Licensure and Certification
Registered Nurse (RN) Licensure
Students are eligible to apply to the National Council on Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN®) to become a Registered Nurse (RN) upon meeting the requirements specified by the Tennessee State Board of Nursing and upon recommendation by the faculty and the Dean. The following requirements must be met: (a) completion of the PreSpecialty portion of the curriculum; (b) good academic standing (semester and cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above); and (c) no final course grade below a B-, and no Incomplete grades. Students who are ineligible to take the NCLEX-RN® after completing the appropriate sequence of courses will not be allowed to enroll for specialty-level courses. For more information go to TN Board of Nursing.
Students who are not Registered Nurses are required to take examinations to prepare for the NCLEX-RN®. An assessment test is administered to students during the last semester of the PreSpecialty level.
Students who are not successful on the first writing of the NCLEX-RN® are subject to withdrawal from specialty level courses with a clinical component. The student cannot attend clinical practica until the R.N. license is obtained. The program of study for full-time students will be altered because of a delay in being able to participate in clinical courses. Additional semester(s) will be required to complete clinical courses.
Reporting NCLEX-RN® results: Students must notify their Specialty Director and Senior Associate Dean for Academics of their NCLEX-RN® results within 48 hours of receiving results (pass or fail). A copy of their RN License must be submitted to CastleBranch. Students who fail the NCLEX-RN® will not be allowed to participate in any specialty-level clinical courses until after they have successfully passed the NCLEX-RN®. Failure to notify the Specialty Director and Senior Associate Dean for Academics of failure of the NCLEX-RN® within 48 hours of receiving results will result in immediate dismissal from the school. Students who fail must make an appointment with the Senior Associate Dean for Academics or Assistant Dean for Academics and must submit a plan of study for preparation for the NCLEX-RN® second taking.
Preparation for the NCLEX-RN® includes but is not limited to:
1. NCLEX-RN® style exam questions and strategies for success are incorporated throughout the curriculum.
2. All students will complete the NCLEX-RN® Review Course at the end of semester three.
3. All students will complete a cumulative curriculum assessment exam. Students not achieving the benchmark score on the assessment exam are considered high-risk for not passing the NCLEX-RN® on the first attempt. For these students, individualized counseling and study plan development will occur based on personal learning preferences, content strengths and weaknesses, and confidence taking standardized exams.
Students who have test anxiety when taking standardized exams are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the University Counseling Center for evaluation and planning well before taking the NCLEX-RN®.
The PreSpecialty curriculum engages students with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience necessary for success on the NCLEX-RN®. However, it is each student’s responsibility to determine their mastery of the information and appropriately prepare to take the NCLEX-RN®.
Each summer, a mandatory session is held by the Senior Associate Dean for Academics for students who anticipate taking the NCLEX-RN® during the fall semester. This session reviews student eligibility for taking the NCLEX-RN®, advises students regarding preparation, and provides students with all necessary forms for registering for NCLEX-RN®.
The NCLEX-RN® is administered locally in Nashville at the Pearson Professional Center, Riverview Office Bldg., 545 Mainstream Drive, Suite 410, Nashville, TN 37228; Phone 615.255.8672. The NCLEX-RN® may also be taken at an official testing center in any state.
Out of State RN Licensure
It is recommended that all students receive their initial RN licensure in Tennessee. Students wishing to obtain an RN license in a state other than Tennessee will need to consult the State Board of Nursing in that state for specific application requirements. Applying in a state other than Tennessee may prolong the application approval process.
National Certification
Graduates of the MSN and Post-Master’s Certificate programs are encouraged to become certified in their specialty and should consult their specialty directors for details. Certification is offered through several professional nursing organizations. Graduates of each specialty are eligible to sit for the certification exams specific to their specialty. For more information, please visit the Web site specific to your specialty:
Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Emergency Nurse Practitioner
Family Nurse Practitioner
* Informatics
* Healthcare Leadership
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Nurse-Midwifery
Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (Family)
Women's Health Nurse Practitioner
* Graduates of the Nursing and Health Care Leadership and Nursing Informatics specialties are not required to obtain Advanced Practice Registered Nurse licensure.
