Between graduation and credentialing/certification...

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God willing, I will be graduating from a psych NP program in June. I've been looking over the ANCC and state requirements for sitting for the certification exam and getting licensed with the state and all that, and it looks like it could potentially take awhile, depending on how long each organization decides to sit on my paperwork.

So, a couple classmates and myself are wondering, what happens in the interim? Many of us have had to quit our jobs as the intensity at the end of this program has been unreal. In Washington they issue a temporary permit, but you don't have prescriptive authority with it. And I'm thinking that it will be rather tough to convince somewhere to hire me as an RN, when I'll only work in that capacity for 3 months or so. But I still have bills for those 3 months.

Is it reasonable to apply for NP jobs at agencies that I know have other prescribers and see if they'll cover my prescriptions? Should I think about agency nursing? Do they even have that? Do I need to pack up and move home with mom and dad for 3 months?

What have other people done?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Cardiology, Psychiatry.

I graduated from a psych program back in August. I was working full time as an RN in a local hospital... and luckily I kept that job. I did not receive my paperwork to sit for the test until December. It took a really long time, and I'm not really even sure why it had to take so long. The place that wants to hire me offered me a job as a RN while I was waiting to become licensed- but I chose to stay at my current job since I have put in so much time here anyways. What about an interm RN position? I know agencies have all sorts of time frames with contracts with hospitals and other facilities. Maybe that would help.

All I know is, it's a hard road. Good luck on your test.

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If you are the primary breadwinner and need the income, you need to make plans now to have a job to cover you in the interim. I graduated 12/15/09 and then had to wait for transcripts to arrive and b/c of the holidays that took until 1/08/10. I got the ANCC application and all that entails in the mail on 1/11/09 and then the waiting game began. Fortunately I had read on another website that you can pay an extra fee ($100.00 to the ANCC) to expedite your application. If I would've done that back in January, I could have tested already. Once I had the expedite form turned in I had a test authorization # within a week.

I don't know what the ANCC is going to do in the months to come when everyone and their dog starts expediting their application!

As to your question, I couldn't find any potential employer that wanted a provider around who couldn't write and signs scripts. It's a pretty grey area and the time involved to supervise someone like that is extensive, not to mention the liability.

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

Could you work per diem as an RN for a little while or maybe agency?

I left my per diem RN job about 6 mos prior to graduation because of all the clinical time I had to dedicate to the program. Luckily, my hubby has a good job + with student loans, I was able to not have to work in order to get by - however, we did become a lot more conservative with our spending.

I graduated in August, sat for the ANCC exam in November (first available time, since I didn't know that you could expedite things), received my license from the state at the end of December, and just found my first job about two weeks ago (I did have a few interviews, but they all came within the last month, after sending out several resumes in the beginning of January).

Good luck to you - the waiting does seem like forever, but something will come up soon!

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Specializes in med/surg, new FNP.

My interim period has been a nightmare. Quit my RN job in October to finish and have a baby. Pulled my retirement to finish, which wasn't that much. Now, no one wants to hire me as a RN because they know I am looking for an APN job. No one wants to hire me as an APN because I am not licensed. I just sent in my app and will be getting the expedited form ASAP. I wish I had known about it sooner. I got passed up for a job I really wanted due to the long licensing time. I am very disappointed in the whole licensing process. Living on tax returns right now, but will soon starve to death!lol (but kinda not joking)

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To get the expedite form you just call the ANCC. I was put on hold and had to leave a message. Someone called me back about 5 hours later. I had the form in my email inbox by 6 pm that night (a Wednesday) and faxed it back at 0800 the next morning and by Friday of that week I had permission via email to test. That is not how it is usually done, by my original application and my expedite form had crossed paths so to speak and that same Wednesday afternoon I got the letter in the REAL mail that said "ANCC has received your application and is reviewing it...blah blah blah." It had a case # on it, so I emailed the person at the ANCC and asked if that same number was my "authorization to test" number and she said yes and that I could go ahead and book a test date with Prometric.

If the expedite form is still available in the months to come and you are READY to test ASAP after graduation AND you cana get your transcripts from the school within the week after graduation, you could conceivably test within a month after graduation. I predict the ANCC is going to be getting some heat about their expedite form OR so many people are now going to know about the form (it's been posted here and on a Facebook networking group and I know my former professors and program organizers know about the form) that the original purpose is going to be defeated.

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