Liscense in Illinois help!

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Dec 31, 2016

You need to apply for your RN license by examination:

https://www.continentaltesting.net/ProfDetail.aspx?Entity=2&ProfID=10

http://www.idfpr.com/Renewals/Apply/Forms/RN-EX.pdf

AliNajaCat · Dec 31, 2016

The way it works is that you have to graduate from a legit school and pass NCLEX somewhere. If you graduate in WI you don't have to take it in WI; you can take it in any state whose Board of Nursing accepts your school. For example, I graduated from university in New England but promptly moved to AZ and took my first-licensure exam there.

I would bet IL allows that too. Call and get a live person and ask.

If you'll be staying in WI for awhile and want to get the test over with promptly (an excellent idea), you later then take your WI license to another state and apply for an RN license there "by endorsement" or "by reciprocity," different names for the same thing. They have a form for that. Get it and do what they tell you.

Different states have different requirements -- you might have to take an online CE unit on sexual abuse recognition and reporting first, or get fingerprinted, send school transcript, or the like. Whatever. For most it's, "Send a check for...." and it comes in two to eight weeks. (Shout-out to Nebraska BoN for the most helpful and fast responses! "When do you need it?" "Gee, two weeks?" And I had it in ten days.)

Unlike a driver's license, you can have licenses in multiple states.

There's also a thing called the Compact, but first things first, which is to graduate and pass NCLEX. Good luck!

203bravo, MSN, APRN · Dec 31, 2016

You can apply to the IL board and still actually take the test in WI (or any state) if you wish.. there is no reason to apply (and pay the fees) to WI if you know that you will never actually work there.

aglaze33 · Jan 14, 2017

So is the continental testing site for Illinois?

I singed up for my nclex test on pearson vue