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Discussion

New Grad Qualification Question

I just graduated last week and i'm still awaiting my ATT. I just moved to a new city (within my state) after graduation and I finally polished my resume/cover letter and prepared my references to apply for jobs! I am dead set on working in a specific health care system, it's why I moved to this area in the first place. I keep seeing the same thing on all applications that are offered to new grads:

"REQUIREMENTS: Graduate of, or within 90 days of graduation from, an accredited RN nursing program. Current RN licensure in Virginia or compact state, or eligible for licensure. All selected new graduate applicants must take and pass NCLEX within 90 days of graduation date."

What exactly does "eligible for licensure" mean? Does it mean I need to receive my authorization to test (ATT) before I apply, or does it mean that I need to take (and pass of course) my NCLEX before I can even apply? Any help regarding this would be greatly appreciated :)

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    • Featured Replies

    I read it to mean that you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX, at the least. Have you asked the hiring facility THEIR definition?

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    It means that you have a current license and would be eligible to get your license endorsed in Va.

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    • Author

    I did, the HR department literally said "just use your best judgement" two different people said that they make the applications somewhere else (that they were not aware of) and could not help me any more than basically telling me to wing it lol.

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    it means that you can start applying when you're 90 days out from graduation, and then must take and pass nclex within 90 days from graduation. eligible for licensure means that you have satisfied state requirements for education and are qualified to take the nclex. since you have already graduated and are awaiting your att, you are eligible to apply right now. However, be aware that most hospitals will not go through the hassle of the hiring process until you've already passed and have your license

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    • Experts

    I would read "eligible for licensure" as your having your ATT in hand. That means you've graduated from nursing school, your transcript(s) are able to be released to the BON, the BON has reviewed you application, and has given you authorization to take the NCLEX.

    Of course, whether you pass the NCLEX is another bag of beans. But if you have the ATT, you are technically eligible for licensure because you can take that test.

    If you haven't received your ATT yet, contact the VA BON as soon as possible, especially if you only have a 90 day window to take the test.

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    • Author

    That's a very good point. I don't have my ATT just yet. I'll call them tomorrow, thanks for the advice!

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    It means they are looking for somebody who is either licensed or will be soon. You are eligible to apply right now :)

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    • Author

    After some thought, I think I'm going to wait until I receive my ATT first. Going to be a hard thing to do though, my resume/cover letter is all ready and I'm prepared to get this off my mind lol xD

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    • Experts

    "Eligible for licensure" can certainly mean different things in different states. I was able to apply to a new grad position before I had graduated. As long as I was in academic good standing and had already completed the state's required background check and submitted my paperwork to the BON & Pearson, I was allowed to apply within 90 days of my graduation date. I had a job all lined up before I finished school. I had to wait until I passed NCLEX and had my RN license # posted on the BON website before I was allowed to start my job. The job description was nearly identical to the one you posted above, just in a different state.

    If you've submitted everything to the BON, graduated in good standing and are just awaiting the ATT, I would say go ahead and apply.

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    Don't wait! Apply, apply, apply!

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    After some thought, I think I'm going to wait until I receive my ATT first. Going to be a hard thing to do though, my resume/cover letter is all ready and I'm prepared to get this off my mind lol xD

    I wouldn't do that if I were you. I would just start applying, given the way the postings are worded. Now, in some states and areas, it's better to just wait. But you did not get a red light from HR. So go! The process takes so long anyway, you may as well start working on it now.

    Good luck!

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    If I read correctly, it sounds like you've really put all your eggs in this one basket -- you moved with the hope of getting a job in a specific health care system. Depending upon where you live, this could be pretty risky, but it doesn't mean it's not possible. I'd definitely recommend applying ASAP. May is a big time for new grads to be applying for jobs, and many people already have a job offer in hand before they graduate because they started applying 2-3 months prior to graduation. It sounds like you're eligible to apply, or at least would have a reasonable argument for why you'd *think* you could even if someone later came by and said you did apply to early (not sure that would happen). As noted before, the wording is not exactly black and white and the advice of "use your best judgment" shows that it's not very clear.

    Long story short....apply now. It can take over a month for someone that already has an active license to secure a new job just because of how long the process takes with interviews (sometimes multiple), HR doing all of their checks, getting your physical/drug test, having to wait for the next round of orientation classes.....Get the ball rolling.

    And, depending upon how competitive the area is and how many positions you're looking at with this particular employer, it wouldn't hurt to look at what other options there are around. Just in case.

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