Marriage/Name change before I graduate?

[Zsixela, ADN]

Hi, so I am in my final semester of nursing school. With the whole pandemic, my fiance and I didn't want to post-pone our wedding any further and we want to get married in September, but have the ceremony two weeks after my final. I graduate in December and I want to have my name changed to his last name. I was thinking of going through the process of changing my name before graduating and before taking the NCLEX so that it reflects my married name. Do you think it's too last minute and if I should wait until after NCLEX?

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

Just remember, that your photo ID and other documents have to all be in the same name for admission to take NCLEX.  If you're getting married in September, your documents could all be matching by the time you're able to schedule NCLEX (likely late December to mid-January depending on your state board).

Either way, with as much info as you have to give the state board (and your schools) you will be traceable ?

Congratulations!

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

Honestly I would wait and go through all the stuff and then change my name.  The plastic lamination was coming off of my license and it took me nearly a month to get a new one because of covid (and I still can't get my real ID which the state said I had to have by October but can't get because offices in the state I have to get a copy of a paper from is still closed... keep in mind I don't need that paper but because my original is 25 years old, the drivers license office says I have to have a new one - sometimes they make up stupid rules to make things difficult - so don't add opportunities to have things go wrong before NCLEX).  Not to mention who knows what is going on with the Social Security Offices and that stuff takes at least 6 weeks by mail on a normal basis without covid involved.  Get married - sure.  Paperwork - wait.  You will save yourself a lot of tears!