must you pass NCLEX first?

[jb2u, ASN, RN]

i work in a hospital in GA (as a cna) and a new grad just told me that she can not work as an RN (even with a precepter) until after she passes her boards. is this the same for every state or is this a GA or maybe this particular hospital's policy?

i thought after we graduate we work with a precepter and sign orders/document with the initials GN until we pass the NCLEX. if we fail the NCLEX then we can not use the GN tittle until we pass it.

please tell me what happened after you graduated. did you have to wait to take the NCLEX or where you able to start your nursing career right away? several of the nurses that i talked to at my hospital said it was a couple of months before they were able to start working as a RN.

thank you all in advance,

jay

[nursie-babie, ASN, RN]

I live in TX and I had to wait for a letter from the board giving me permission to practice as a GN. It only took a few days to get this letter, and my authorization to test. I worked as a GN, making my RN salary until I took and passed the NCLEX, about a month later.:monkeydance: :monkeydance: :monkeydance: :monkeydance:

[elkpark]

"Graduate nurse" status is a relic of the days when the NCLEX-RN was only offered twice a year, and it took 6-8 weeks to get results back. There could be many months between when you graduated and when you got licensed. It's entirely up to the individual hospital whether they choose to employ new grads as GNs or not -- there has never been a requirement that they do so, and many simply dropped the practice when people started taking the NCLEX at any time and getting results so quickly.

[LeesieBug]

In OH we have to pass the NCLEX first.

Considering how fast things move now, this is no problem. You can be tested and working in as little as two weeks, depending on how fast your school gets your transcripts in!

[naggytabby, BSN, RN]

it's my understanding that working as a GN (graduate who has not passed nclex and is granted a temporary license as a graduate nurse) is dictated first by the state- in some states you cannot practice as a GN, regardless. in some states where working as a GN is ok, some hospitals will not allow GNs- and I cannot say I blame them. In PA if you fail the nclex you lose GN status.

I worked as a GN for a few months before passing my nclex and am now an RN

[luvmy2angels]

In PA, after you graduate, you can elect to get your TPP (Temporary Practice Permit) which allows both GPNs and GNs to practice under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse. I got my TPP 2 days after graduation and already had a job being held for me so I went right to work. If you take the boards and pass you are officially a LPN or RN so you can do all the duties within your scope of practice without the direct supervision of a RN. If you take the boards and fail, your TPP becomes null and void and you are no longer allowed to practice as a GPN or GN until you pass the boards.

Here in PA a TPP is good for one year.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

Some states are phasing 'GN' out; it is, as someone said, a relic of the past.

By the time you finish any kind of hospital in-class 'orientation' (even before being assigned a 'preceptor' for unit orientation), you can take NCLEX and receive results in this day and age.

I graduated in May and didn't receive my NCLEX results until late Sept. But, I took 'paper' boards. Without GN, it would have been very difficult to make ends meet for those 4 months. . .

That's just not the case today.

~faith,

Timothy.

[WV_heart_RN]

in wv you get a temporary permit that is good for 90 days. i worked as a gn until i took my nclex and passed about 1 1/2 months later. had i failed my permit would have been immediately revoked.

the hospital i work at would have downgraded me to a nurse tech until i passed the nclex. they use the gn to get the person working and oriented to the facility.

they also don't press for you to test right away. i wanted to take a few weeks to breath before testing and my nurse manager was cool with it, as was the don.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

I can't even start hospital orientation before I become legal. My hospital doens't recognize GN status. Which means, that I will have to study for NCLEX on my honeymoon! I start work on June 19th, my educational stuff gets sent to the state today, and I have to wait until then.

[S.N. Visit, BSN, RN]

In the state of Iowa you must pass the NCLEX , the IBON does not recognise "GN status".

[jb2u, ASN, RN]

thanks for all the replys!!

here you have to wait to pass your NCLEX before you even orientate (no patients involved). i could understand them not letting you lose on your own before you pass NCLEX, but you will have a preceptor with you for a few months anyway. also, when you are in your final semester, you can be a nurse extern. this position allows you to shadow an RN and assist her, but when you graduate you have to go BACK to being a CNA. doesn't make much sense to me.

it seems to me it is more about not paying someone a nurses salary for as long as they can. first you are paid as a CNA then after you pass NCLEX you get something like $14 for orientation pay, after that, when you are with a preceptor then you get your RN pay. i believe if i invest in them they should invest in me! the only other thing i can think of is they don't want to hire you until they know that you will BE an RN (instead of a grad that can't pass NCLEX). anyway, after struggling so long it is difficult to think that even after graduation i will still have to struggle for 2-3 more months! CNA pay only goes so far and i want to provide so much more for my family.

anyway thanks to all that replied!

jay

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Hey Jay, I totally agree with you. I was offered a hospital orientation on May 22nd, instead of June 19th, and I took the latter (when I'm a RN). I want to take my nursing orientation while being paid as a nurse-not a tech!