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A Nursing Career Resource with Licensing Info & Job Openings
After the global economic turndown, that began in 2008, many people decided to head back to school in order to increase their chances of finding a better career. Whether you are just out of high school or are thinking of changing careers, nursing may be right for you. Nursing has a huge demand, populations are growing older due to better healthcare. More infants are surviving childbirth and childhood disease, leading to a population surge globally. These factors mean that every person in a healthcare job can be sure that they will always be in demand.
Minnesota's board of nursing requires all people interested in nursing to attend an approved course. The courses can range from one year to four (or more for specialty nursing). The 'basic' levels of nursing are: Licensed Practical Nurse and Registered Nurse. LPNs have the lowest required coursework of about one year. RNs have two 'basic' levels- Associate's degree and Bachelor's degree. Any student that wishes to progress further must have the Bachelor's degree (BSN). Courses are divided into two portions, classroom and clinical. The clinical portion entails working in a healthcare setting, such as a hospital. Nursing students will meet with, observe, and also work with real patients.
Once all coursework has been finished and a student has passed the program (graduated), they may then apply for testing. Applying means that a student must download and fill out the application form and mail it into the state's board of nursing. A processing fee must be included with this form. This payment is not for testing, only for the processing of this application. Students receive approval letters in the mail, then they are able to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX. The test is the same in all states and is usually administered by Pearson Vue. Test takers must present a photo identification card and have payment for testing on hand unless they are sponsored by an employer. In some instances the fee may be covered by state aid. If a passing grade has been achieved, the license will be issued and will arrive in the mail sometime 4 to 6 weeks after testing. Nurses that have moved into that state and were licensed elsewhere will need to apply for licensure by endorsement. Nurses from out of the country will need to apply to take the NCLEX and provide documentation of their training.
Minnesota nurses must renew their license every other year. The state's board of nursing sends notifications when renewal is due.
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