I didn’t take my state boards when I graduated five years ago due to family circumstances. I am now ready to pursue the career I worked so hard for. Where do I begin?
Friday December 19, 2008
Print This- Select Text Size:
Comments
advertisement
I graduated from nursing school about five years ago, and I never took my state board exam. When I was graduating from nursing school, I was eight months pregnant. My child was born with a disability, so I had to put my nursing career on the back burner. I am now ready to pursue the career I worked so hard for, but I have no idea where to begin. Do you have any suggestions?
Simone
Apply to your state board of nursing to take the exam. Enroll in an NCLEX review course to prepare you to take your boards. Once you have received your license, you will need to take a refresher course, complete with precepted clinical experience, to get up to speed with practice.
In the meantime, you should start doing volunteer work in the healthcare setting to ease your way back into the world of nursing and the workplace in general. Let them know you are a graduate nurse who is working toward getting licensed.
You can definitely do this. Set your sights on your goal, and move forward.
My best wishes,
Donna
Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek’s “Dear Donna” and author of Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional and The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career. Information about the books is available at www.nurse.com/CE/7010 and www.nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to www.nurse.com/asktheexperts/deardonna. Find a “Dear Donna” seminar near you: Call (800) 866-0919 or visit http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.
Reader Comments
Login
Be the first to comment!