I am about to graduate in December from an ADN program and now I am beginning to wonder if it is wise to take a position as a Graduate Nurse and then take the boards. Or should I take the boards and pass before I take a position anywhere?

It all depends on how likely you are to pass.

We don't have anything like NCLEX in Australia, but we apply for jobs midyear in our final year. We are interviewed 2 months before finishing and find out if we have a position a month before finishing. If we do fail (God forbid) we just contact our grad nurse provider (grad nurse program leader from the hospital) and tell them that we will not be finishing this year.

__________________
'Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiselingand scraping and polishing. - BC Forbes'

Go get a job. Working experience is a great way sharpening your knowledge base, and preparing you for your test.

MJ

__________________
Sanity is madness put to good use. George Santayana.

http://nurse-ratcheds.blogspot.com

Mother can you please clarify:
Don't you need the NCLEX to be registered as a nurse (RN)?

__________________
'Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiselingand scraping and polishing. - BC Forbes'

New kids right out of school can work as an RNLP "license pending." Back in the days before computers, it would take MONTHS to find out if we passed our boards. Thank goodness that they let us work under a previsional RNLP status.

MJ

__________________
Sanity is madness put to good use. George Santayana.

http://nurse-ratcheds.blogspot.com

I second the motion. Get a job. We have GNs (Graduate Nurses) working all the time until they test and get their results. In a worse case scenario (won't happen to you!), if they don't pass on the first attempt, they continue working as techs while they retest. Keeps them in the system and part of the team. Find out what the standard approach is where you are. The people at your school should be able to tell you.

Go for it!

__________________
Mordechai Y. Scher
ER nurse, SVRMC, Santa Fe, NM USA
Flight Paramedic, MedFlight Air Ambulance, ABQ, NM USA