New Grad Nurse Unlicensed but Want to Help in NY

[lindseyw98]

Hi! I just graduated and got my BSN in Nursing from Rhode Island College. I have not taken the NCLEX yet and I plan on taking it in RI. I was wondering how I could help with COVID-19 as a graduate nurse? I know that RI is allowing new grad nurses to work on temporary licenses during this emergency, but I was wondering how I could go about working in NY during this time? I want to do all I can to help, but with the NCLEX exams being pushed later and later I do not know what to do and I do not want to sit around and wait, when I know that my skills could be used to help patients in NY.

If anyone has any information on how a new grad nurse could start working in NY please let me know! Thanks

[Tait, MSN, RN]

So Georgia has been discussing pre-liscensure Graduate Nurses, which looks a lot like when I started nursing back in 2007. Basically you can work as a nurse, sign your name GN instead of RN, and have to have a lot oversight and double checks. My "contract" also noted that I had to take my NCLEX within a certain time period from hire. I think it was 3 months. I would look at the Board of Nursing page for New York and see if they have any information. Also if NY and RI are in a compact you could look at the RI BON as well. I am not sure how it is up there.

[lindseyw98]

Thank you! Unfortunately they are not in compact, but I'll go check out New York's page!

[Serhilda, ADN, RN]

No offense, but your help isn't direly needed like you seem to believe it is. There isn't a shortage of nurses, nor is it total chaos as it's been portrayed in the media. Where there has been chaos, it's been in a select few ICUs.

The fact of the matter is thousands of experienced nurses are out of jobs, from travel nurses whose NY COVID contracts were canceled because they weren't needed, to PACU and OR nurses. Focus on building a foundation for your career. Many new graduate are having trouble finding a job at all, so my advice would be to take what you can get.

[Ashley_113]

I hate to say it but Serhilda is right. The medical community has been hit hard by this in other ways than many think. Hospital census has decreased significantly. No procedures mean no OR staff, no PACU staff, many surgeons offices have furloughed employees, and even the ERs have seen a huge decrease in volume. I’m a NP in an outpatient orthopedic practice and we barely pulled through these past few weeks. Luckily things seem to be getting better. Wanting to help is kind of you but you should really just focus on getting a good foundation to your career.

[lindseyw98]

I understand that! I didn't know if there was anything I could do, that's why I wanted to reach out and see what others thought. I appreciate your input, I figured as much, but I figured there'd be no harm in asking!