Become a Registered Nurse in Vermont - VT

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: February, 19 2010

How to Become an RN in Vermont

After successful completion of one of the Vermont RN programs there are three ways to gain your RN license in Vermont

• License by Examination
• License by Endorsement
• License by Re-Entry

Examination: To qualify to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), you must first submit an application, recent photograph and a $90 fee to the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation’s Board of Nursing. 

After the Vermont Board of Nursing grants you an authorization to test (ATT), you may register with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to take the NCLEX-RN by computer for a $200 fee. You must take the exam in an authorized testing center. It consists of anywhere from 75 to 256 questions to be answered in five hours. How many questions you must answer (and how long the test actually takes you) depends on how many correct answers you give early in the test.

Endorsement: To be licensed by endorsement means you have already earned your license through examination in another state and were an RN in good standing there. You must have practiced as an RN for at least 50 days in the past two years or 120 days in the past five years. Make sure you have a clean record in Vermont (including having paid all child support and taxes). Verification of your other state license is done through NURSYS, a service of the NCSBN that offers reciprocity between all U.S. states except Alabama, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. If your license is in one of these non-NURSYS states, you must re-take the NCLEX-RN to become licensed in Vermont.

Re-Entry: At some point in your career, you may wish to change your license to inactive, then return to work later on. Or, you may have your license revoked or suspended for a while, and then be permitted to apply again. The application for re-entry must accompany either the endorsement or renewal application. You will likely be required to sit through a re-entry program to update or correct any issues that caused you to lose your license in the first place.

Your RN license must be renewed every two years to remain valid.

Vermont Organizations for Registered Nurses

Vermont State Nurses’ Association, Inc. (VSNA)

A constituent member of the American Nurses Association, this group has advocated for registered nurses in Vermont since 1914. Membership allows you to influence decisions in Vermont regarding healthcare, practice standards and issues, legislation and occupational health and safety.

Vermont State Nurses’ Association
100 Dorset Street, #13
South Burlington, Vermont 05403
802-651-8886
vsna-inc.org

Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Vermont and New Hampshire (VNAH)
This group serves 86 towns and cares for more than 6,000 people in the region, visiting patients, offering wellness and education programs and delivering home healthcare services.

Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of VT and NH
66 Benning St., Suite 6
West Lebanon, NH 03784
Phone: (888) 300-8853
vnavnh.org