nclex rn to nclex pn

Nursing Students NCLEX

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Hi! I am a graduate with a Bachelors degree in Nursing. I have taken the NCLEX RN 3 times, and I have finally decided to try my luck with the NCLEX PN. My questions are:

1] Is the NCLEX PN actually harder than the NCLEX RN as I have heard? (This question is geared toward nurses who have taken both.)

2] Can I use my Saunders NCLEX RN book to review for the NCLEX PN, or is there a significant difference in test content that I would need to buy the NCLEX PN book?

I always come across threads from earlier than 2007, and I would like an updated answer. Any information would be great! :]

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Thank you for your best wishes and advice! :] I was not saying that any of these comments are negative. I was simply being appreciative to replies and justifying myself to avoid assumptions of my actual intentions. I have finally decided to take the LVN route because I want to stay in my native city, San Diego. Continuing to pursue an RN license, for me, would mean having to move out of California and I no longer have a desire to do that. For the past times I have been taking the NCLEX RN, it was for licensure in Nevada. When I tried to apply for licensure in California, I was required to retake two of my subjects before being eligible to take the NCLEX RN. Sounds simple, right? Nope! I was only allowed to take classes from a provided list of schools, all of which I have contacted and all of the wait-lists for the nursing programs are currently backed up. So that was not an option. I was advised to alternatively try applying for an LVN license, so I am sure that I am eligible to take the NCLEX PN (I would not even bother if I knew I definitely did not have a chance.) I know that license reciprocity exists, but according to multiple peers of mine, they had no luck at transferring back to California after being licensed in another state, and I don't want to take that risk and spend many years away from home. I am aware of what subject areas I did poorly in, and I am more determined to do a better job at improving my test-taking skills. Now that I have decided (for myself) which career path I want to take, I believe that failing the NCLEX RN multiple times was God's way of saying "You know you don't really want to do that for the rest of your life." So I am more confident that I will do well this time.

California requires you to meet the same standards whether you are applying for an initial or endorsement license, there is no guaranteed endorsement. Reciprocity only applies to NCLEX results. If you did not meet the educational standards if CABRN and did not take the required courses you will not be eligible to endorse to CA even if licensed in another state and worked as an RN for thousands of hours.

Since you are applying for a CA LVN license by alternate education ("method 3") you may be limited in employers as some accrediting agencies require those hired as a LPN/LVN be graduates of a PN/VN program and RNs graduate from an RN program (not the LVN +30 credit option from CABRN). If you don't plan on leaving CA, it's not an issue but generally the "method 3" or equivalent education/experience LVN license is only valid in CA and not endorsable to other states (as clearly indicated on the BVNPT website )

Go into this with eyes wide open. The market for nurses in southern CA is very tight with up to 43% of nurses unemployed.

Still evaluate your areas of weakness as per the CPR you will receive from NV BoN as there is a lot of crossover between LPN & RN as far as content. Follow ladyfree's suggestions to prepare

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Specializes in OBGYN.

OP question aren't you suppose to be a RN already to be able to earn a bachelors on nursing?

nclex PN is pretty hard, and there is not way to really prepare for it..

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
OP question aren't you suppose to be a RN already to be able to earn a bachelors on nursing?

nclex PN is pretty hard, and there is not way to really prepare for it..

OP is an RN in the Philippines not the US.

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Specializes in OBGYN.

oh ok thank you! I was a little confused..

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Thank you for your best wishes and advice! :] I was not saying that any of these comments are negative. I was simply being appreciative to replies and justifying myself to avoid assumptions of my actual intentions. I have finally decided to take the LVN route because I want to stay in my native city, San Diego. Continuing to pursue an RN license, for me, would mean having to move out of California and I no longer have a desire to do that. For the past times I have been taking the NCLEX RN, it was for licensure in Nevada. When I tried to apply for licensure in California, I was required to retake two of my subjects before being eligible to take the NCLEX RN. Sounds simple, right? Nope! I was only allowed to take classes from a provided list of schools, all of which I have contacted and all of the wait-lists for the nursing programs are currently backed up. So that was not an option. I was advised to alternatively try applying for an LVN license, so I am sure that I am eligible to take the NCLEX PN (I would not even bother if I knew I definitely did not have a chance.) I know that license reciprocity exists, but according to multiple peers of mine, they had no luck at transferring back to California after being licensed in another state, and I don't want to take that risk and spend many years away from home. I am aware of what subject areas I did poorly in, and I am more determined to do a better job at improving my test-taking skills. Now that I have decided (for myself) which career path I want to take, I believe that failing the NCLEX RN multiple times was God's way of saying "You know you don't really want to do that for the rest of your life." So I am more confident that I will do well this time.

That may have been about the endorsement from another state back into CA a few years ago, but in the more recent cases, unless one has completed the missing or deficient courses as required by the CA BRN, you're going to find out that the CA BRN will still deny the endorsement until they are met.

Don't forget in CA cases, you have only 3 years to "complete" your original application from the date you applied, otherwise, the CA BRN will simply "abandon" the file. This does mean having to re-do the entire application all over again as first-time applicant, with brand new application fees and any new rules and regulations that may be imposed with the new application.

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Hi everyone I'm new here and I'm soooo nervous on my nclex pn exam coming up Oct 31. I'm not confident when it comes to SATA type and I've read a lot of experiences where people ha email so many of them! How can I prepare myself for SATA? So far I have completed NCSBN 5 weeks, I'm still doing kaplan on demand with about 600qbank left to go, 69% readiness on kaplan, I think I've done around 3000 q&a within the 2 months that I have been studying, and yet I still feel like I need more. Besides kaplan and ncsbn I have been reading exam cram and q&a on Saunders. Help anyone?

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I wouldn't necessarily say one is harder than the other. I am an lvn and my nclex teacher gave us NCLEX RN questions to practice on. I reviewed and studied off a Kaplan nclex RN review book, not a LVN one, and was getting majority of the questions correct. I passed my nclex in 45 min with 85 questions, majority of them maternity. I even got iv/fluid drop rates. The nclex styles of questions are typically the same, it's a matter of whether or not you know your scope of practice. I knew I was studying RN questions, and I knew their scope of practice, which is they are able to assess and teach. However, in the nclex world, lvns can not. So when it came to taking my PN exam, I knew which tasks I were able to delegate and which ones were not, and what I can do as an lvn and what I can't. It deals a lot with concept!

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Just passed nclex lpn recently, took nclex rn couple of times but have no luck. I didn't review lpn book but I think the exam is almost the same. I reviewed nclex mastery rn and uworld. But now unfortunately Pennsylvania is not accepting my lpn license since I am an rn license in the Philippines. They want me to take the course of lpn. My dilemma now is I'm planning to apply reciprocity in New Jersey since I live couple of miles in New Jersey border. Is there anyone here who has the same problem as mine, what did you do to apply reciprocity in ni? Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Just passed nclex lpn recently, took nclex rn couple of times but have no luck. I didn't review lpn book but I think the exam is almost the same. I reviewed nclex mastery rn and uworld. But now unfortunately Pennsylvania is not accepting my lpn license since I am an rn license in the Philippines. They want me to take the course of lpn. My dilemma now is I'm planning to apply reciprocity in New Jersey since I live couple of miles in New Jersey border. Is there anyone here who has the same problem as mine, what did you do to apply reciprocity in ni? Thanks in advance!

NJ only licenses LPNs who graduated from a school of practical nursing. RN education is not sufficient/equivalent for LPN. They are very strict on this as are other states including PA, TX, IN you are ineligible to endorse your LPN license since you did not graduate from a school of practical nursing.

from NJ BoN "Attendance in or successful completion of a professional nursing program shall not serve as anequivalent or substituted qualication for the practical nursing education requirement (N.J.A.C.13:37-4.1(b) ". In other words for licensing by exam or endorsement only graduates of PN programs are eligible for LPN license in NJ

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