Nebraska Nursing License

The demand for nurses has been greatly increasing for the past few years, especially in the US. Thus, obtaining a nursing license may lead to many job opportunities and offers in the sphere of nursing.

To become a licensed nurse in the state of Nebraska, you will need a Nebraska nursing license lookup. But before that, look through this article and find out many things on the licensing procedure you did not know before.

How do I become a registered nurse in Nebraska?

Step 1: Earn your degree

After graduating from high school, a future nurse must, first of all, earn his/her degree. You should attend and complete a professional nursing program. It is extremely important to complete a board-approved program. Otherwise, you will not get your nursing license as the state of Nebraska does not accept alternative education.

Think carefully before choosing the nursing program. Earn the right degree. You can get either Bachelor’s Degree (BSN) or Associate Degree (ADN) in nursing. The former takes four years, while the latter takes three years in Nebraska.

Usually, most students prefer to earn a Bachelor’s Degree. They do so as there are greater job opportunities that require a BSN.

While attending the nursing programs, you should concentrate on these subjects:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Nutrition
• Chemistry
• Psychology
• Nursing care/practice
• Biology

Step 2: Apply for the nursing license

The next licensing step is to apply for the nursing license. Submit your application to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. The application fee is $123.

Here is the contact information in case you need it:

Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509
Phone: (402) 471-3121

Step 3: Criminal Background Check and Fingerprints

As you may see, the criminal background check is a necessity in most of the states in the US. In Nebraska, you are required to pass the check, too. Background check fee is $28.75

If you already have a criminal background check for other license, you will still need to obtain a new one for your license application.

Step 4: Pass the NCLEX-RN

Once your application has been approved, you can register to take the NCLEX-RN. You must pay $200 examination fee.

The examination contains maximum 265 multiple-choice, multiple-response, fill-in-the-blank, and drag-and-drop questions. There will also be 15 experimental questions. These 15 questions will not count for the final result. All questions touch on nursing content.

The examination is difficult to pass. It is intentionally difficult to assess one’s knowledge of nursing. It determines whether you are ready to qualify for a nurse and start practicing nursing.

Additional information on becoming a Registered Nurse

If you have attended and graduated from a foreign education program, you must also take an English exam. It is meant to test your proficiency in English and understand if you can work with clients across the US. You will be required to take one of these internationally-known exams:

• TOEFL
• IELTS
• TOEIC

You might also want to find out how much registered nurses earn each year. Well, an average nurse makes from $48k to $104k a year. The amount of money is, indeed, pretty reasonable compared to other professions. Note the more professional you are, the higher your income will be.

How long does it take to get a Nebraska nursing license?

If you meet all the state requirements and provide all the documents, you will receive your nursing license in about 8 weeks. When the documents are ready and your application is verified, you will receive the license in five business days.

Note that pre-license education will take you about five years.

How do I renew my Nebraska nursing license?

In Nebraska, you must renew your nursing license every two years. You can renew it provided that you have completed 20 hours of acceptable continuing education within the past two years.

Another requirement for license renewal is to have practiced at least 500 hours of nursing in the last five years. You should pay $123 for license renewal.

Is Nebraska a compact state for nursing?

As of now, there are 34 states that participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). The state of Nebraska is one of them.
NLC allows nurses to have one license work and practice nursing in multiple states. If you have a multistate license, then you can use it in another compact state.

It is up to you to choose whether you want a multistate license or a single state license.