GA BON no longer accepting Excelsior education; Speak up Cont. Updates!!

Hi everybody! A couple weeks ago I posted a similar discussion because my lovely state of Virginia introduced new legislation that will now prevent Excelsior graduate RN's from EVER having a license in this state. EVER!! Not by NCLEX-RN exam... and not even by endorsement from another state. It has ALREADY happened in MD and CA as well. Now GA... who's next?? I had a phone conversation with a very condescending nurse at the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) who informed me that these states are moving in this legislative direction at THEIR RECOMMENDATION! My DESPERATE PLEA kind of fell on deaf ears here because I think most folks considered it a "Virginia problem". This is big folks! This has to be addressed on a NATIONAL LEVEL or it will soon be the END of the EC ADN distance learning program. I have been working DIRECTLY with the assistant dean of EC and have been trying to "organize the troops" on a national level. I have information and would love to share it with everyone and keep everyone in the loop. The Terms of Service for this message board forum are pretty strict when it comes to posting links in our messages so I am asking that ALL of you who desire to be part of this movement PLEASE E-MAIL ME through my profile ASAP and I will see that you stay informed. There's a BIG fight brewing! Come join us!

-Nikki Hudnall

GA BON:
Important Announcement Concerning Statutory Changes to RN Licensure by Endorsement in Georgia.

The Board has established rules that state the requirements for board-approval for nursing education programs. These rules can be found on the web here (See Chapter 410-3, Nursing Education Programs): http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin...index.html&d=1

As the technical aspects of healthcare has become increasingly complex, Boards of Nursing are responding by requiring that course work and actual hands on practice in area study needs to occur for patient protection.

How distance learning college adapts to that requirement: local preceptors, week long emesion training remains to be seen.

TO Excelsior College Students/Graduates:

I am posting this as a new thread since I see several posts within different threaded discussions on this issue.

I am the Director of the Southern Performance Assessment Center. We are affiliated with the Georgia Nurses Association--the membership organization for RNs in GA We offer CPNE exams for Excelsior College ADN students in our state.

We appreciate the heartfelt responses to the issue regarding the Georgia Board of Nursing's change for licensure endorsement impacting the Excelsior College students. The Georgia Nurses Association on behalf of the Southern Performance Assessment Center and in collaboration with Excelsior College is working to resolve this issue with the Georgia Board of Nursing. We will be making a presentation to the Board in September (date and time to be determined) and have communicated our concerns to a number of legislative officials. We will certainly keep you informed of our progress and will identify the specific date and time of our presentation when we are informed--and should you want to attend the meeting to show your support. I would ask you to contact the Georgia Board of Nursing as it was suggested in the Excelsior College communication to students. We would like to have them hear from successful graduates as well.

We are not, at this time, asking students/graduates to contact legislators. Please allow us the time to work through the process. Should we need to advocate through legislative officials in the near future, we will certainly apprise you of this effort. Contact information for the Georgia Board of Nursing is as follows:

Sylvia L. Bond R.N. MSN, MBA
Executive Director
Georgia Board of Nursing
237 Coliseum Drive
Macon, GA 31217-3858
Email: slbond@sos.ga.gov
Phone: 478-207-2440; Fax: 478-207-1354

Please cc Debbie Hatmaker on any emails or letters you send to the Board. We are working to resolve this issue to the benefit of Excelsior College graduates, students, employers and the citizens of our state who benefit from your nursing care.

Debbie Hatmaker, PhD, RN
Chief Programs Officer
Georgia Nurses Association
Southern Performance Assessment Center
3032 Briarcliff Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30329-2655
404.325.5536
404.325.0407 fax
dhatmaker@georgianurses.org

Thanks. I nurse in Arkansas and I sent an email telling Georgia they should reconsider. Hope it makes a difference. I'm a May 2007 ASA graduate.

Charlee Kimball RN

Yeah, I guess that sounds good to some, but when you consider actual nursing clinicals, most students that I have worked with in my department have been seriously lacking when it comes to those increasingly complex aspects of healthcare that you mentioned.

I work in a teaching facility, so we have students on a daily basis. I asked a BSN student (near graduation) recently if she would like to get some IV sticks during our shift together. She declined, stating that they were not taught anything about IVs, and that they were told they could learn all of that after graduation if their respective employers require the skill. I had a hard time believing this, until other students from the same university came through during their rotations and said the exact same thing. I had a similar experience with a student from another school regarding urinary catheter insertion. I'll bet that I'm not the only one seeing this.

I do realize that this is only anecdotal, but to say that a student in a traditional program is somehow a safer healthcare provider because they showed up and observed is just nonsense. ANYONE can say that, and some do, but it doesn't mean that there's an ounce of truth to it! The majority of EC grads enter the program with lots of experience and then MUST prove themselves by surviving the CPNE. That's way more than showing up and observing.

So no, I won't buy that argument. What is so complex that they are so focused on that they neglect to teach them basic skills? I guess they'll have to learn it later on; maybe from an EC grad.

I was about to post a draft of my letter that I plan to send to my state representatives but then read the post from the SPAC director discouraging us from contacting state reps at this time. Anyone have any thoughts?

My gut reaction is the time to sit back and wait is long gone. I see Sept. as a last chance not a first step with the GBON because they have their law approved and have absolutely no motivation to change their course of action.

Our representatives are supposed to feel some obligation to hear us and react. Those who weren't directly working for the University System and the GBON probably said "Oh yea, fingerprinting nurses, ABSOLUTELY!" with no idea that they were simultaneously banning many of their constituents from being able to practice as highly qualified, experienced RNs in their state. I think many would be shocked that two groups who I'm sure are constantly asking for new $$$$ "to try to resolve the nursing shortage crisis" took an action to exile a substantial group of GA residents who are months or DAYS from being ready to step into those vacancies and hit the ground running.

GEEZ I'm so tired of running my HR & BP through the roof over this. It's a good thing we're nurses, right?

My advice is to keep that letter at the ready, but hold it to see what happens. The ideal time for us to have acted was before May 12, when the Governor signed it.

I have confidence in Dr. Hatmaker and the GNA. She is probably way more accustomed to dealing with boards and legislative bodies than I am. I sent my letter to everyone I could think of who had a stake in this before I ever talked to her.

Hopefully they can keep us posted.

I read somewhere on this board that students in Oklahoma are required clinical time from Excelsior and somehow they do get that clinical experience. I just wish Excelsior (since they already know the problem) would allow students who need the clinical experience for graduation that option. But I'm sure with each board there are issues as to why it's not being offered. Good luck Georgia nursing students! I hope you can get your issue resolved, don't let your state become the California of the east coast.

I agree that EC should do everything possible to gain acceptance in every state. If the CPNE is considered adequate by a particular state, and I certainly think it should be, then that should be all that is required.

If, on the other hand, a state like CA decides that they want EC students to complete an actual clinical rotation, then EC should work with that state and devise a way for EC students to complete the rotation. This could be done through cooperative agreements with colleges/hospitals in the students' home areas, just as they do now with hospitals where they conduct the CPNE. Sure, it will add to the cost of the program, but it could potentially end all of the problems regarding which states accept EC and which do not. I for one would have been glad to pay extra to remove any doubt about whether I could obtain licensure in any state after graduating.

The ultimate goal should be for EC to gain acceptance in each and every state, no exceptions. I personally think the CPNE is more than adequate, but since most people have no idea how hard this exam can be to complete successfully, and how it might just possibly be a better predictor of graduate nurse competency than completion of a traditional clinical rotation (is there any reseacrh to support or refute?), EC must work with these states to gain their approval. What else can they do to gain states' approval? Anyone?

Hi. We here in ga are very interested in taking it all the way. At this point I am still somewhat in shock. but I have been posting this message on any message board that I know of. please send me any information you have regarding this topic. you can post it or send it to my email.