How long between graduation, NCLEX and working?

[okapple]

Hi everyone!

I'm a future nurse who will be attending school this summer/fall.

I was wondering about how long it takes to actually start working once you have completed nursing school. Do most grads take the NCLEX right away, or do you need to spend a couple weeks/months studying (obviously there's variation in this). Also, say you have a job lined up- how long does it take to get NCLEX results and all the paperwork done before you can start working?

One of my goals is to start working as a nurse as soon as I can, right now I am deciding between two ABSN programs, one which will allow me to finish 6months earlier than the other one.

Thanks for your help!!

[melanie1126]

I graduated in March 05 and spent 3-4 weeks studying. I took NCLEX at the end of April. During my study time I also interviewed and was offered a job. I was told to call my new nurse manager as soon as I had my NCLEX results. I found out I passed on Friday and she scheduled me into an orientation that was starting the following Monday. Most of my classmates had jobs before taking NCLEX but none were actually practicing. One of my classmates didn't pass the exam and had to call her new nurse mgr and inform her she couldn't start. The nurse manager said she couldn't hold the position and had to hire someone else. That's always a risk with interviewing early but luckily it worked out for me. Good Luck!

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

I passed boards during the first week of my clinical orientation as a GN. I'm glad I got it over with. I felt that the test taking through school and the Saunders practice questions I worked on during my final two semesters were enough to prepare me. Still, it was really exhausting to absorb everything I was learning for orientation and have the prospect of taking boards in front of me. We had four weeks of didactic orientation that required passing tests to keep our jobs before the clinical orientation began. It's all such a stressful ordeal.

Honestly, if I had my druthers I would have taken NCLEX first and THEN began working but of course the bills need to be paid so I was hired in August for a start date at the end of January with NCLEX one month later.

[sunnymarie4]

HI! I just graduated from an associates program on 2/14/06, I took the NCLEX on 3/8/06 and will start orientation at the hospital here on 3/20! I was afraid that things would go much slower, but I was hired by the hospital before I even had my authorization to test! Good luck!