Ridiculous NCLEX Wait Times

Nurses Activism

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Is there currently any legislation or movement to shorten the wait in processing new nurse applications?

I just graduated nursing school in December, turned in my paperwork directly to the state board (Virginia) and have been told that they are still working on applications from then. My friend who is registering in California registered at the same time I did and was told that she would get her ATT for the NCLEX in LATE MARCH. People have issues with state boards across the country and I believe it's enough.

We nurses go through hell in nursing school, spend our careers literally cleaning up **** (and love it) but should not have to wait WEEKS TO MONTHS to take an exam that we've been fretting about since we entered school.

What is being done, what can be done, and what can I do?

Specializes in NICU.

So, your opinion is that you graduate and the next week you take the test? The BON has to wait until your school submits your graduation paperwork before they can process your application. How many people in your state graduated in December from both ASN/BSN/LPN programs? All of their paperwork needs to be processed by the BON. Your class is not the only graduates in December. I graduated Aug 7, 2014 and got my ATT Sept 2, 2014. I studied for 5 weeks before taking the test on Sept 12th.

I guess in a couple months you will be posting "I took NCLEX 30 minutes ago and did the PVT every 5 minutes and got the good pop-up. Did I pass? I can't wait 48 hrs for the quick results."

Take this time the review so that when you do get your ATT, you will be ready to test. For what it's worth, not all states are like that. I graduated Dec 11 and got my ATT Christmas Day.

If you're that passionate about it, do something. But our government has much more important issues to deal with than a few unhappy college grads.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

In the list of important issues legislation is needed to deal with, this one is of such low priority that if it were field triage, it'd be given a black tag.

Adult Triage Algorithm

Specializes in kids.
In the list of important issues legislation is needed to deal with, this one is of such low priority that if it were field triage, it'd be given a black tag.

Adult Triage Algorithm

Spit coffee on my keyboard!!!!!!!!!!

And, and , and.......we had to wait 6 weeks to get our results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back in my day (in Canada) you could write your licensing exam TWICE PER YEAR, in June or in October! And we did it by paper and pencil! And then we had to wait SIX WEEKS for our results! Kids these days have it EASY. You get to PICK when you want to write?! Good lord.

Specializes in Critical Care.

Get over it. I had to wait almost two months and even then had to make a four hour drive to get it done that soon (and had to drive in snow uphill both ways). Nursing students don't graduate at a constant rate throughout the year, they tend to come out in two main clumps, so to have the capacity to put the June rush through the test in only a couple of weeks would likely push the fee well above $1000, so use the money you're saving to enjoy the break.

Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.

Back in the day before it was called "taking board exam" not nclex the exam was only given twice a year you drive to state Capitol and results arrived in the mail (snail mail ). Took RN boards Oct got results March of the following year yes 6 months later. There are many applicants and boards have to make sure each one has completed all required courses.

Specializes in Critical care.

It all depends on the state and time of year. I finished on a Friday, my school submitted our info for us to get our ATTs the next business day, I had my ATT one day later, and took the NCLEX not even 2 weeks after finishing school. My program's schedule is a little off from most programs, so there weren't many other applications at the time meaning they processed ours super fast. If graduating at the traditional times of May or December then I hear a wait of several weeks or months to get the ATT and a test date isn't out of the question. As others have said there are far more important things. Also the State BON does not exist to make things easy for nurses- their concern is the general safety of the public. They won't cut corners or rush just to make new grads happy.

Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

You can learn to wait in line like everyone else. Too many of your fellow nursing students who just can't wait to be a disallusioned nurse are clogging up the system.

Good gravy, you are gonna be all kinds of fun when HR won't back to you the next day with a job offer to work day shift on your dream unit then it takes 90 days to get off probation and you can't stomach being there a full year before you can jump ship to a unit that appreciates your need to get where you wanna go NOW!

Wite your congressman or sue somebody.

Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
Spit coffee on my keyboard!!!!!!!!!!

And, and , and.......we had to wait 6 weeks to get our results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Student nurses have the opportunity to sit their state final exam three times a year, March, June/July and November.

We have to wait six weeks for result.

Suck it up OP

Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

So, they didn't tell you in school how long the process works? Or were you not listening that day? We were told it would be about 3-4 weeks before we would get our ATT. The school also sends in paperwork and they have not only yours, but everyone else who graduated nursing school at the same time. They make sure your transcript is completed and before they sent the paperwork to the BON, they want all bills paid. I think I got mine in 3 weeks and tested about 10 days later. Use this time to practice questions. The more you practice questions, the better prepared you will be.

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