Out of State education

[Serendipia]

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if it is possible to attend an out of state school and become certified in my home state afterward?

I have found that I am drawn to a few nursing programs outside of Oregon, which is my home. I want to know what would be needed if I plan on attending (and graduated) from an out of state program, when I get back home? Is it possible to be licensed in more than one state at a time?

This may seem like a silly inquiry...but I am a pre-nursing student who recently got into it = )

I would appreciate any and all advice ...

[juliaann]

Yes, you can attend school anywhere - as long as it's an accredited, recognized school - and practice as an RN in a different state. All RNs take the same exam to be licensed. BUT you have to *take* the exam in the state you want to be licensed in. So make sure you have a way to take the NCLEX in Oregon after you graduate from nursing school, if that's where you want to work. Or you can test in the state you go to school. If you do that, you can transfer a license from one state to another, but it usually requires a fee and paperwork - you'll have to look into the transfer policy and proceedure with your state board of nursing.

[Serendipia]

Ok, thats what I thought. I am looking to different schools around the country...I think the biggest thing for me will be moving away from home = /

Thanks for the advice!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The state where you attend nursing school does not matter, since a nursing license can be endorsed into virtually any state where you would like to live.

I attended an LVN/LPN program in California in 2005 and moved to Texas immediately after graduation. I was able to obtain a Texas LVN license by endorsement with no problems. Also, I completed an RN/ADN program in Oklahoma last month and plan to endorse my license into Texas, which is my state of residence.