RN without RN school? West Virginia (WV) military medical personnel to RN

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Have any former military persons had experience with applying to take the NCLEX-RN in West Virginia through their rule allowing certain military medical specialty-trained persons to take it and be licensed in WV without a formal ADN, BSN, or RN Certificate education program? Curious what your experiences are or what you have heard.

Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

The above job requirements also beg the question, "what is a nursing diploma?"

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The above job requirements also beg the question, "what is a nursing diploma?"

A diploma is what you get when you graduate from hospital-based nursing programs, frequently referred to as "diploma programs."

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

I'm aware of what the intention was elk. However, in federal job postings, intention and language are two different things. Candidates are hired based on language, not intent. I could produce both a nursing diploma and an RN license, but not have gone through a hospital diploma program leading immediately to an RN license.

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

Nick,

I have read the links and it appears that the board evaluates each veteran on an individual basis. If you have done your tour or tours of duty and been honorably discharged, there should be a place for you in nursing or as a paramedic. I have to ask if WGU or any of the other online education providers give credit for military experience.

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Specializes in Cardiac (adult), CC, Peds, MH/Substance.

Hey Maggie. I already have undergrad and graduate degrees. Just not in nursing. Gened is taken care of. I used to teach in hospital education, to MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs, BSNs, and so on. So knowledge isn't an issue, even if I'm a bit rusty after being a businessman (and hating it) for the last decade. There are a lot of online options, but most require planes and clinical components unless you're already an RN, in which case a lot of programs allow you to arrange any necessary clinicals locally and some require no clinicals to do an RN-BSN bridge. Hence my interest in a possible "loophole."

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Specializes in PACU.

I see that you are an LPN/LVN... have you looked into doing LPN bridge to RN?

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Those VA positing are interesting. I did a pilot LVN to BSN program that was a joint venture with a VA here in California. 5 of the 27 LVNs who started did not work at the VA. Most were medics/corpsman in the military to varying degrees of experience. We took boards using the 30 unit option in the summer but complete our BSN this coming summer. However they VA will not hire any of these people until they finish their BSN. But that seems to say otherwise.

If you can for sure find a RN to BSN program that will take you I could see this working. Although I don't know that I would, I found I learned a lot about making the transition from Corpsman/LVN to RN. I can't really imagine doing it without the program, but that's my opinion for myself. I would ensure you have a program to do before you go though with this. One of my classmates did not come back to complete the BSN because he has a BS in something else and is now in an MSN program at Grand Canyon University. Good Luck!

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