HELP! Retaking NCLEX due to expired license after passing it 8 years ago?!

Sour Lemon · Jan 23, 2020

50 minutes ago, joyfulwellrichwise said:
Greetings all! I was hoping someone had some advice on this. I'm a registered nurse from Arizona and took the NCLEX in Arizona in 2012. I passed the NCLEX with no problems then, but since then my license has expired due to multiple moves with my military husband overseas and not being able to renew my license or work as a nurse. We've now settled, at least temporarily, in South Carolina and instead of doing a nursing refresher course which seems like more of a hassle, I'm thinking I would just like to retake the NCLEX which was presented to me as an option by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing. I've been out of school for 8 years now and I would love to know if anyone has done anything like this. I'm a little afraid of failing, to be honest, since I've been out of school for so long.
What do you recommend in passing the NCLEX? Do you think retaking the NCLEX is an easier route than taking a refresher course with long clinical hours (90 hours of clinicals and I have to worry about childcare since my husband goes overseas now frequently). I don't really have an interest in working as a nurse right now, but I would love to have my license reactivated since I am wanting to pursue my RN to BSN. Eventually, I would like to work as a nurse educator, or possibly a nurse in a research setting. I don't really have an interest in bedside nursing at this time, but I know that there's a lot that you can do with a BSN. Anyway, any advice on taking the NCLEX again, if it would be worth it to take the NCLEX again rather than doing a refresher, would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for any advice you can offer! I'm looking forward to getting this chapter closed.

There may be a lot you can do with a BSN, but experience is going to be a huge factor in a lot of cases. Taking NCLEX again, and not working again, seems a little pointless.

Spending more time in school for a field that you've never worked in, and don't currently wish to work in, is also a bit odd. I think some actual nursing experience would benefit you more. The refresher class and clinical hours would probably be more beneficial than taking NCLEX again, too.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jan 23, 2020

Moved to the NCLEX forum

joyfulwellrichwise, ASN, BSN · Jan 23, 2020

2 hours ago, Sour Lemon said:
There may be a lot you can do with a BSN, but experience is going to be a huge factor in a lot of cases. Taking NCLEX again, and not working again, seems a little pointless.
Spending more time in school for a field that you've never worked in, and don't currently wish to work in, is also a bit odd. I think some actual nursing experience would benefit you more. The refresher class and clinical hours would probably be more beneficial than taking NCLEX again, too.

Odd or not, it's a door that's currently not open to me because my license is expired, unfortunately. Thanks for your feedback. I'll take that into consideration.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 23, 2020

On 1/23/2020 at 12:53 AM, Sour Lemon said:
The refresher class and clinical hours would probably be more beneficial than taking NCLEX again, too

This is my thought as well. It’s not just the knowledge you need to refresh but also skills. A refresher course is probably also going to be more palatable to potential employers as well.

joyfulwellrichwise, ASN, BSN · Jan 23, 2020

4 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:
This is my thought as well. It’s not just the knowledge you need to refresh but also skills. A refresher course is probably also going to be more palatable to potential employers as well.

Thank you for your feedback. I do agree that a refersher would be better, however, I'm not sure it would be practical for me at this time.

I think people are missing the fact that I would need childcare since my husband goes overseas frequently (like for weeks at a time). :/

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 23, 2020

3 minutes ago, joyfulwellrichwise said:
think people are missing the fact that I would need childcare since my husband goes overseas frequently (like for weeks at a time). :

Won’t you need child care when you’re at work? Those positions you mentioned having with a BSN- you’re going to need the bedside experience first.

joyfulwellrichwise, ASN, BSN · Jan 23, 2020

18 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:
Won’t you need child care when you’re at work? Those positions you mentioned having with a BSN- you’re going to need the bedside experience first.

Eventually, yes. But I do plan to take an RN to BSN program online as soon as my license is reactivated, which will give me plenty of time to line up childcare. There are many RN to BSN programs that don't require that you have a job as a nurse while in school, so this won't be an issue for me, at least in the interim.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 23, 2020

It’s also going to increase the length of time you’ve been unemployed. That most likely is not going to be looked upon favorably by potential employers either.

Rionoir, ADN, RN · Jan 24, 2020

Based on your replies to the advice you’ve been given, it sure sounds like you have your mind made up already - so just go for it.