Incompetency of california board of nursing

U.S.A. California

Published

  1. Is CA BON's practice toward foreign graduate fair and just?

16 members have participated

Last February 20, 2014, I applied for a licensure thru endorsement with the California Board of Nursing. On the first week of April 2014, the BON requested additional documents like cases, academic calendar, copy of my social security card and local license (if any). I submitted everything on my part and the school where I graduated send the documents on their part.

ON April 17, 2014 I got a letter from CA BON that my license thru endorsement was approved. The following days, the certificate arrived from the mail then followed by the license card.

So I started to apply for a nursing job since I am a Registered Nurse in California. I got hired with one of the facility in Oxnard.

Then on May 5, 2015. The CA BON sent me an email that the license issued was an ERROR and I am no longer a Registered Nurse in California.

They did not even say SORRY for their mistake. They want me to return the certificate and the license within five days or else they will take actions against my license.

They have the GUTS to say that despite of what they have done to me.

They changed their mind because I am a FOREIGN GRADUATE. I am a US citizen and have the right to be treated humanely. This is true and I have documents to prove it because it really happened to me.

BEWARE OF THE SCHEME CALIFORNIA BOARD OF NURSING IS DOING. THEY WANT TO GENERATE MONEY BY FORCING FOREIGN GRADUATE TO TAKE UP CLASSES THEY HAVE ALREADY TAKEN. CALIFORNIA BOARD OF NURSING IS A SCAM ARTIST.

Specializes in PACU.

Are they now rejecting you because they think you are a non-U.S citizen who graduated from a U.S program or U.S Citizen who graduated from a foreign program? If your program is this issue, possibly appeal?

Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Many graduates of Filipino nursing schools have been rejected due to concurrency of clinical and theory for the past few years. There are other affected countries. The country of citizenship is not the issue but the country of education.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

While you can fault them for sending you a license before finding that the education might not be compliant, the issue with your education needs to be laid at the feet of the provider of the education and that you chose the program without adequate investigation as to whether it would be acceptable to the state of California.

The unusually strict requirements of the CA board have existed for a long time, though the strictness with which they enforce them started in the last 6-10 years. This issue has been well documented on this BB and quite well known with foreign providers of nursing education that frequently have students that apply for US licensure. This has been a known issue for quite a while. It is the duty of the individual that seeks licensure to make sure that the education they pay for is acceptable for the states where they wish to practice..

It is regrettable that the state initially permitted licensure and now has withdrawn it and quite distressing. I can fully understand your distress. But your major issue should be with your educational provider.

Kabayan, sorry to hear about your complete frustrations and disappointment, but you'll find that even the Phillipines Nursing Assoc of America (PNAA) including the CA chapter is in total 100% agreement with the CA BRN decision(s) with regards to the enforcement of the concurrency regulations established in 1987.

Here's the link to that discussion: https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/position-statement-concurrency-901106.html Good reading.

As mentioned by another poster, you can "thank" the CHED, PRC and PNA for not keeping up the minimum educational standards for the USA, however, in that same breath, the PH agencies don't have to nor care to since their primary goals are what's good for the Phils country.

Don't forget that getting a license (whether it's a driver license's or a nursing license, even a doctor's license), if it's something that is controlled by a State or Federal agency, that it's a privilege and NOT a right to possess such a certificate or document or license. It does NOT matter if one is a US citizen, dual citizen, foreign national, Martian or whatever, the same laws applies to all.

Given that you were given the privilege of a nursing license, it's also a privilege that such a license can be revoked, suspended, removed forever and must be surrendered at any time and any place.

The reason you need to turn in your license as soon as possible, is that you will be a non-registered nurse and you also will get your employer in some very heavy fines and penalties for having you as a nurse when you're not allowed to practice as one. But also realize that to practice as a nurse when not licensed can also be assessed some stiff fines against you and be in place you don't have much freedom from if it comes to that.

I would suggest that you glance over the "World" forum, under the "Nurse Registration" tab and you'll find the many other disappointed applicants, nurses and students from NOT only from the Phils but in just about every country outside of the US borders.

You'll read of classes (to make up for the CA BRN required courses deemed deficient) of foreign students or nurses of: (example) 2 from the UK, 1 from Russia, 3 from the Phils, 2 from AU, 3 from Canada, 1 from Spain in a classroom from 12 (average size) to 30 students.

So are foreigners being singled out?

Nope, just that the international educational standards does not meet the USA (especially CA more stricter requirements) and what was passed over in the past is no longer acceptable and these laws and regulations have been in effect for over 20-30 years, nothing new at all.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Steppy....well said as usual! I love your posts.

OP Welcome to AN! I am sorry this happened to you.....Visit the Nurse registration forum and you will see it is the concurrency of your education that the BON has issues with.

California is only one of the states that are concerned about concurrency issues. It has nothing what so ever to do with citizenship. California and several other states have found issue with some for profit school with concurrency issues, the science requirements (or lack thereof) and the lack of a formal pharmacology classes.

"only those states that have explicit education requirements of concurrent theory and practicum will nurses have licensure issues.

Excelsior college new york nursing graduates have had same issue recently. see state board licensure requirements here]

These are states having concerns over concurrent theory and practicum, so I would look at other 37 states to obtain license:

Alabama

Arizona

California

Georgia

Illinois

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

north Dakota

Oklahoma

Vermont

Virginia

Washington"

Hi junbybravo..can I send you a private message?

Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

If you didn't meet the standards that they have set in policy, then NO, you don't deserve a CA nursing license. That isn't unfair at all if you aren't eligible to hold the license. That they erroneously gave the license in the first place is a bit of a slap in the face, I wholeheartedly admit, but if you don't deserve the license, you don't deserve it.

ANY time spent doing a little research will tell you how incredibly difficult it is for a foreign educated nurse to get a license in CA. They have very specific requirements and if you haven't fulfilled them, then you don't get the license, plain and simple

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
So are foreigners being singled out?

Nope, just that the international educational standards does not meet the USA (especially CA more stricter requirements) and what was passed over in the past is no longer acceptable and these laws and regulations have been in effect for over 20-30 years, nothing new at all.

In fact, US citizens have also been denied licensure depending on where they went to nursing school. As Esme pointed out, the best example of this is Excelsior: graduates of their ADN program can not get licensed in CA d/t the lack of actual clinical hours in the program and other things. And CA's BRN will not budge on that. Excelsior tried taking the CA BRN to court and the court ruled in favor of CA.

What happened to you was indeed unfair, OP. But it was in no way illegal or immoral--it was an error. However, you need to address the underlying issue, and that is how to meet CA's educational requirements if you want to practice here.

Best of luck.

Hi! Do we have update on how the CA BON now screen and accepts PH nurses that will apply for NCLEX examination? whats the reason of denial or rejection of application? much appreciated for any update.

thank you!

Specializes in Ambulatory, Corrections, SNF, LTC, Rehab.

My friend got her ATT and now she's an RN here in Cali. She did not do any classes she submit a letter saying REEVALUTION for APPLICATION/LICENSURE kinda thing. I don't understand BRN, her cases were concurrent according to her.

First and foremost, you need to take the NCLEX in the US despite having a foreign license. The US does not recognize a foreign license in any state. Now as far as a degree from PH, they do recognize many degrees from many institutions. Many major universities offer BSN's in PH that are equivalent to a US Bachelors. If your degree is certified as equivalent to a regional Bachelors level, then the board made a mistake. They should let you challenge the exam. California is filled with a lot of red tape. Most of it is the old government workers culture. It's like when you go to the DMV and the workers see a line a mile long yet they walk like a disabled elderly woman with two knee replacements. California is just one of those states with poor management of many things.

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