New Colorado Excelsior Restrictions

[RN34TX]

I just received an e-mail from the CO board. I kept reading about CO restricting Excelsior grads but could never find anything on their board website. This is what I received from them:

"The Board approved a change, effective January 1, 2006, that any student enrolling in programs like Excelsior, where there is no clinical offered concurrently with the theory classes, would be required to obtain clinical experience prior to being approved for licensure by examination. Also, on or after Jan. 1, 2006, any person endorsing into Colorado will need to provide proof of having practiced in another state for 2000 hours as a RN, if they want to endorse into Colorado as a RN, or 2000 hours as a PN, if they want to endorse into Colorado as a PN. Prior to Jan. 1, 2006, there is no requirement for added clinical hours prior to examination or for having worked for a specified length of time as a nurse in order to be endorsed into Colorado. If want to you endorse in after January 1, 2006 and don't have the required 2000 hours, you will need to meet the qualifications for initial licensure (i.e., either 400 (PN) or 750 (RN) supervised clinical hours). Please let me know if you have any further questions."

I also let them know that this information is neither no where to be seen on their BNE website or if it is, it's not easy to find.

It's not even listed on their "News and hot topics" section and this is a major decision taking effect in a little over a month!

I pointed out that at least CA had very easy to read alerts on their homepage and that it was well known that a restriction was going to be made for an extended period of time prior to the deadline giving people a chance to enroll before the doors closed.

She told me that she would be looking into it and that they would put an easy to find alert to this information on their homepage ASAP.

Oh well, at least CO followed suit with the other states that placed restrictions and allows experienced RN's in other states to endorse instead of the CA method of basically telling experienced nurses that they need to go back to school through clinical rotations if they want to endorse.

Just thought I'd make people in CO or those wanting to move or travel there aware because although I've read posts here about CO 'banning" EC, no one seemed to have any concrete data on when it would happen or what exactly the restrictions would be.

[sirI, MSN, APRN, NP]

Moved to the Colorado Nurses forum.