Thoughts on nurses who graduate nursing school calling themselves nurses before the NCLEX

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 8, 2015

I am located in a state that allows graduates of a nursing program to legally refer to themselves as 'graduate nurses' or 'GNs.' They may utilize this title until they take NCLEX. If they pass, of course they are RNs.

But if they fail NCLEX, they must stop utilizing the 'GN' title and privileges.

pixiestudent2 · May 8, 2015

Our school tells us we are graduate nurses when we graduate and then registered nurses after we pass NCLEX.

bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN · May 8, 2015

She may just be letting the excitement that she is finally done with school get to her. At least she actually graduated before calling herself a nurse. Just tell her congrats on graduating and remind her to start studying for the nclex ðŸ˜‰

nyc-cnm · May 8, 2015

Back in the day we took the licensing exam on paper and it took months to get the results. In the meantime we could legally work as graduate nurses. I remember the day I called home and had my father open the envelope with the results - I had passed, so I switched that day from signing my name with RN instead of GN.

AxOxCrazy · May 9, 2015

Not necessarily. I'm excited to call myself a nurse in 5 days because I'll be starting out as a graduate nurse at a hospital. Of course I would never call myself an RN until I pass my nclex, but I will indeed be a nurse.

CaringGerinurse525 · May 9, 2015

In PA, once you graduate from a nursing program, you are a graduate nurse. So your friend is a nurse. She is not a registered nurse until she passes her boards.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · May 9, 2015

Thank you everyone for the clarification.

ExpBrittany · May 9, 2015

Hmmmm, I don't see anything wrong with the girl calling herself a nurse. As someone stated above, I think she is just really happy. It's really not that serious. It's not like she is giving people medical advice. Let her have her have her moment. She earned it.

rob4546, BSN, MSN · May 9, 2015

. It's really not that serious. It's not like she is giving people medical advice. Let her have her have her moment. She earned it.

Graduate nurse yes, registered nurse no. It would be illegal to represent yourself as a registered nurse if you are not licensed.

Telling friends and family that she is a nurse, eh..... grey area because she is a graduate nurse. Happy and excited, sure. She should not misrepresent yourself.

CamillusRN, BSN · May 9, 2015

I am located in a state that allows graduates of a nursing program to legally refer to themselves as 'graduate nurses' or 'GNs.' They may utilize this title until they take NCLEX. If they pass, of course they are RNs.
But if they fail NCLEX, they must stop utilizing the 'GN' title and privileges.

Same in my state.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 9, 2015

Good day:
May I have a reality check? A fellow nursing student friend of mine just graduated for which I and many others are happy for this person. They started sharing to family and friends, "I am now a nurse."
Am I being too harsh to think / state that's the title of nurse is reserved for when one passes their boards and obtains their license?
Thank you.

A nurse is a nurse. Here in TX when I graduated from my LVN program I could practice as an GVN. When I graduate from my RN program I can practice as an GN. So she is a nurse, she has a temporary license until she either fails her boards & looses the license or passes her boards & gets her license.