My wife completed her BSN in 2005 and the plan was to get her RN immediately. Things happened and it didn't work out that way. So here we are, about to start a new year and the new plan is to take a quick refresher course online, and then take the CA RN test asap so she can get her license.
Some questions I have:
1. What are good online refresher classes? We're looking for the kind that you can study at your own pace, not have a structured time/schedule. I found one call reviewfornurses.com that has a simple refresher program and sample questions to prep for the test. Is something like that worth it?
2. How often is the NCLEX test given out? Just wanted to know what the earliest we can expect to have her take the RN test for CA if we started this process right now.
Yes, in some states. And this might be a plausible explanation for the first job at a hospital in FL.
Interesting. This could be what happened.
Because she technically "transferred" from the FL to CA Hospital. I can assure you the recruiter from the CA Hospital was incompentent because originally she had said everything is fine you can start work as soon as you move to CA, but then when she did move to CA, the recruiter was like, oops I forgot to tell you that you have to take a CA course to transfer your FL RN to CA RN. So she had to take a 6 week course in something to be compliant to CA rules. There were other things that this CA Hospital recruiter messed up on, so I'm very confident to assume that if in FL you can work as a GN before taking/passing the NCLEX, then thats what happened and my wife never took the test and the recruiter assumed she was an RN already and brought her to CA.
As an FYI, my wife only worked 2 weeks in the CA hospital as a RN before getting "fired". She was working as a CNA the whole time in CA until she got to enroll in the CA 6 week class, but she had to wait 6 months for it to be available. So she worked as a CNA to pass the time. Then completed the 6 week course, then started immediately in CA as the RN. Two weeks later messed up and then got called into the office where I assume someone with competence reviewed her file and realized she never was an RN and "fired" her immediately to protect themselves of liability. In fact, that CA Hospital never paid my wife's two week salary. They gave some BS reason and I'll deal with DOL with them later. But now a lot of this is starting to make sense on what really happened.
But if his wife was a GN that would still show up in the state's records. She would have held a "Temporary Practice Permit"
But how do you become a GN? Can you become a GN by simply passing your exit exam for the BSN? Or do you have to do something else to get the GN? If so, my wife didn't do that either. She just passed the exit exam and thought that was it. I'll confirm with her later tonight but I think thats all that happened.
But how do you become a GN? Can you become a GN by simply passing your exit exam for the BSN? Or do you have to do something else to get the GN? If so, my wife didn't do that either. She just passed the exit exam and thought that was it. I'll confirm with her later tonight but I think thats all that happened.
Upon graduating nursing school, you need to file some paperwork with the state you wish to practice in. Then, you get your GN, which in most states is good for 1 year.
I honestly do find it hard to believe that your wife's BSN program didn't explain to her the steps to take to get a GN or become an RN after graduation. My school spent weeks prior to graduation explaining this to us.
Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
but how do you become a gn? can you become a gn by simply passing your exit exam for the bsn? or do you have to do something else to get the gn? if so, my wife didn't do that either. she just passed the exit exam and thought that was it. i'll confirm with her later tonight but i think thats all that happened.
i do not know how fl or ca work. but in my state you only need to graduate from nursing school to receive gn status. in the time frame the state bon allows you to use the status, it is assumed by your employers that you will take and pass your nclex. therefore, if fl did not require her to apply for gn status, she only needed to graduate and prove that she did so for her hospital to give her employment as a new graduate nurse. i think this might have happened. however, back to what the others have said... this is too suspicious to me.
keep in mind even if the scenario i stated is correct, she would have at least been told at her fl hospital orientation that she has so many days, weeks, months to pass her nclex or she will either be demoted or lose her job. it is hard for me to believe that there is any way she did not know that she is not a rn. there are too many ways she would have been exposed to the correct information.
an exit exam in nursing school is described as such and in no way does a nursing school tell students that the exit exam is the nclex. they tell you that if you pass you graduate and that it is a good indicator of passing the nclex. nursing students are even given lectures on how to apply for the actual nclex and your state license. it sounds like she never even attempted to apply for either (which explains why fl and ca bons have no record of her having a license). thus, i think she actively sought to deceive past employers and you! plus, she made a med error while working without a license.
fyi, now that you have shared your story, i do not think she is having trouble finding cna positions. if it is possible to be a patient attendant at her hospital she could easily convince her employers to give her a cna job. i think she cannot get a cna job because she cannot get a cna license given her past conduct.
i feel bad for you because it sounds like you are trying to do the right thing by your wife… however she is not trying to do the right thing by you. she knows that she may not be able to be a rn given her past behaviors (employment issues) and she does not have the courage to tell you the truth.
But how do you become a GN? Can you become a GN by simply passing your exit exam for the BSN? Or do you have to do something else to get the GN? If so, my wife didn't do that either. She just passed the exit exam and thought that was it. I'll confirm with her later tonight but I think thats all that happened.
A person is a GN (graduate nurse) merely by the fact that she has graduated from a nursing program. To WORK as a graduate nurse, one typically must have a permit to do so. And then, must sit for the NCLEX to gain the RN license (and replace the GN permit).
After having read through this thread, I'm sorry to say that I believe your wife possesses far more knowledge of what truthfully happened than she's letting on. It's not my business, of course, but perhaps an in-depth discussion on the matter, a 'down to it' kind of talk, is in order. One thing is for sure: if she's at all vague when applying to the State BON, she cuts down on her odds of receiving a license.
ChristineN, BSN, RN
3,465 Posts
But if his wife was a GN that would still show up in the state's records. She would have held a "Temporary Practice Permit"