NCLEX exam without going to nursing school?

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Are you eligable to take the NCLEX exam without going to a nursing school? For example, if you graduated with a BSN in another degree and just want to take the exam?

Specializes in Emergency Room.

Would you want a potential doctor taking the usmle exam without medical school?

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

T hats make sense then. I thought it was an odd question

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
Mora101 said:
Are you eligable to take the NCLEX exam without going to a nursing school? For example, if you graduated with a BSN in another degree and just want to take the exam?

I'm only replying because the question is so ridiculous. Either you are trolling or you are totally clueless about how this works. In case you are just totally clueless I'll give you the short and simple answer.

First point, a BSN is a Bachelors of Science in Nursing, so how can you get a nursing specific degree if you didn't go to a nursing school? Second point that directly answers your question is no, you cannot take the NCLEX exam without going to a nursing school. You need to be approved by the state you are testing to get a license in to take the exam. Part of getting the approval to take the test by that states BON [the Board of Nursing] includes verifying that you graduated from an accredited nursing program.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
On 10/9/2017 at 9:52 AM, K8NewRn said:

You go ahead apply for nxlex they will let you know if they'll approve you or not. I graduated Bsn and they let me take my Cna, lpn and Rn. And fyi we had a lot of clinical experience graduating as a Bsn. Bachelor of science in nursing is a 4 yr course. And its not just a associate degree in nursing which is a 2 yr course! Lol

Just for your edification, an ADN program requires the same number of clinical hours that a BSN does. A BSN just requires a few more courses such as arts, history, and some nursing management that have no bearing on patient care. And that "...just...a 2 yr course..." has EXACTLY the same scope of practice you have. I know some GREAT ADN nurses from excellent schools that I would pit against any BSN as far as excellence in practice and skills.

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I find these comments very condescending.  I was in nursing school when I gave birth to a special needs child.  I quit in order to care for my child who had a syndrome less than 50 people in the world had.  I had a hospital room in my house.  I know phlebotomy, anatomy and I taught nurses.  I have read books extensively of specialties, pharmacology and I guarantee you I could pass the NCLEX and yes I know what nursing entails.  I also was an administrator 2 in an OR and ran a lithotripsy center.  I know all protocols.  Just because you have a degree doesn’t make you special there are plenty of people who could pass the NCLEX without a degree.  They should have a way to do it like attorneys can take a baby bar then a bar without going to law school.

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Specializes in NICU.

A more interesting question would be: Could a person that didn't go through nursing school and studied long enough using NCLEX prep material pass NCLEX? 

I am talking about just taking the test, not trying to be a nurse without going to nursing school.

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1 minute ago, NICU Guy said:

A more interesting question would be: Could a person that didn't go through nursing school and studied long enough using NCLEX prep material pass NCLEX? 

I am talking about just taking the test, not trying to be a nurse without going to nursing school.

I guarantee you I could it’s completely possible I do have some college credits in anatomy I was a certified MA and phlebotomist.   But I read medical books, labs, and medical journals for fun

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On 10/9/2017 at 8:48 AM, Wuzzie said:
On 10/9/2017 at 8:12 AM, OrganizedChaos said:

I think you misunderstood the OP. She doesn't have a BSN. The OP has a bachelor's degree in another subject.

Found this thread when I googled “can I test out of nursing school?” And I just read through it and thought I had something to add. You don’t want to test out of nursing school. I googled it because I’m a neuroscientist (BS Biochemistry, BS Neurobiology, MS Neurohistology/Neuroimaging, PhD in progress). I tell you that to tell you this, I failed beauty school. I can’t cut hair (although I did get pretty good at eyebrows). You don’t know how to be a nurse, and even after you learn, you might suck at it.  The farther you go in education the more you learn how truly little you know. What you will have to do, is find a school, transfer your credits, meet with a counselor and find out what sticks and what doesn’t.  I have done this with my RAD-tech, and my SURGE-tech, both only to make me more valuable, and competent in a research environment, and that’s with the better part of a decade of studying the human body. Nursing is not like those two. You just wear too many hats. It’s as focused as anything I’ve done in graduate school, it’s just less to know at the AS level. There is NO WAY I could skip the classes and be a functional nurse in a clinical setting. So I’m going to buckle down and do the semester. For you it may be more or less, but no way around it.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
On 6/26/2022 at 8:57 PM, Mindy Mendez said:

I guarantee you I could it’s completely possible I do have some college credits in anatomy I was a certified MA and phlebotomist.   But I read medical books, labs, and medical journals for fun

Then go to nursing school- you'll ace it! 

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38 minutes ago, lifelearningrn said:

Then go to nursing school- you'll ace it! 

I have considered it a million times but I lost a child due to negligence of a hospital at which I pointed out.  So now I have PTSD due to my experience 

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You are joking us right?

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Specializes in CEN, Firefighter/Paramedic.

Why does this thread keep getting bumped? LOL

 

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