Passed NCLEX after 8 years

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

After 3 NCLEX attempts, I finally passed! Issue is, I allowed my hurt pride to get in my way after the second attempt. After working in healthcare management since, finally decided to suck it up and try again. After months of early morning and light night studies, I passed 8 years after nursing school.

From here, what steps would you recommend for someone in my position or similar? Start with a Refresher, find volunteer opportunities or attempt to get into Residency programs? For whichever route, what is the best way to identify those opportunities and get self to forefront? Naturally- want to be sure I am safe and patients are too.

Dear Passed the NCLEX,

Congratulations! That's quite an accomplishment. It takes courage to re-test after 8 years.

Definitely enroll in a Refresher course. While in the course, talk to the other students and instructors to get leads on job opportunities.

A residency program would be ideal for you, but it would take a facility willing to bend the rules a bit, as a typical requirement is no acute care experience and no more than one year out from graduation. It doesn't hurt to try.

Apply broad and wide- to acute care facilities as well as to sub-acute care facilities. Don't be discouraged, it will take perseverance. Perseverance is what worked to pass the NCLEX, and it will work to land a job as well. You didn't get this far for no reason.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[Tech2RN, ADN, BSN, RN]

OMG. This is exactly what I needed to read. This year marks my 8th year after graduating nursing school and also retaking the NCLEX again. I am so happy to know I am not alone and most importantly it is not impossible. Congrats on passing and thank you so much for this!