So You've Graduated...Now What?

So you've suffered through two years of sleepless nights, stressful exams, and endless essays.. Think your life is going to get easier once you walk out of that last day of registration?? Think again! That's when all the fun really starts. Take it from someone who is still waiting for her registration (yes, and it's almost December!)so she can get out there and put all that newfound knowledge to good use! I can tell you that I did not expect this process to be so long, confusing, and frustrating, and if I can, I'd love to be able to save someone else the hassles I could have saved myself had I known what I was in for! Here is my "so-you've-graduated-now-what" guide to survival:

1. Invest in some good resources for studying for the CPNRE!! There are resources available through the CNO website, as well as written material specific to the CPNRE that contains hundreds of excellent questions similar to what you'll see on the test. Definitely worth it!

2. Pay attention to deadlines!! The CNO doesn't mess around when it comes to getting things in on time, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get all that documentation in.. and take mailing and processing days into consideration!

3. If all your friends are receiving their specific exam info in the mail (specifying which location you'll be writing), and you don't get yours, don't panic! Call the CNO, ensure that you're registered to write, where, and when, and be there. I didn't get these papers, and thought it was going to be a headache, but the line for those without documentation is MUCH shorter! It actually saved me a lot of time! :)

4. Be patient! You thought you were going to die of anticipation when your teacher took a week and a half to return those test marks? Get ready for the wait of a life time.. They estimate 4-6 weeks for the results, but anticipate 6!!

5. In the meantime, a TEMPORARY LICENSE is the way to go!!! Here is where I made my biggest mistake. It isn't cheap, but if you work out the cost against the pay, you'll be paying for that license pretty quickly! Without it, you could be waiting until, well, December, to start working as an RPN

6. Get your police check as soon as possible!! It's necessary for a lot of things, and it's best to always just have a current CPIC on hand. Also, when you go to the police station, request extra copies (as many as you can get!!), they're usually free
and will definitely come in handy (needed for temporary and initial registration - original copies!)

7. Be on the ball! I know it's hard not to, but check the mail everyday! When you receive your documentation, send it in ASAP, of fax if possible.. the quicker the better!

8. Get on the phone! Call the CNO, check where you are in the process, and ensure that you're up-to-date with the documentation that you were supposed to submit.. they're not going to notify you if something is missing or insufficient, so it's best to stay on the safe side!

9. Once you've sent away for your initial registration and it has seemed like you've been waiting forever (but it's actually only been a couple weeks!), call the CNO, ask them if they've processed your information and if you have received a registration number yet. You are able to work as long as you've got that magic number!

10. Find a healthy way to vent all the frustrations that you're going to encounter along the way!

Check out the CNO's fact sheet for the CNPRE
http://www.cno.org/docs/reg/45030_fsNatlexam.pdf