Licensure by endorsement or go to Florida to test?

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Hello!

I am about to graduate in 2 weeks and have to decide if I want to take the NCLEX here in Pennsylvania where I currently live, or fly down to florida to take it (which is where i'm moving to and planning on working starting in August of this year).

I guess my question is: if I take the NCLEX in PA, how long will the process take to transfer my license to Florida (by endorsement)? I know state things can be slow, but I wasn't sure if anyone else went through this process immediately after obtaining their license or had suggestions? If I take the NCELX sometime in June, would I even have time to transfer it by August?

I'm not really leaning one way more than the other. Both have pros and cons based on my personal life right now. I really am open to suggestions and hearing what has worked for you! Thanks

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

You don't need to fly to Florida to take NCLEX- you can take it where you are now as it's a national exam. What matters is to which BON you apply for licensure. If you have no intention of working in PA, then it makes sense to go straight to applying to FL for licensure by exam. Then you can completely skip the step of applying for licensure by endorsement.

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If you know that you will not work as an RN, it mames no sense tl apply for licensure in PA. However, all states use the NCLEX RN for initial licensure by examination. This means that you can go to school in one state (PA), apply for licensure ib another state (FL), and actually write the NCLEX RN at any authorized testing center.

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Okay, thank you for the information. My advisor told me if I take the test in Pennsylvania, I will receive a Pennsylvania license...I explained the whole wanting to just apply for Florida without going down, but he said I either had to take it in PA and get a PA license or fly to Florida to test or just apply for endorsement.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Your instructor is misinformed. Sad that those doing the educating don't even know the basic information about the test they are preparing their students to take.

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Thanks for informing me. It's a little frustrating. So am I to just register for Pearson VUE and then Florida State board of nursing instead of Pennsylvania state board? I was only given instructions on how to register for PA, but i'm assuming if I follow the steps for PA but through Florida state board of nursing, it's roughly the same? And then will my ATT will allow me to test in PA? I appreciate the help. I'm not entirely clear on the whole process. I'm calling florida and pearson vue tomorrow.

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Yes, you need to register through the Florida Board of Nursing. If you haven't visited their Licensed Practical Nurse & Registered Nurse by Examination page you should as it provides guidance in exactly what you need to do.

As to testing location, you do not have to take the NCLEX RN for Florida at a testing site in Florida. Once you get your authorization to test you can then take the NCLEX RN at any approved testing site, anywhere in the world.

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Thank you VERY much for clarifying this. This saves a lot of stress and an unneeded flight down. Thank you

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Specializes in EMS, LTC, Sub-acute Rehab.

You'll have to take an 85 hour NCLEX prep course for a Florida license.

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You'll have to take an 85 hour NCLEX prep course for a Florida license.

Source?

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Specializes in ICU.

I endorsed to Florida and it didn't take long at all - two weeks or less, if I remember correctly. It would definitely be more expedient just to get your FL license the first time around, but it's really not a hassle to endorse there if you can't for some reason.

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You'll need to ask your school to send your documentation to the FL BON when you graduate. All nursing programs automatically send the information on their graduating students to their own state BON, and most students aren't even aware that that happens and is necessary. Your school can just as easily send the info to the FL BON -- but they need to know that you want them to do that.

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