How to Become a Nurse:
Your Nursing Career Guide

“How many times can I take the NCLEX?”If you’re asking this question, chances are you did not pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and are wondering when you can try again—and what to do next time.Pass rates for the NCLEX are high, between about 89% for RN candidates and 91% for PN candidates. However, not every nursing school graduate gets good news about their results from their state’s  Nursing Revie ...

As you study for your NCLEX, should you consider enrolling in a boot camp? The idea of preparing for the examination in a compressed time frame can sound appealing. But will it be adequate to pass NCLEX on your first attempt? Let’s examine the pros and cons of choosing a boot camp for your unique situation. What is a boot camp? A boot camp is a brief, intense, and rigorous course of study or training. Originally meant to introduce new recrui ...

How much does it cost to take your NCLEX and get your nursing license?There are a few expenses that are required before you can obtain your state license to practice as a professional nurse: Pass your NCLEX and obtain results. Application to State Board of Nursing (SBN)/Board of Nursing (BON). Click on the state’s link below to be directed to its SBN/BON for more details.  NOTE: Check the state’s SBN webs ...

“Will I pass my NCLEX?” “Do the Next Generation (NGN) test items make it more difficult?” “What are the pass rates since NCLEX added the ongoing case studies?”Nurse Plus receives queries like these all the time. Passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is the final—and necessary--step in obtaining a professional license for nursing graduates in the United States, Canada, and Australia. NCLEX validates the new nurse’s kn ...

Well, New Nurse, are you ready to get hired? You’ll need to create a compelling resume that attracts the attention of the hiring personnel at the organizations where you want to work. It’s not hard to write a resume; there are great templates that will make it easy to format your education and skills. And with a few tips, you can complete it in a few hours.As a new graduate, or a nurse with little or no experience, it can be challenging to ...

Your nursing education teaches you everything about providing outstanding patient care. You are well prepared in details, from interpreting lab values to determining nursing interventions to implementing critical thinking. But what about actually getting your dream job after you graduate and get your license? Are you prepared for that?Nurse Plus is committed to giving you the tools you need to succeed as a new nurse. We’re with you from pre ...

“Code Blue!” Picture these scenarios:After receiving the change-of-shift handoff, you enter your patient’s room to introduce yourself and do a quick assessment. The patient has been stable since their uncomplicated surgical procedure, but now they aren’t breathing. The wife of another nurse’s assigned patient comes running down the hall and grabs you, yelling, “My husband just ‘fainted’ and I can’t wake him up!” You follow her ...

Your nursing education prepared you for all types of clinical situations. And hiring prospects for a new nurse are very, very promising. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for nurses is expected to grow 6% a year through 2032—faster than the average for most other occupations.But getting your dream assignment isn’t a guarantee. Even with the ongoing nursing shortage, employers want to select the best possible candidate fo ...

Some of the most dreaded test items on the NCLEX involve pharmacology. Learning hundreds of medications—generic names are used on NCLEX—for a wide range of conditions can seem overwhelming. Remember that the purpose of NCLEX is to ensure you can provide SAFE and efficient care to clients, so pharmacology is going to be a crucial part of your examination.The 2023 NCLEX-RN Test Plan states that 16% (range 13-19%) of the test items cov ...