quotations, because there are hospitals that have new grad programs or will hire new grads. It wouldn't hurt to apply, but don't be surprised if you are passed over for a nurse with more experience. Good luck!