Question: taking the NCLEX before BSN graduation?

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Hello all!

I am exactly 54 days (yes, i'm counting) from graduating from a BSN program and have just finished interviewing for jobs at the hospitals in my area. They told me that they want the new nurses to start orientation by July 1st and asked me when I thought I would get my RN license. I explained to them that I had already sent in my application to the California Board of Nursing (including live-scan fingerprints) and that I had to wait until my school sent my final transcript to the Board and that then the Board would give me the go-ahead to take the NCLEX.

The California Board of Nursing states on its website that it can take up to 4-6 weeks for them to process your application after they receive your final transcripts...so, say I graduate May 12th...grades are due to the registrar probably by May 16th...my nursing school will hopefully send off a transcript by May 19th....Board of Nursing gets my transcript May 22nd....and 4-6 weeks later brings us to then end of June or early July (which is when they want me to start working as a licensed RN). So best case scenario, I can take the NCLEX in late June...and then add some more time till I get the actual license!

The hospitals here do not hire until you are licensed and are not allowing any new nurses to practice on the interim permit. One of the nurse managers suggested that I take the NCLEX before graduating from nursing school (she said that she knows someone who did it). One of the other nurse managers in the room said that he knew someone who had done this as well but that this person's license was different and said something like "non-graduate RN"...basically he said they don't recognize that you have graduated from a BSN. He didn't know if this was something you could change later after the Board of Nursing receives your final transcripts or if they would issue you another license at all.....

So, has anyone else heard about taking the NCLEX before graduating from nursing school? And if so, what are the negatives to doing so?

I was a little surprised that the nurse managers (who I assume have been doing hiring somewhat frequently for years now) didn't really know about this stuff. July 1st seems like a pretty early start date for new nurses graduating in the middle of May. I'd love to start working right away (got plenty of loans to pay off) but I'm not sure it is even possible by July 1st.

Any advice/information would be really helpful. Thanks!

Uh, I graduate with my BSN May 17th. My transcript will say that I graduated...............

hey mama,

i am set to graduate w/ my BSN from CSULA in june of 2009 and have heard rumors about taking the NCLEX prior to graduating. however no one seems to have the right answers could you tell me how you went about taking your nclex early.

thanks

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Im in a BSN program in San Diego... Weve heard the same thing, that we are allowed to take the NCLEX after 5th semester (of 6 semester)...but im soo confused about the logistics of it... It would be very nice to get that out of the way before graduation....but Im just not sure if it says something different on the license. Does a BSN license say BSN on it?.. and would it not say BSN on it if we took it before graduation? hmmm..:) wish I could be more of a help.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

you have to take advanced med/surg first. If you take community your last semester you can take the NCLEX before you graduate.

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you have to take advanced med/surg first. If you take community your last semester you can take the NCLEX before you graduate.

I spoke to the school director and the BRN, the BRN told me I could take the NCLEX early HOWEVER it is at the discretion of the director of the school of nursing... so i had gone to another school they would allow me to take it early... however CSULA's policy has been to only give the individual candidate rosters (thing needed by the boards) after completion of the program... hope this helps others looking to find out... this applies in California, idk about the other states...

SO JUST TO SUM UP ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA BRN, IF YOU ARE A BSN STUDENT AND HAVE TAKEN ALL YOUR NURSING REQUIREMENTS MED-SURG, PEDS, OB, PSYCH, ADV. MED SURG, YOU CAN TAKE THE NCLEX YOUR SENIOR YEAR, ONLY IF YOUR SCHOOL WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO SO... IT IS UP TO YOUR SCHOOL, THE BOARDS SAID IT WAS OK, AND NOW YOU HAVE TO BEG YOUR SCHOOL.

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I'll be eligible to sit for my boards almost a full year before I graduate with my BSN in 2010. It's part of this new innovative state-wide system here in Oregon. It'll be odd sitting in those 3 terms of BSN classes and clinicals knowing that I already have the RN after my name! :cool:

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I'll be eligible to sit for my boards almost a full year before I graduate with my BSN in 2010. It's part of this new innovative state-wide system here in Oregon. It'll be odd sitting in those 3 terms of BSN classes and clinicals knowing that I already have the RN after my name! :cool:

California is like that, the only thing stopping me from taking the boards is MY SCHOOL. I too would have been able to take my boards a whole year prior to graduating... but I'm almost done anyway, I graduate June 13, 2009.

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