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A Nursing Career Resource with Licensing Info & Job Openings
Many people decide on a career in nursing, but not all that join nursing classes find that they are able to stay with the career. Often the choice is one of financial necessity. Nurses do make a very good hourly wage in most states. However, the physical and mental demands of the career can leave some people feeling drained. Others are just unable to handle working in certain sectors. With the variety of job openings, even people that have an aversion to certain situations can work in nursing.
If you believe that nursing is right for you, you will need to enroll in nursing school. A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program is about one year in length. Registered Nurse (RN) programs have two levels, Associate's and Bachelor's (ASN and BSN). These are two years and four years respectively. You will complete classroom work and clinicals. Clinicals are manual skills training in a hands on setting among real patients.
You will need to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) once you have finished all of your nursing courses. To do this, you must fill out an application for testing and include a processing fee payment. This payment is non-refundable and must be sent every time you apply for testing. The test has a minimum of 75 questions and is fully automated. You will know instantly on the day of testing if you have passed or failed the exam. You will pay the testing fee when you arrive to the test facility. If you pass the NCLEX, you will be issued a license. The license is sent via United States Postal Service and takes about a month to arrive. If you have moved to New Mexico from another state, it is possible to petition for licensure through endorsement. If you have completed nursing training in another state, but did not take the test before moving to New Mexico, you may also petition to take the NCLEX in New Mexico by sending in the information stating the validity of your education.
You must renew your nursing license every two years in New Mexico. Continuing education may be required during the two years previous, but the state may change requirements. If requirements are changed, you will be notified. Renewal letters are mailed by the board of nursing about six weeks before licenses are due for renewal.
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