Retaking NCLEX several years later?

Nurses General Nursing

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It's been several years since I sat for my nsg boards and did not pass them. "Life" happened and I went through a series of other careers (most still in healthcare though). Marriage and children later, I'm now at a point in life where I'd like to sit for them again and "restart" my nursing career. I just don't know where to begin. All the refresher courses I see are for professionals already in the field. Other than reading nsg magazines, old text books and taking zillions of practices exams, I don't know how I should approach the boards or my career. Does anyone have any advise??

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

You might want to ask your state's Board of Nursing. It may be that the NCLEX must be taken within X years of graduating from an accredited school of nursing.

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Specializes in HH, Med/surg- liver & kidney transplant, ortho, ++.

Yes, you need to check with your state board of nursing to find out that information. You may not be eligible to sit for the NCLEX any more. I live in Oregon and you must pass the NCLEX within 3 years of graduating from an accredited degree program. Good luck.

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Advice

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If you are still able to sit for boards, I strongly suggest Kaplan. It's worth every penny.

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https://allnurses.com/boards-of-nursing.php

I hope I posted this link right. It is a complete list of all the state's BON addresses and phone numbers so you can check if you can still sit without. Good luck to you.

Cicatrixx15: she was looking for help not a spell checker.

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I was in a very similar situation as I waited eleven years after graduating to take the NCLEX. You really do need to contact the state you plan to test in and find out if you are eligible or can become eligible. The state I was originally planning to test in has requirements for those who have failed the NCLEX a certain number of times as well as those who have been out of school for a certain number of years. Frustrated with their process, I tested in another state that didn't have those requirements and then did licensure by endorsement.

I also recommend Kaplan. I signed up for their online complete program and opted to test before I'd even finished it but still passed on my first attempt with 75 questions. Maybe I'd have passed on my own without it but bad as many may feel it is, I did feel more confident taking their question trainers and comparing scores with others I know who passed. I'd also suggest doing the book Prioritization, Delegation, Assignment by LaCharity.

There were no refresher courses in my area that covered skills so that wasn't an option for me. My employer and I discussed my orientation needs at length and came up with a plan we are both comfortable with. I've also been really open with the nurse orienting me and she's been great about showing me how to do things then walking me through it until I'm comfortable doing it on my own. You may surprise yourself with how familiar the things you've forgotten feel and how much more you remember than you realize.

I hope you decide to test sooner rather than later. I know how easy it is to keep putting it off but it's never going to be easier. Take some time to study and prepare yourself then get it done. If you fail the next time, you can always test again but if you don't test you have no chance of passing.

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https://allnurses.com/boards-of-nursing.php

I hope I posted this link right. It is a complete list of all the state's BON addresses and phone numbers so you can check if you can still sit without. Good luck to you.

Cicatrixx15: she was looking for help not a spell checker.

Spell checker would not have worked in this instance. I've noticed a lot of people on this board use advise in place of advice, and I thought I would point out this simple error. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Like I said, spell checker won't catch this error.

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Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.
It's been several years since I sat for my nsg boards and did not pass them. "Life" happened and I went through a series of other careers (most still in healthcare though). Marriage and children later, I'm now at a point in life where I'd like to sit for them again and "restart" my nursing career. I just don't know where to begin. All the refresher courses I see are for professionals already in the field. Other than reading nsg magazines, old text books and taking zillions of practices exams, I don't know how I should approach the boards or my career. Does anyone have any advise??

Might be a crazy idea here but if you have ever wanted to go back to school---say if you graduated from a practical nursing program and want to become an RN or if you're an ADN who wants to become a BSN, this might be a good time for you to return. You could get back to speed on changes in the clinical setting that might have occurred since you were in school, you'd get a chance to network and make yourself more attractive to employers, and you might be able to take advantage of NCLEX reviews that would be offered by the school.

Also, good idea on the nursing magazines to get current with practice---also, don't rely on your old textbooks. They might be outdated by this time and you could be relying on inaccurate information. Most of the nurse refresher courses require some sort of text---but if you don't take a course, you might want to look for a current edition of your texts so you can do some sort of self-study.

I hope it works out for you! Life happens in spite of our best plans but you can do this. I wish you success in your path!

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Might be a crazy idea here but if you have ever wanted to go back to school---say if you graduated from a practical nursing program and want to become an RN or if you're an ADN who wants to become a BSN, this might be a good time for you to return. You could get back to speed on changes in the clinical setting that might have occurred since you were in school, you'd get a chance to network and make yourself more attractive to employers, and you might be able to take advantage of NCLEX reviews that would be offered by the school.

Also, good idea on the nursing magazines to get current with practice---also, don't rely on your old textbooks. They might be outdated by this time and you could be relying on inaccurate information. Most of the nurse refresher courses require some sort of text---but if you don't take a course, you might want to look for a current edition of your texts so you can do some sort of self-study.

I hope it works out for you! Life happens in spite of our best plans but you can do this. I wish you success in your path!

Agree with what Moogie said. If you originally graduated from an ASN program, perhaps you would consider going to a BSN program. This would be a great way to review and upgrade at the same time. My BSN program had many RNs in attendance who had an ASN degree and were in the program to move up to the BSN. I am certain that you could arrange to start at the beginning of the nursing portion of the program or later in the program if you wanted to. Just go to the nursing department of the nearest four year school and speak to an advisor. At any rate, good luck.

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@Moogie and @ caliotter3 I am in a similiar situation and thought of that same thing but do you think they will let us go back to school and bridge over from ASN to BSN without being licensed?

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You would be entering the BSN program as a new student. Since this is a little unusual, I would definitely speak to someone in the nursing department first. Your application might have to be walked through the admissions process.

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