| Allied Health World Home | Registered Nurse | |
Become a Registered Nurse in Oklahoma - OK
By an allied health world contributing writerPublished: February 19th, 2010
How to Become an RN in Oklahoma
In the 2004 survey of OK registered nurses (RNs) by the Nurse Workforce Data System (University of Texas in partnership with the Oklahoma Nurses’ Association), it was found that Oklahoma’s nurses are older than the average nurse in the rest of America, and a significant number were anticipating retiring by 2022. So the demand is, and will continue to be high for RNs in the Sooner State for a while.
Almost 75 percent of the surveyed RNs reported general satisfaction with their jobs and the majority believe that their employers are making efforts toward improving the safety of their patients.
And that sums up nursing well. It is an incredibly rewarding and difficult job that involves long hours spent caring for patients, resulting in the ability to bring healing to those in need. If you are adept at math and science, compassionate and detail-oriented, nursing might be the ideal career for you. You can tailor the length of your education as you wish, and know that there are more opportunities ahead of you if you desire to learn more about medicine and nursing and choose a different path within the field.
Becoming a Registered Nurse in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing permits you to apply for a license to be an RN in the state by taking a national exam. If you have already taken the exam and earned a license in another state that participates in a reciprocal agreement called NURSYS, you can apply for a license by endorsement in Oklahoma. If your license has lapsed, or was suspended or revoked, you can apply for reinstatement in Oklahoma through the Board as well.
To be licensed by examination, the Board will want to see transcripts from one of the accredited Oklahoma RN programs, as well as your notarized application, a fee and a recent photograph.
Once the Board approves you to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam, you will submit an application and another fee to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), who administers the computer-based test through centers throughout the United States. You need not take the test in Oklahoma.
Upon satisfactorily passing the exam, the Board will mail your license and you can practice nursing unsupervised. Should you decide to move to another state and practice as an RN, you will have an easier time obtaining that state’s license if they are part of the NURSYS compact.