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Hello! I don't know what topic to put this under so I might as well put it here. If it's not in the right place, then I apologize in advance. Anyway, my question is if anyone knows whether you have to pass the NCLEX PN to get into the LVN-RN track? I'm in the track, but I already graduated from the LVN program and passed the NCLEX this year, so I'm advancing to the RN track for Spring of 2021 next year. I just wasn't sure if passing the NCLEX was one of the requirements because I looked over the application and it doesn't seem to say besides having an active license... I've been telling my friends to pass it to get into the RN and now I'm scared if I've spread false info, so does anyone know? 

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You have to pass the exam to have an active license...

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12 minutes ago, JKL33 said:

You have to pass the exam to have an active license...

Oh, sorry about the confusion. I thought an active license meant having a permit as well. I just pulled out the application to check and it just says, "Current LVN licensure" so I'm assuming having a permit counts? 

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Specializes in school nurse.
1 hour ago, nursing_potato said:

Oh, sorry about the confusion. I thought an active license meant having a permit as well. I just pulled out the application to check and it just says, "Current LVN licensure" so I'm assuming having a permit counts? 

I don't understand what you mean by permit. The process is completing your nursing program, signing up for NCLEX, passing the exam, getting your license. To do a bridge program you need an LVN license, which in turn means you passed the NCLEX.

If you mean you passed NCLEX but there was some problem or delay with the Board granting your license, the bridge program wouldn't admit you  until the problem was resolved.

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1 hour ago, Jedrnurse said:

I don't understand what you mean by permit. The process is completing your nursing program, signing up for NCLEX, passing the exam, getting your license. To do a bridge program you need an LVN license, which in turn means you passed the NCLEX.

If you mean you passed NCLEX but there was some problem or delay with the Board granting your license, the bridge program wouldn't admit you  until the problem was resolved.

Ah, I’m not sure if it also applies to other states, but here in Texas, we get a grad permit indicating that we can already start working once we have received the permit license to do so from the BON. I don’t remember how many months it’ll remain active but during the time we have left, we have to pass our NCLEX and get a permanent license or else our permit gets expired. That’s what I mean by permit, so it’s still technically an LVN license just not a permanent one if that makes sense? Because once we pass, the permit license carries over to the permanent one. That’s why I was confused since the application I’m applying to didn’t specify what kind of license to apply as. 

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But according to what you’re saying, I’ll just go with passing the NCLEX before applying to the bridge program. 

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Specializes in school nurse.
44 minutes ago, nursing_potato said:

Ah, I’m not sure if it also applies to other states, but here in Texas, we get a grad permit indicating that we can already start working once we have received the permit license to do so from the BON. I don’t remember how many months it’ll remain active but during the time we have left, we have to pass our NCLEX and get a permanent license or else our permit gets expired. That’s what I mean by permit, so it’s still technically an LVN license just not a permanent one if that makes sense? Because once we pass, the permit license carries over to the permanent one. That’s why I was confused since the application I’m applying to didn’t specify what kind of license to apply as. 

Ah. Back in the day it was called GN (Graduate Nurse) or GPN (Graduate Practical Nurse) status. It wasn't granted by the BON, at least in my area. A lot of states have gotten rid of it due to the fast turnaround on NCLEX results. 

It used to be a lot slower. I took my boards in July and got my license in October. (But I started my first nursing job in July...)

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10 hours ago, nursing_potato said:

But according to what you’re saying, I’ll just go with passing the NCLEX before applying to the bridge program. 

You must have an active license. Passing NCLEX does not necessarily lead to a license. The BON may find an issue that may delay the issuance of the LVN license. In some states, you can apply for a Graduate permit. It allows you to practice (in a limited capacity) until you take NCLEX. The moment you leave the testing site, your Graduate permit is expired. You either fail and you can no longer work under the GN permit or you pass NCLEX and the GN permit is replaced with an active license.

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