I am a nurse in the Philippines.
I have garnered the bachelor of science degree and passed the local board exam or the philippine licensure exam in 2013. They (as in people) said it is better for a fresh grad like me to continue to study for the NCLEX because my mind is still fresh with all the nursing concepts. A year and months after that, i bravely took the NCLEX or the nursing council licensure examination for the state of Colorado.It took me that period of time because of the processing of papers plus the problems with the website that i encountered which i think depends on the state(well, this are things that may be out of your control.So this is like saying we must be ready to expect delays because ,you know, things happen for a purpose) i did not go to NEAC anymore because i think i’ll be saving more since they are asking service fees(of course, you have to pay for their service so that they will take all the hassle of communication,application and research from you)
Actually, there are 4 steps(based on my experience).
1.the first one is the credentials evaluation or verification through CGFNS in which i had to pay $485. the application was done online and there were ,i think, 14 steps to accomplish. Make sure you have a good online connection so it will not take a long time and hassle during the payment process. ( If you are on the last step and the connection had been lost, you wouldn’t be sure if your transaction has been completed. the tendency is you might reenter your credit card details and be credited twice)So after the pagyment,there are downloadable forms that your school and the licensing office -which is PRC in our case- to accomplish. these forms must be sent to CGFNS office in Philadelphia. In PRC, they. will ask you if you want to send it through snail mail. and the other hand is the express mail through Dhl. which is 1.5k somethinng during my time.(nov 2013). you should also know which state you are going to apply since they will be endorsing your papers to their BON or board of nursing.I chose colorado because they do not require ssn. My relatives are in New jersey but since it is within the compact states of colorado(and other states) i no longer needed to apply license for reciprocity that others do.
Also, if i may advise you, never miss to check your spam folder because that is basically your means of communication with CGFNS. Just like in my case, i had waited for several months after my first step i did check my email several times. december,january, february,march april had come by and there was no email from them that i received. i checked cgfns, and saw that they sent me an email dated on february. little did i know it was in my spam folder. So, it caused the delay for me to send my lacking requirements
if you are not in a rush, i think it is okay to send. it through the snail mail because it. issd cheaper.in colorado, the applicants are required to pass the ielts with overall band score of 7 with. the speaking subtest grade of 7. the british council already sent my test results form to CGFNS.(june2014)(
2. Second step is when you have to pay for the BON.That is if your requirements-BSNdegree,nursing subject units, nursing duty hours,english exam(ielts or toefl,depends on the requirement. of the state) etc -have successfully passed the evaluation of CGFNS .
As far as i remember, i paid $88 . i paid it through PNB bank draft (august2014). i was informed that i should do a paper application rather than online application because i do not have ssn.i had a lot of issues with my application to DORA or the Department of Regulatory Agencies.Luckily, with constant communication through email and overseas calls, i think thew process is quite fast.Sometimes,you really have to keep in touch with this people cause,mind you, they are also processing numbers of applicants.So following up is required.With that, i had to pay using a bankdraft and not through credit card.They required me to complete a health profile. this is done online because they are now paperless, Because i do not have SSN,as mentioned earlier, i also sent them an SSN affidavit.i sent my documents to colorado through philpost, and they receive it. So if your question is if your documents will be really sent there, then it is yes. it costs 900 something. Also, they said i had to register to pearson vue before they give me the ATT.(sept2014).upon registering you have to pay$200.
3.the third step is eligiblity.Upon accomplishment of their review of BOard of nursing of your requirements, they will make you eligble to take the test. i received my eligibility to take the exam on sept 18 2014.And within hours, i received my ATT. the att is from BON.
“Registration Time Limit
Your NCLEX examination registration will remain open for a 365-day time period during which a board of nursing may determine your eligibility. The time period begins when the board of nursing/regulatory body (BON/RB) receives your registration from the test service. Once you are made eligible, you will receive your Authorization to Test (ATT). The 365-day time period will end at this point and you must take your examination within the validity dates designated on your ATT.”
4. fourth step is the scheduling of your exam to. pearson vue. wellthis is it.. You might feel the nervousness. you can schedule through their website,so you will use credit card.you can also call them .the scheduling fee is $150.the exam center here in manila is in trident tower makati along gil puyat ave. it is actually easy to go there. it is right in front of BIR makati or feu makati. this is near RCBC building.i took my exam on october30.
to end this, i just want to remind you that this about my experience during the nclex application in the state of colorado. you may have a different processes duration and requirements depending on the state your applying to. Anyway, the major steps-cgfns credential evaluation, BON eligibility,att,scheduling -are pretty much the same.As for me, the steps have been overlapping. Wish you all the best.God bless.
dated:November 2014