No NCLEX Results? No Problem; Thanks to New Law in Rhode Island

• Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee signed into law last month the Rhode Island Holistic Enhancement and Access Legislation for Total Health (HEALTH) Initiative, which included a bill that allows nurses who haven’t taken the NCLEX exam, or are waiting for NCLEX results, to practice in the state.
• However, nurses would still need to be licensed within 90 days “from the date on the department’s licensing application fee receipt,” according to the bill.
• The Hospital Association of Rhode Island supported the measure.

Rhode Island now allows nurses who haven’t taken the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), or who are waiting for their exam results, to practice in the state. 

The change is part of the Rhode Island Holistic Enhancement and Access Legislation for Total Health (HEALTH) Initiative, which Gov. Dan McKee signed into law last month. Issues ranging from consumer protection to cost containment are addressed across more than 20 provisions in the bill package.

With support from the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, the exam exemption is the state’s latest attempt to ease its workforce shortage. However, the Ocean State isn’t the only one with exemptions or provisions for those who haven’t received NCLEX results. 

What Does This Mean?

Nestled in the Rhode Island HEALTH Initiative, the NCLEX measure (2024-S 2083, 2024-H 7826) called for nurses to be exempt from “certain licensing requirements to practice before taking and receiving results” from the exam. 

However, nurses would still need to be licensed within 90 days “from the date on the department’s licensing application fee receipt,” the bill states.

Rep. Stephen Casey, who sponsored the measure in the House of Representatives, said in a news release that the legislation is an “easy,” short-term step to help alleviate the nursing shortage.

“We did the same thing during the pandemic by executive order, so we know that it works,” Casey said.

Nurses should receive NCLEX exam results within six weeks, but can receive unofficial results in two business days if their nursing regulatory body is part of the Quick Results Service.

Senate Majority Whip Valarie Lawson, also a bill sponsor, said in the release that allowing new graduate nurses to begin on-the-job training before receiving NCLEX results is a tool “nurses and healthcare facilities have been asking for.” 

To her point, the Hospital Association of Rhode Island (HARI) threw its support behind the measure.

“By allowing nursing graduates to practice pending the results of their NCLEX, this law provides a critical buffer that helps bridge the gap between academic preparation and full licensure,” M. Teresa Paiva Weed, HARI president, stated in the release. “This change will not only bolster our health care workforce but also support new graduates as they transition into their professional roles, reducing administrative delays that currently hinder immediate employment and practice.”

Have Other States Allowed NCLEX Results Exemptions? Kind of.

To practice as a registered nurse, graduates must pass the NCLEX exam in all U.S. states and territories. However, several states have provisions under their boards of nursing that allow new graduate nurses to work before receiving NCLEX results, though not necessarily in a full capacity. 

In California, nurses who meet certain requirements can apply for an interim permit while awaiting NCLEX results. The permit is valid for six months, or until the nurse receives their results.

North Dakota allows for a work authorization that expires in 90 days, or once NCLEX results are received. The authorization, only valid within the state, remains in effect after passage of the exam, but with a criminal history check pending, which also must be obtained within 60 days of graduation.

To confirm if a state allows exemptions or temporary permits for new graduate nurses, contact the local nursing board. 

Addressing the Rhode Island Shortage

This measure was just the latest move for Rhode Island to address its workforce shortage. In January, the state rejoined the Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurses who were issued a multistate license can now work across state lines without needing licensing in other states, so long as they too are part of the compact.

“Nurses are the backbone of our state’s healthcare facilities,” McKee stated at the time of the announcement. “Amid the current national healthcare worker shortage, we are doing everything we can to make it convenient and attractive for them to work in Rhode Island.”

Richard Charest, Rhode Island Executive Health and Human Services secretary, said the licensure compact “lessens the administrative burden” on nurses. 

The Bottom Line

Rhode Island now allows new graduate nurses to practice in the state while awaiting their NCLEX results, though some provisions exist under its new law. The move is the latest by the state to address its workforce shortage. In January, Rhode Island rejoined the Nurse Compact Licensure.  

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