Anyone successfully challenge the boards?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I have a degree in respiratory therapy, yet am having a hard time finding a job. I am working as a cna, going on my 7th year and I was hoping rt would be my next step up....unfortunately it's not working that way and I am considering challenging the boards via method 3.

Has anyone successfully done this? What tips do you have?

Specializes in ICU, trauma.

A wise ICU nurse once told me "The day you aren't scared and feel completely confident in all that you do, is the day you become a very dangerous nurse".

I went to nursing school for four years and am still terrified that i may make a mistake. I am a little shocked you are this confident about your abilities to be a nurse. My suggestion would be just go to LPN school, it would be the safest option for both your patients and yourself.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
A wise ICU nurse once told me "The day you aren't scared and feel completely confident in all that you do, is the day you become a very dangerous nurse".

I went to nursing school for four years and am still terrified that i may make a mistake. I am a little shocked you are this confident about your abilities to be a nurse. My suggestion would be just go to LPN school, it would be the safest option for both your patients and yourself.

Especially being that confident in correcting nurses when you are not a nurse. I have to agree with everything in the post. [emoji106]🏼[emoji106]🏼[emoji106]🏼

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
A wise ICU nurse once told me "The day you aren't scared and feel completely confident in all that you do, is the day you become a very dangerous nurse".

I went to nursing school for four years and am still terrified that i may make a mistake. I am a little shocked you are this confident about your abilities to be a nurse. My suggestion would be just go to LPN school, it would be the safest option for both your patients and yourself.

I've been a nurse for 11 years...I STILL get butterflies and have to meditate prior to walking into the floor-more so because I am in a new specialty...one have to be prepared for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING...and are the POINT person and EVERYONE looks to the nurse as to what to do. THE NURSE is on the center stage.

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No one wants to encourage the OP to go through with it?

Wouldn't that be entertaining if the OP actually went through with it and passed?

On a more serious note... if you actually decide to go through with it, I suggest you get your hands on some exam preparation material. Even if this is the lighter version of the NCLEX, it isn't something you can just walk into and expect to pass. Your experience as a CNA might help you for when you have a job, but I doubt it will hold any value in terms of helping you pass the NCLEX.

Good luck!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
No one wants to encourage the OP to go through with it?

Wouldn't that be entertaining if the OP actually went through with it and passed?

On a more serious note... if you actually decide to go through with it, I suggest you get your hands on some exam preparation material. Even if this is the lighter version of the NCLEX, it isn't something you can just walk into and expect to pass. Your experience as a CNA might help you for when you have a job, but I doubt it will hold any value in terms of helping you pass the NCLEX.

Good luck!

Oh NOADLS, go play your CandyCrush!

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Are you even a nurse? I read her posts & her following rude attacks after that. Everyone on the forum has the right to an opinion. No one has attacked her. There are people like me who disagree with the CA BON challenge rule & have every right to say so.

Which is in no way helpful, necessary or relevant to this post....but thank you for voicing that you disagree with the BON. That's fine....but does nothing to answer any questions.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Which is in no way helpful, necessary or relevant to this post....but thank you for voicing that you disagree with the BON. That's fine....but does nothing to answer any questions.

Welcome to a public forum, hopefully you get use to it. My posts are actually relevant to yours, if they weren't relevant they probably would've been deleted by the mods.

Not everyone is going to agree with you, welcome to life. If this is how you act in interviews maybe that is why you haven't landed a job & challenging the LVN NCLEX isn't going to change a thing.

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Back to this...how can you "coach" new RNs through their tasks & "intervene" when RNs made huge mistakes? I know you are an RT but you are in no way a nurse & you should not be showing a nurse how to do their job. I don't care if it is a new grad LVN or RN. Especially if you are working as a CNA, that is 50 shades of wrong.

A job title does not make me too dense to realize someone is making a mistake or needs Guidance. I have had to stop an RN from attempting to insert a catheter into a woman's privy parts. I have had to stop an MD student from trying to puncture a patient in the wrong area. They did not scold me and remind me I'm a cna....they simply thanked me. "Cna" doesn't make me stupid, as you suggest. People are suggesting that because I was a Cna first that I am not smart enough to do this. You all skipped over the fact that you know little about my background. I did state that I have taken the majority of the classes required for nursing. But apparently that is irrelevant....because I was a cna. I have had years of experience in a learning hospital....but that is irrelevant.....because I was a cna. And because you chose a different way to become a nurse I am wrong, you are right, after all you "busted your ass!" and are offended that such a route exists....so you're attacking me instead of moving past the post since you know you have nothing constructive to say.

Good lord people.

If you are unfamiliar with method 3, feel free to move on.

If you are offended by method 3, feel free to move on.

If you are here to argue simply to do so....feel free to move on.

But for those who actually read the original post for what it was and have experience...feel free to share your experience.

In case you missed it:

●I worked as a CNA in a trauma center hospital for 4 years. Travel agency for 2 years.

●I have a degree in respiratory therapy as well as lots of extra credits in various things and the majority of a nursing degree minus theory classes.

●I live remotely. The nearest programs are 200+ miles away, I do not wish to be on a three year waiting list and then have to travel daily that far to finish the traditional program. I have done my research and contacted all of them which resulted in the facr that they only offer their classes every so often......so i would have to wait to get in....wait theough the first year or.....and wait between classes i dont need until they offer the ones that i do. I have small children, I have no intention of moving and I don't want to wait that many years for a few classes.

● I'm not interested in being an RN, I want to challenge the boards for LVN. I work with an LVN who did this who is one of the best nurses I've seen and as much as it may grind your gears (those of you offended by method 3) she only had CNA background *gasp* isn't it crazy how someone who could come out of the best school can be a bad nurse while someone who was once *just a cna* and challenged the boards can be completely awesome at their job? Hmm.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
for those who actually read the original post for what it was and have experience...feel free to share your experience.
There's a frequent poster (psu_213) who became an LVN in California by challenging the board using previous military medic experience. He completed an LPN-to-RN bridge program in Wisconsin and now works as an RN in the upper Midwest.
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Welcome to a public forum, hopefully you get use to it. My posts are actually relevant to yours, if they weren't relevant they probably would've been deleted by the mods.

Not everyone is going to agree with you, welcome to life. If this is how you act in interviews maybe that is why you haven't landed a job & challenging the LVN NCLEX isn't going to change a thing.

It's silly to me how set you are on trying to degrade me. And as far as relevancy goes my post was requesting for people with method 3 experience to share said experience. It was not asking for others to complain about it. But you must have missed that....

I am excellent in interviews by the way, but I live very remotely. The local hospital has an RT team of 6 people and hasn't needed to hire anyone new in 7 years. I actually see and interact with them frequently. The next nearest hospital is 100+ miles away out of state and the distance grows from there. LVN is plentiful. Which is why I'm willing to make the switch. But you never asked any questions....just offered sarcasm and arrogance.

Thank you for the "welcome to life" comment....I realize not everyone will agree with me, I hope you realize that not everyone will care if you disagree.

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I did state that I have taken the majority of the classes required for nursing. But apparently that is irrelevant....because I was a cna.

Yes, it is irrelevant. Not because you are a CNA, because you aren't a nurse. I read your original post. That's fantastic that you have experience as a CNA and you graduated from a RT program. It still doesn't make you a nurse. Like I said (and others have said) go ahead and challenge the boards and see if you can pass. There is more to nursing than just putting in foleys and knowing your anatomy. You will have an extremely hard time finding a job having not graduated from a nursing program.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
A job title does not make me too dense to realize someone is making a mistake or needs Guidance. I have had to stop an RN from attempting to insert a catheter into a woman's privy parts. I have had to stop an MD student from trying to puncture a patient in the wrong area. They did not scold me and remind me I'm a cna....they simply thanked me. "Cna" doesn't make me stupid, as you suggest. People are suggesting that because I was a Cna first that I am not smart enough to do this. You all skipped over the fact that you know little about my background. I did state that I have taken the majority of the classes required for nursing. But apparently that is irrelevant....because I was a cna. I have had years of experience in a learning hospital....but that is irrelevant.....because I was a cna. And because you chose a different way to become a nurse I am wrong, you are right, after all you "busted your ass!" and are offended that such a route exists....so you're attacking me instead of moving past the post since you know you have nothing constructive to say.

Good lord people.

If you are unfamiliar with method 3, feel free to move on.

If you are offended by method 3, feel free to move on.

If you are here to argue simply to do so....feel free to move on.

But for those who actually read the original post for what it was and have experience...feel free to share your experience.

In case you missed it:

●I worked as a CNA in a trauma center hospital for 4 years. Travel agency for 2 years.

●I have a degree in respiratory therapy as well as lots of extra credits in various things and the majority of a nursing degree minus theory classes.

●I live remotely. The nearest programs are 200+ miles away, I do not wish to be on a three year waiting list and then have to travel daily that far to finish the traditional program. I have done my research and contacted all of them which resulted in the facr that they only offer their classes every so often......so i would have to wait to get in....wait theough the first year or.....and wait between classes i dont need until they offer the ones that i do. I have small children, I have no intention of moving and I don't want to wait that many years for a few classes.

● I'm not interested in being an RN, I want to challenge the boards for LVN. I work with an LVN who did this who is one of the best nurses I've seen and as much as it may grind your gears (those of you offended by method 3) she only had CNA background *gasp* isn't it crazy how someone who could come out of the best school can be a bad nurse while someone who was once *just a cna* and challenged the boards can be completely awesome at their job? Hmm.

Guess what? I have every right to post my *opinion* about how I *feel* as long as I abide by the terms of services, which I am doing. If you don't like it then you can close the post & move on!

The fact that you are correcting RNs AND MDs says a lot about your personality. No one has ever called you stupid but the fact that you are stepping way out of your title & role as CNA says a lot.

As long as this post is open I will continue to post my view on Method 3.

I have been an LVN longer than you have been a CNA, what does that have to do with anything?

If you are bound & determined to be a nurse I wouldn't let anything get in my way & go to school by any means possible. Because there are things you learn in school you can't learn by Method 3.

You say you don't want to be an RN now but your plans may change especially when you can't find a job.

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