why do nurses need to be licensed?

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I know this is probably a random question but it popped into my head and got me thinking, why do nurses ( and other professionals for that matter, ie. Doctors, teachers lawyers) Have to take a test to get licensed to practice AFTER they went all through school. If they went through school and already were able to pass their respective program with good remarks and graduate, wouldn't that already mean they are already qualified to practice?

Kind of like accounting, if an accountant passes an accounting program they don't need a license to do accounting, only if they choose to.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
To add to your arguement, for my own entertainment purposes, in Wisconsin, a person who is a resident of the state, educated in the state and planning to practice in the state need not take the bar exam to be an attorney. It's called Diploma Privelege and it's the only state in the nation with such a statute. Guess they're qualified by virtue of graduation alone :sneaky:

Wow! I did not know this. Never thought I would have to question if an attorney actually passed the bar exam before hiring one.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I haven't witnessed anyone insinuating that they are better than anyone else. Passing the NCLEX, Bar Exam, etc. doesn't make them "better" and nobody is saying it does. Not to be redundant but it's worth repeating, having a license shows that the nurse is capable of providing safe care for their patients and are knowledgable on the how to take care of them. It sets standards, ground rules, and protects patients. It holds people providing care responsible and accountable, which is important because although there are many many amazing nurses out there, there are some who are not.

I understand that some people don't handle "testing" as well as others, but after multiple times of failed NCLEX exams, it might be a sign of something deeper. Did the school not prepare the student well enough? Did the student not learn from the program? There are many other possibilities of why they continue to fail but a certain point there needs to be a cut off. And that might be hard for the failing person to accept. But it also might be exactly what they need because its quite possible nursing isn't for them. And that is okay! Nursing isn't for everyone. I'm sorry it took that long for the person to realize but it is what it is.

Just because someone paid x amount of dollars for their degree doesn't mean they are qualified to provide care. If healthcare professionals were given license to practice just because they paid x amount of dollars I think we would have a serious problem on our hands.. (also worth mentioning there are a lot of people who get a non-nursing degree and don't end up "do anything" with it, doesn't mean its an end all for them, they can find different careers.)

And yes, some people need to retake their NCLEX and they are amazing nurses, and yes some nurses pass on their first try and aren't the best. That is why passing the NCLEX and becoming licensed is just a piece of the puzzle. But I do want to add, in the real world, you don't get a do over.. I understand we are human and we all make mistakes but if someone can't demonstrate safe practices for their patient maybe nursing isn't where they should be. and honestly if someone can't demonstrate the minimum standards why would they want to provide care at that level.

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So that if you ever screw up, it can all be taken away by the BON.

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I haven't witnessed anyone insinuating that they are better than anyone else. Passing the NCLEX, Bar Exam, etc. doesn't make them "better" and nobody is saying it does. Not to be redundant but it's worth repeating, having a license shows that the nurse is capable of providing safe care for their patients and are knowledgable on the how to take care of them. It sets standards, ground rules, and protects patients. It holds people providing care responsible and accountable, which is important because although there are many many amazing nurses out there, there are some who are not.

I understand that some people don't handle "testing" as well as others, but after multiple times of failed NCLEX exams, it might be a sign of something deeper. Did the school not prepare the student well enough? Did the student not learn from the program? There are many other possibilities of why they continue to fail but a certain point there needs to be a cut off. And that might be hard for the failing person to accept. But it also might be exactly what they need because its quite possible nursing isn't for them. And that is okay! Nursing isn't for everyone. I'm sorry it took that long for the person to realize but it is what it is.

Just because someone paid x amount of dollars for their degree doesn't mean they are qualified to provide care. If healthcare professionals were given license to practice just because they paid x amount of dollars I think we would have a serious problem on our hands.. (also worth mentioning there are a lot of people who get a non-nursing degree and don't end up "do anything" with it, doesn't mean its an end all for them, they can find different careers.)

And yes, some people need to retake their NCLEX and they are amazing nurses, and yes some nurses pass on their first try and aren't the best. That is why passing the NCLEX and becoming licensed is just a piece of the puzzle. But I do want to add, in the real world, you don't get a do over.. I understand we are human and we all make mistakes but if someone can't demonstrate safe practices for their patient maybe nursing isn't where they should be. and honestly if someone can't demonstrate the minimum standards why would they want to provide care at that level.

I completely agree with what you are saying and the point u bring up. What i am simply saying is that if it takes a person 10 tries to pass and they finally passed on the 10th time.. Who cares about any times before that it took. Point is they finally passed and at that moment they finally showed they have the competency needed. It just took a little longer to get there

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Specializes in hospice.

No. Just no. Two fails, then remediation, then a third chance, and then game over.

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Specializes in School nursing.

There's a quote by someone, I forget who, but it's "What do you call someone who passed their bar exam after the first time, and what do you call someone who passed it after the 100th time?... A lawyer!" As long as they eventually pass it and show they can demonstrate the proper skills what does it matter how many times it took?

I might call them rich...or poor. Because the cost to take any licensing exam 100 times..yikes. That could equal the down payment of a house in some states.

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I haven't witnessed anyone insinuating that they are better than anyone else. Passing the NCLEX, Bar Exam, etc. doesn't make them "better" and nobody is saying it does. Not to be redundant but it's worth repeating, having a license shows that the nurse is capable of providing safe care for their patients and are knowledgable on the how to take care of them. It sets standards, ground rules, and protects patients. It holds people providing care responsible and accountable, which is important because although there are many many amazing nurses out there, there are some who are not.

I understand that some people don't handle "testing" as well as others, but after multiple times of failed NCLEX exams, it might be a sign of something deeper. Did the school not prepare the student well enough? Did the student not learn from the program? There are many other possibilities of why they continue to fail but a certain point there needs to be a cut off. And that might be hard for the failing person to accept. But it also might be exactly what they need because its quite possible nursing isn't for them. And that is okay! Nursing isn't for everyone. I'm sorry it took that long for the person to realize but it is what it is.

Just because someone paid x amount of dollars for their degree doesn't mean they are qualified to provide care. If healthcare professionals were given license to practice just because they paid x amount of dollars I think we would have a serious problem on our hands.. (also worth mentioning there are a lot of people who get a non-nursing degree and don't end up "do anything" with it, doesn't mean its an end all for them, they can find different careers.)

And yes, some people need to retake their NCLEX and they are amazing nurses, and yes some nurses pass on their first try and aren't the best. That is why passing the NCLEX and becoming licensed is just a piece of the puzzle. But I do want to add, in the real world, you don't get a do over.. I understand we are human and we all make mistakes but if someone can't demonstrate safe practices for their patient maybe nursing isn't where they should be. and honestly if someone can't demonstrate the minimum standards why would they want to provide care at that level.

I completely agree with what you are saying and the point u bring up. What i am simply saying is that if it takes a person 10 tries to pass and they finally passed on the 10th time.. Who cares about any times before that it took. Point is they finally passed and at that moment they finally showed they have the competency needed. It just took a little longer to get there

I don't think that was at all the point of the person you quoted. (Note the bolded excerpts)

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Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.

So in regards to you feeling that the number of times somebody can take the nclex should be capped, what happens if somebody goes through all that schooling to be a nurse and is saddled with a bunch of debt and then is unable to pass the nclex X amount of times, u feel they should just be tossed aside like the dirty laundry?.....

Personally I dont want to be looked after by a nurse thats taken 7 times to pass their registration exam. Because if their program of study didn't equip them well enough to pass their registration exam how can I have any confidence that it taught them the minimum basic skills to be a competent nurse. Its not about superiority, its about keeping our patients safe

In my country, people have the option to retake state finals once if they dont pass.. However these people are very much the exception. The reason why student nurses have such a high pass rate of the state final exam is because our programs of study equip us to be able to pass first time around

No ones advocating chucking anyone out like dirty laundry. There has to come a time when someone says "hey, you've taken the exam 10 times and failed I think you should look for another career"

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

Not be be rude but its comments like this that make me think people on here have a superiority complex and like to think of themselves as a step above each other because they have XYZ or can do XYZ better than someone else. What happened to putting yourselves in other people shoes and showing compassion like you do for your patients. If it was you in the struggling person shoes you wouldn't want someone to have such an abrasive attitude " oh step aside you can't take it again."

Like I said the person should have to take remedial classes... But if it took 10 times, who cares, as long as they eventually GOT it. It took look longer but iy finally clicked and they showed at that point they did have the skills.

My aunt failed multiple times but finally passed and she's one of the beat nurses I know!

This is why so many of us get bashed when students get on to complain about the mean/unfair school/professors that fail them. It has nothing to do with compassion. It has nothing to do with superiority. Some people are just not cut out to be nurses, just as some people aren't cut out to be mechanics or artists or accountants. I think it stinks that a school would allow a student to pass a nursing program knowing they won't be able to pass the NCLEX! The NCLEX tests the very basic knowledge to practice.

If a person is not a good test taker, it is usually because they don't think well under pressure. Nurses must think quickly under pressure on a daily basis. They must pay close attention to details and be able to manage many things at once. Not everyone is good at that. That doesn't mean one person is superior to another just different. I'm not a mechanical person, you wouldn't want me working on your car, I can't bake or even draw a stick figure. I have my set of skills just as others have theirs. Nursing just happens to be a role that places you in a position where if you aren't able to think quickly and make accurate decisions on the spot you can kill someone. If you aren't that type of person you should not be in that role.

I can feel great compassion for someone who went through years of education, has thousands in debt and is unable to pass the minimum competency exam to legally practice as a nurse. It sucks, I agree, but if you aren't safe you shouldn't practice no matter how bad I feel for you!

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I hate that my name keeps getting attached to that quote!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
I hate that my name keeps getting attached to that quote!

Huh, wonder why that happens? The quote in question is from the OP, not you. I went back to it and checked to be sure.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.
I hate that my name keeps getting attached to that quote!

Why is that happening?? I knew I wasn't quoting you!! At the top it says Infofreak411,..hmmmm

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