What Does A Graduate Nurse Do?

Updated:   Published

Hello, I am about to graduate nursing school. I'm beginning transitions next week, and I applied for an GN/RN position on the same floor I'm doing my transitions. I don't plan on taking my NCLEX immediately, I plan on taking this job and working as a GN and then take my NCLEX most likely 2-3mos post-graduation. I will remain on the same unit, just from a GN to an RN. My school hasn't explained what a GN does. I'm wondering how different it is compared to being a nurse, and what level of independence there is. There is a pay cut of that and a newly licensed nurse so I'm assuming we have less autonomy. Thanks!

Specializes in ICU.

Agree with the rest, take your NCLEX as soon as you're eligible to do it. When I was a new grad the hospital I was hired at used the graduate nurse thing as kinda a loophole to hire us as nurses prior to us being officially licensed, but we were expected to have our license in hand by orientation. Make sure your hospital doesn't do something like that too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Virginia has a Registered Nurse Applicant - RNA. You can be an RNA for a short period, maybe 90 days? You can only be an RNA if you have applied to take the NCLEX. If you fail, you lose RNA status.

My hospital hired me as an RNA (from my ER PCT position) as soon as I got my ATT, and I passed the NCLEX a couple of weeks later.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

FL has Graduate Nurse status. I believe it is only good for up to 3 months or until you pass/fail the NCLEX. I also believe it is something that the BON has to issue.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Specialty RN.

I am graduating in April and I've already decided that I am not starting work until I take the NCLEX. I plan to take it right away though but not start work until July after I've spent a little bit of the summer with my kids who have barely seen me since I started nursing school!

Pay close attention to what happens to your position if you don't pass the NCLEX though....In our hospital system, if you start working as a GN and you fail the NCLEX, they bump you down to a PCT until you pass. I think that would be a pretty rough transition to work as a GN on the floor and then all of the sudden be the floor PCT. That's a stress of failure I don't need.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Do not wait to take the NCLEX. You don't want to waste your employer's time by waiting and possibly not passing, not to mention you'll be a burden to the RN who lets you practice under her license. It's a quick way to earn a bad name.

**Pet peeve misconception alert!**

The GN does not work under the license of the RN. The only person who works under a license is the person who is named on it. The GN works under their own temporary practice permit. Students learn under an exception to the license requirement. No one works under anyone else's license.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

It depends on the facility and the state. I graduated in a state with no "graduate nurse" status. You were a nurse the day you passed the NCLEX, and not one day sooner. I graduated May 31st and took the NCLEX July 24th.

I did some job hunting in Pittsburgh as a new grad. Apparently, PA nurses with a "temporary practice permit" can't hang blood or take telephone orders.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I find that really odd that your school wouldnt teach you to the test.

Everything we did in college was about preparing us to take the final exam and start working as a registered novice nurse

The pass rates for the state final exam are routinely between 95-100% of all graduates

Believe it... it was one of those schools that emphasized research, cqi, management. A lot of the practical stuff was glossed over with them saying "you'll learn it on the job." Frankly, I attribute our high pass rate to the caliber of the students, not the instruction (it was the flagship college of our state). The earliest I heard of my class taking the nclex was a month after graduation...and she said she basically spent M-F all day studying in a library during that month.

Anyway, point being not all schools are equal and it may be entirely reasonable to take a few months after graduation to prepare for the nclex.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Rehab, acute/critical care.

I agree with the previous responses, I would suggest taking the NCLEX soon after graduation. I precept a lot of new hires on my unit and it would be annoying having to wait several months for them to be licensed. It hinders the learning because I will not let a new nurse without passing boards pass medications or document by themselves. I imagine some directors would require a set amount of time to take the NCLEX or not consider you employed until you are closer to taking the NCLEX.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I find that really odd that your school wouldnt teach you to the test.

Everything we did in college was about preparing us to take the final exam and start working as a registered novice nurse

The pass rates for the state final exam are routinely between 95-100% of all graduates

Heck, most schools refuse to let you graduate until you pass some type of mock exam to prove you that you can pass the NCLEX.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I get the feeling you are misunderstanding the graduate nurse role. It's not actually a job you can be in for months on end. You are usually hired as a graduate nurse in a nurse residency program. It's contingent that you pass your nclex. My hospital gave people a certain period of time to take and pass nclex.

You would be in an orientation period so you would have a preceptor. It depends on individual hospital policy as to what you are able to do. Some places, you are in more if a tech role as you are not licensed. You have to understand that. You are not licensed so you are not technically a nurse. Yes, you have graduated with a degree in nursing, but that does not make you a nurse.

Take your nclex as quickly as possible. I got my ATI the day after graduation and took it less than a month after graduation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER - trauma/cardiac/burns. IV start spec.

I was in the last group of pencil and paper NCLEX takers. We all had to wait until the test was offered but we all signed up for the very first chance to take the exam. Actually we signed up for the test before graduation. Ours was 2 days, 4 testing periods and 6 weeks of waiting. I graduated on a Friday, started working as a new grad the following Monday. I think we had to wait about 4 weeks for testing. I worked with a lot of people in the ER that were in nursing school after me and they were the first ones taking the computer form of the test. Every one of them took the test within 3 weeks of graduating, every one. No one took "time off" before the test. The knowledge was fresh in their minds with no chance of work experience effecting their answers. School is the ideal but work is the reality. Get the test over with as soon as possible. That way there will be no sudden snags for you and your license will be yours sooner. I would have loved being able to take the computer test as those 2 days were sheer hell. Our school had 100% passing rates but my group had a 98% - there was one girl that went into delivery during the 2nd half of the first day. Medics in the hall, she is screaming she is going to finish the test but the baby had other plans. We also had one male that decided to not show for the last section on the 2nd day. He had finished 3 sections and just did not show after lunch - never found out why. I fear the longer you wait the harder it will be. Just do it ASAP.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
I was in the last group of pencil and paper NCLEX takers. We all had to wait until the test was offered but we all signed up for the very first chance to take the exam. Actually we signed up for the test before graduation. Ours was 2 days, 4 testing periods and 6 weeks of waiting. I graduated on a Friday, started working as a new grad the following Monday. I think we had to wait about 4 weeks for testing. I worked with a lot of people in the ER that were in nursing school after me and they were the first ones taking the computer form of the test. Every one of them took the test within 3 weeks of graduating, every one. No one took "time off" before the test. The knowledge was fresh in their minds with no chance of work experience effecting their answers. School is the ideal but work is the reality. Get the test over with as soon as possible. That way there will be no sudden snags for you and your license will be yours sooner. I would have loved being able to take the computer test as those 2 days were sheer hell. Our school had 100% passing rates but my group had a 98% - there was one girl that went into delivery during the 2nd half of the first day. Medics in the hall, she is screaming she is going to finish the test but the baby had other plans. We also had one male that decided to not show for the last section on the 2nd day. He had finished 3 sections and just did not show after lunch - never found out why. I fear the longer you wait the harder it will be. Just do it ASAP.

In 1972, texas diploma school, I also took the pencil test two days of hades, first opportunity...was 4-6 weeks after graduating, But a. A fresh graduate at that time (3hours) was charge in CCU......a month later in Memphis, I was hired at a teaching hospital as GN...inn CCU...and at that time at least in Texas and Tenn....a GN preformed as a RN.....the Memphis hospital granted me off days to take the grueling......2 day exam......a lot has changed......some for the better some for the ?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion