hello everyone

hi, nursekdw1!

what you are asking is can you take the nclex-pn based upon educational equivalency. this is what the various states call it when they let someone take the nclex-pn and they have partially completed an rn course of study.

the answer to this depends upon what your state board of nursing allows. each state board in this country determines it's own specific rules on how they want to handle this kind of situation. i have to tell you that most schools of rn nursing are not very friendly about their students doing this. this kind of rule in taking the nclex-pn was set up to allow people who were trained in other countries, the military or who weren't able to complete rn training for some valid reason to become licensed. most states require some sort of official letter from the dean of your nursing program detailing the training you did receive. the reason for this is because each rn school curriculum is different, rn school curriculum is a bit different from lpn school curriculums, and each state board has specific requirements that their lpn programs are expected to provide. someone has to determine if the training you already received is equivalent to your state's lpn curriculum requirements. if the dean of your school is going to be willing to provide that letter to help your state board decide if you have had sufficient training to qualify to take the nclex-pn, then perhaps you will be able to take it. however, the grapevine word i have heard is that most deans are not willing to do this for their current students who are in their rn programs.

you can find the specific instructions on this for your state on your state board of nursing website. these instructions are generally found with the applications to take the nclex-pn exam on their websites.

i can give you one very good reason for the thinking on this. most people would want an lpn license halfway through nursing school to go to work and start earning some good money. however, what people don't think about is that starting to work as a newly licensed lpn is just as stressful as it is for a new graduate rn. there is a lot to learn when you are first licensed and start working. school is only teaching you basics. trying to work as a newly licensed lpn and still be a student rn in a nursing program are just not practical. something is going to have to be sacrificed. will it be at the expense of the patients that the lpn is caring for? or, will it be at the expense of the knowledge that the student is trying to learn to become an rn? you just can't be successful at both things at the same time. it's most likely going to come down to a choice between one or the other.

if you really need to work and need the money badly, talk to the dean of your nursing program first about your options. you may want to consider dropping out of your rn program at this time in order to take the nclex-pn exam--if your state allows you to do that by educational equivalency. but talk to the dean about the possibility of doing this first. then, there is the matter of passing the exam. what if you don't pass it?

welcome to allnurses. :welcome: