Moving to GA, so confused, help!

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Hello all! I am new to the site as a member, but have been stalking the forums for months now lol... So here is my issue:

I am currently at Fort Leonard Wood, starting classes in Jan. at Lincoln U on post for my ADN. Now, my husband is more than ready to move in the next year, but I have two years left in school, seeing as how I have just started. He will of course stay if I want to, in order to finish my degree, but I am trying to figure out what would be best... You see, I do not in any way shape form or fashion plan on staying in MO after getting my degree, we both want to go back to GA ASAP... but if I get my degree here, would it be easier to get and then transfer my license, or test in GA, or... gosh I don't know, see the confusion! I mean we need to stay here for at least a yr while my husband finishes school, but would it be better to finish school in GA since that is where I plan on being? If I do do that, I will more than likely go to Gwinnett Tech, is it possible to work while in nursing school at the med center there as a PCT?

I have heard that it takes a long time to move your license to GA, and some states want experience prior to endorsing, so I would hate to try to transfer and then find out that I have to stay here a year or so working first, so any advice would be SUPERB!

Thanks in advance!

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So just to clarify, I did some research and you need 3 months or 500 hrs of RN experience prior to transferring.... That's crazy! I need to get a job for 3 months just to transfer?! I am starting to think that it would be easier to transfer to GA prior to graduation... any opinions?

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So just to clarify, I did some research and you need 3 months or 500 hrs of RN experience prior to transferring.... That's crazy! I need to get a job for 3 months just to transfer?! I am starting to think that it would be easier to transfer to GA prior to graduation... any opinions?

That requirement does not apply to new grads. Call the BON, they just had me write on the app that I was a newly graduated nurse. Allow plenty of time for endorsement it took way longer than they said it would. You also need fingerprints done IN state.

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Awesome! Thank you so much! So I can take my exams, then apply to the BON in GA? Sweet! Thanks again.

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We are looking at moving to Georgia after my husband's current assignment is complete (we are currently in Utah) and just from my experience of being a military member and having to move and trying to get a nursing career started, I would highly, HIGHLY suggest you do whatever prerequisites you can -- you know, everybody has to have English, Math, History, usually Psychology -- and then wait until you get to Georgia and attend a nursing school there. Here is why:

1. While you are in nursing school attending clinicals, you make valuable contacts with the nursing managers and other people who make those hiring decisions.

2. You know or can find out about what nursing internships/externships are available through that same hospital or hospitals in the surrounding area because you can talk to the other nurses that work there about them.

3. Licensure by endorsement can sometimes take forever. It would be easier to finish school in GA, sit for the NCLEX in GA, and get your license that way.

I have had an incredibly hard time finding a job where we are at because I wasn't able to take advantage of what I described in number 1 and number 2. So, although it sounds like you may have to wait just a little bit longer before you get to GA, I really, truly feel like it would save you some frustration in the end by just holding off just a tiny bit longer.

On another note, I lived very briefly back in 2002-2003 in St. Robert; my husband worked a contractors job at FLW. BTDT.

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Thanks psycheab, you brought up a good point that I had been thinking about previously, and I think you are abso right! I will take all of the classes that I need like BIO, A&P, etc etc, and then maybe get my CNA license so that I can work PT while going to school... excellent idea, now that you put it that way, if you can, it makes more sense to go to school where you plan to work...

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Working as a CNA while in nursing school is a good idea; several of my friends did that and they landed jobs immediately after we graduated because they had, like I'd mentioned, made those contacts and got to know the hiring nurse managers where they wanted to work.

Best of luck in pursuing your nursing career!!!

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