Is going to school out of state a bad idea?

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Hello,

I am wondering if any if you graduated from school in a different state that you practice in. Was getting a job in a different state extremely difficult? Did you have to go through extra measures to get licensed/ eligible to take the NCLEX?

Ultimately, I would like to stay in California. I'm debating going to MGH-IHP in Massachusetts, instead of a CA school, because I want the experience of living out of state once in my life. But am I doing my career an injustice by going to a school out of state? Thanks!

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I am a CNS, not an NP, but I attended grad school out of state and it has had no negative impact on my career at all. I've known lots of NPs who went to school in one state and ended up practicing in another with no ill effects (in fact, one of them graduated from MGH's direct entry program and was really happy with the school). Happens all the time. Kudos for you to for thinking about moving to attend a school you really want to attend. I know far too many nurses who just went to whatever school was the most convenient for them, regardless of whether the degree interested them or not, regardless of whether the school was any good or not, etc., just because it was the easiest way to get some additional letters after their names. IMO, that kind of thinking hurts nursing.

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I graduated nursing school during the recession in Ohio. I had an extremely difficult time finding a job because I was a new graduate. During my spring break, I traveled to Dallas, Texas and submitted my application at the various hospitals in the area. I was called for an interview while I was here, and then was hired on the spot! I graduated May 2009, and moved to Texas during Memorial weekend. I had to take the Texas jurisprudence exam online, which only took an hour. I scheduled to take my NCLEX here and passed.

I would encourage you to take that chance and travel. I look back and see how much it has made me grow and all the career opportunities I have had while here in Texas. I graduated with my ACNP in 2013, and now I am currently in school for my DNP. I have a great career now, and I don't see that stopping.

If something is telling you to go to Massachusetts, then do it! If it doesn't work out, you will always call California home. I remember feeling like I wasn't going to have anyone, since all my friends and family were in Ohio. But something in me made me feel I was doing the right thing. "The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks." (Mark Zuckerberg).

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Wow, these responses are wonderful!

Thank you :)

@Muse4723 how long did it take for you to be deemed eligible for the Texas NCLEX exam?

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I graduated May, and took my NCLEX July 1.

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