hawaii or virginia nclex exam fee, which is cheaper?

steppybay · Feb 25, 2014

It doesn't matter which one is cheaper, you need to focus your efforts in one state.

Why?

Because so many kababayans think it's cheaper, faster and easier to get their RN license in such of the cheapest, quicker and smoother states then try to endorse that license into their real desired state.

But guess what, going that route will ALWAYS without any doubt be the most "expensive, slowest and hardest" way to do this.

Why?

Number one, your most important thing to do is find a nursing job as soon as possible after pasisng the NCLEX-RN, correct?

But guess what?

To endorse your new RN license into another state you really wanted to work in, you have to (a). re-pay non refundable application fees to the new state, (b). the new state could want to more course evaluation at your expense, ©. you may have to pay AND pass an English proficiency exam, as each state has its own particular educational and other requirements that must be met to qualify for the license endorsement with no guarantee.

Then, there's another waste of time from 6-9 months or more, so instead of job hunting after getting licensed in the first state, you're going to be more stressed out from waiting for the state BON results, possibly other examination results, you'll be bored at home, watching tons of TV or videos when you should be looking for a job or getting ready to work your shift.

Sponsorships (many require 1-2 years of a specialized hospital experience) today is like finding a golden 1 ounce nugget in the river creek, it's there, but just not so readily in any numbers. There's very little to no demand nowadays for PH nurses, when compared to several years ago. There are some jobs in the more rural areas or areas of not so desirable location (crime area, high nurse turn-over rate maybe due to bad working conditions, etc) and that comes at a price of little to no entertainment places, like movie houses, not lots of different restaurants nearby, limited shopping, etc.

If you think it's hard to find a paid nursing job in the Phils, it's probably just as tough in the States. If you read the Hawaii nursing forums, you'll find that many nurses were employed for a few years as hospital secretaries or nurses aides before practicing their RN duties and they have kind of a "backer" system. Read how many recent PH nurses have posted finding a job there. I don't know if VA is any better.

Don't forget that with limited paid hospital experience, even getting a new grad position means applying within the first year of the graduation date or have less than one year of hospital experience to be considered.

While it's more difficult to find a paid hospital job, it might be a little easier working for a LTC, nursing home, SNF, the more non-hospital jobs, but many places might still require 1 year of experience as there's an overabundance of nurses still looking for their first jobs and that's the nurses that are US educated.

It's not impossible, just a much harder road to travel today and it's all uphill with boulders and muddy paths. Keep your options open.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Feb 25, 2014

The NCLEX exam fee is the same in all US states $200 with an extra fee if you sit the exam outside the US. The application fees for licensing by examination vary between states and are in addition to the NCLEX registration fee. One does not just register for the NCLEX but must apply for a nursing license by examination and be given permission to sit the NCLEX by a BoN. The NCLEX is one step in the licensing process

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 25, 2014

Currently immigrant processing times for someone born of the Philippines is 7 years