Which states hire nursing students pending RN licensing?

klone, MSN, RN · Jan 10, 2011

I don't know that it's regulated by state, but rather facility.

I was hired pending NCLEX, but as a "nurse extern II".

ObtundedRN, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2011

I know in my area, they may extend a job offer that is contingent on passing the NCLEX. But you will not start working prior to taking and passing the boards. I've heard of people working as externs, where they perform mostly CNA duties while waiting to take boards. They don't do that in my area.

Mandychelle79, ASN, RN · Jan 10, 2011

I know there are several states that hire nursing students pending that they pass the NCLEX. I am really interested in working in Pennsylvania when I graduate, but I would like to have job security before I move there. Do you know if PA is a state that hires pending you become licensed as an RN?

In Pa you can work as a Graduate Nurse, provided you have not taken the NCLEX and failed. Some facilities do hire GN's others do not. Depends on their history. If you do get hired as a GN and fail the NCLEX you either are out of a job or they may allow you to work as an aide ( if you are working in a LTC, you must be certified). One hospital near me hires GN's and does allow you to work as a aide if you do not pass, the other hospital does not hire GN's at all because they have been burned many times.

elkpark · Jan 10, 2011

There are some states that still offer "graduate nurse" status and issue temporary permits to those who have graduated from nursing school but not yet taken the NCLEX, and it looks like PA is one of them (according to the BON website). However, be aware that, even in the states that offer this option, there is no requirement that employers hire GN (graduate nurse) individuals, and many (most?) employers aren't willing to do so anymore.

Also, be aware that a temporary permit is only valid until you take the NCLEX (the first time). If you pass, you get a "real" license, so there's no further need for the permit. However, if you don't pass the NCLEX, a temporary permit (and this is the case in any state) immediately becomes invalid and you cannot work as a GN until you do pass the NCLEX and get a permanent license. In that case, some employers will allow the individual to work as a CNA or other non-licensed role until s/he gets licensed, and some employers will just fire you. That is entirely the employer's choice.

With as long as it's taking many new grads to find work these days, I would encourage you to focus your energy on passing the NCLEX ASAP after graduating, and job-hunting. A temporary permit may not even be an issue (they date from the days when the boards were only offered twice a year and it took six to eight weeks to get results back -- it could easily be six months or so between graduating from school and finally getting licensed. Now that people can schedule the NCLEX at any time that suits them, most employers are not interested in keeping track of GNs and their licensure status).

Best wishes!

(ETA: Ooops, I see that Mandychelle posted the same info while I was composing my reply. Sorry for the duplication!)

SNB1014, RN · Jan 10, 2011

i went to penn state UP and a number of bsn students and i were able to get a job pending nclex. good luck!

SNB1014, RN · Jan 10, 2011

i would also like to add that your best bet would be to search for new grad residencies, etc. you WANT paid training, and a lot of it :-)

kemsie123 · Jan 11, 2011

I agree with ObtundedRN. you can be offered an RN position with a contingency offer pending you pass the NCLEX. If you pass the NCLEX, at that point you'll be given a final offer letter.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jan 11, 2011

Yes, PA is a state that issues Temporary Practice Permits. They are valid until your results from the first time you take NCLEX are available. It has been common practice in PA to hire Graduate Nurses, but hiring is certainly tighter than it once was.

noahsmama · Jan 11, 2011

In California, you can get an Interim Permit between graduating nursing school and taking the NCLEX, and in the past, some hospitals did hire interim permittees -- a few people from my May '08 nursing school class did get hired as IPs. However, as someone else noted, it is becoming less and less common for hospitals to hire people who don't have their licenses yet -- heck, it's hard enough for a new grad to get a job even if you do already have your license. I second the advice to focus on passing the NCLEX asap after graduation -- I did, and had my license less than 3 weeks after I graduated.

Good luck!

BOOYARN · Jan 11, 2011

ALLL states hire RNS as GNS graduate nurses with an ATT (athorization to test) letter

heathert_kc · Jan 11, 2011

Actually that is not true I graduated December 2008 and was told that as of a year and a half or so previous to that my state was no longer allowing LPNs or RNs to work without a license. I was bummed to learn that because my cousins who finished her program a couple years before me had worked several months as a GN, before passing her boards. That's in Kansas btw, not sure about other states.