Graduated with BSN in Pennsylvania, Working in TN?

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Hi All, I recently (by recently, I mean Sunday the 20th of May) graduated with my BSN from a school in Pennsylvania. I am going for an interview for a job in a hospital in Tennessee in June.

I still need to take the NCLEX. I was wondering if I would be able to take it in TN and get licensed in TN (Instead of taking it in PA). I know my instructors told us awhile back that we can take the NCLEX in other states without a problem, and that we can also apply for additional licensure states when we initially take the test, however I'm not sure if (since I graduated from PA) I will be able to take the boards for only my TN license. (If I do get the job, they're hiring me as a GN first, and at that point, I'll be moving to TN, and would only want my TN license, and not my PA license for now).

The only reason I'm worried is because I know that for our PA state license, the school has to send out a list of graduates to the State who then tells pearson who then issues our ATT. If that's the case, then how would the state of TN know I was good to go for testing?

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They would know the same way PA would. You just have to give the school your information and they will send it to the state. Is that what you are wondering haha?

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I don't exactly understand what you mean... why would I have to give the school my information? They already have my information, at least they should, since I spent the last three years living there and paying them and then graduating with a degree from them :)

Are you saying the school would have to send the information to the State Board of Nursing in TN? Or are you saying that when the school sends in the info initially, it covers all 50 states? Because I was under the impression that the school sends the grad. info to Pennsylvania's State board of Nursing specifically... I could be mistaken though.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

All you need to do is follow instructions on the BON website for initial application once you have decided which state you plan to use for initial license. Your school will be required to send to the BON a copy of your transcripts once you have graduated, doesn't matter which state you use I am sure you will find your school is used to sending to other state BONs

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OK. I get what you are saying. I think the confusion lies in this... I'm pretty sure my school automatically lets the PennsylvaniaBON know we're good to test, so we don't have to do anything but apply for licensure, register for the NCLEX, and pass.

I'm assuming that if I want to apply initially for TN licensure instead, I'll have to contact the TN BON, and then my school (to send transcripts/etc) to them, and THEN register with pearson for the NCLEX.

What I'm trying to say is, instead of simply applying for initial licensure with TN (as I would with PA), I'll have to take an extra step to get my school to send my info to the TN BON, correct?

Sorry if I am confusing things worse than before! It's obviously the first time I've done this ;) Thank you for all the help.

EDIT: I did look at the TN BON website, and I can't make out anything from it regarding initial licensure. I'm probably just not seeing it, but I did look.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

you are correct you need to ask your school to send copy of transcript to TN if that is going to be the state you initially apply to. Appears that you have to contact the BON for application forum

http://health.state.tn.us/Downloads/g3104229.pdf

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Thank you so much Silverdragon! I really appreciate it.

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