The Hardest States to Become a Nurse

[alexaway]

What states are the hardest to become licensed in? This includes wait times. I saw in a post that it was a 7 month wait to be licensed in California...eek!

I assume that the NCLEX is different in all states. Is it more difficult in some than others?

Also if a person goes to school in a state, is it always easier for them to become employed in that state and pass the licensing test in that specific state.

It seems like there should be reciprocity or a national based license...

Thanks for your help!

[Cat365]

The NCLEX is the same everywhere. What can differ is what the state you are testing in requires to sit for the NCLEX. It is usually easier to test and become licensed in the state where your school is because different states can require different classes during schooling. My advisors told me of a student that went to my school and then returned to California to discover that she was missing some non nursing class that CA required. I think they said she finally flew back became licensed in her schools state then transferred her license to avoid having to take an additional class. It's doable taking the test in another state but the school isn't a lot of help usually because they are not familiar with every states requirements.

I asked because I live near the state line and wasn't 100% sure where I would end up working. So I wasn't sure which state I would need to be licensed in. Turns out I live in one state and went to school in the other, now I'm working there. I'm still not licensed in my home state.