[GAPEACH07]

You may need to get the rest of your units from an accredited college to receive your degree. Check with one in your area. Have your transcripts transferred to the college and make sure you talk with the nursing advisor to get the right classes.

[chris_at_lucas_RN]

I am surprised that you can be licensed as an RN in California without all your academic ducks in a row. They will not license graduates from my school, and we have an award winning (by the NLN) program. Oh, well.

My sister just moved here to Texas--she was a massage therapist part time (almost more of an avocation or hobby for her) in California. She took two classes, presented her passing grade to a spa (or something similar) and went to work! She's good, there's no doubt about that (at least in my mind). But in Texas, you complete a full training program, pass a certification or licensing exam (including practical/demonstration of skills) and then you get a license and then you can be a massage therapist.

So the licensing criteria are looser for more than just nurses, apparently.

OK, in answer to the issue at hand, it's frustrating, it's upsetting, and certainly someone should have called the OP long before this, but if you don't meet the requirements for licensure, you should not be licensed. See if there is a CLEP course you can take, hopefully your former school will confer the degree. If not, it's a shame, but it doesn't look hopeful unless you complete a degree somewhere, somehow.

My sympathies. I hate it when life is not fair.

[Haunted]

It's goofy. I never had a board of nursing super say "we regret to inform you...." What am I gonna do, forget the last 10 years of my life and find a new job? I don't take it well when someone tells me "NO" . And isn't the RN shortage here as well? I guess they must of heard about me pulling my "Norma Rae" in California. I worked really hard to get patient ratios and standards of care implemented there. Here, I just want to work a couple of shifts a week. I am gathering all my college transcripts in a last ditch effort.

Wish me luck, and a good nites sleep. Living downtown for now has been truly eye opening! As I write this there is a biker gang whooping it up outside my apartment as Printers Alley closes down, varoom varoom!!!!

[Mijourney]

This is just great. We desparately need all the practicing nurses we can get, and you are given worse than the third degree. Did the TN BON offer to help you find a way to get what you need to be licensed in TN? I bet not. I hope things work out for you.

[Hopefull2009]

I think the worse part is that SURELY they would have known when she submitted this application to TN that it was a common problem with folks coming to TN via CA.

I think that it is a crying shame that they took her money, and through no fault of her own, denied her a license when she took the same NCLEX as every other RN.

I am so sorry this has happened to you.

[Mijourney]

Hi Haunted. I responded to your post under another thread. As I indicated under that post, I wondered if the board tried to be helpful. Obviously they weren't. Nashville is really a good place if you could get past certain types of mentalities. I hope you don't give up on us. I think gathering your transcripts is a good idea.

[llg]

I'm a little confused ... Are you saying that you never technically graduated from your original program and therefore don't actually have a diploma? ... or ... Are you saying that the California BON is holding up your paperwork?

If California is not sending them the right paperwork to verify your current license, you can't Tennessee for that.

Could you please explain? I'm curious. I've transferred states 10 times and have never had a big problem ... but none of those involved California and/or Tennessee.

[Haunted]

OK, here's where I'm at... I just spoke with the grad specialist at my former college and she was NO HELP in regards to helping me resolve this issue. It appears upon review of my transcripts from all college course work that I have the credits needed in nursing for a BSN but will need to complete the following in order to get my ASN, which I need on my way to my BSN, which I never wanted in the first place :

Humanities
Cultural
Math
Psych 100
Computer Science 100

Now I am not going to sit in some classroom for the next 2 years of my life to take these classes, work and do all the other activities in my world, although I do respect those that commit to it. I never desired a degree and no patient I ever took care of asked me what kind of degree I had.

I just need an ASN degree so I can get back to work. I'm being treated like a criminal here, the grad specialist berated ME for not completing the class prior to starting the nursing program. I explained to her that I was on the wait list and taking classes part time while a slot opened up, which one did and I jumped on it. I finished the program (and was an honor roll student to boot) took my NCLEX, passed and was working as an RN within 2 weeks.

My husband suggested that I contact online universities and I am asking you all for your advice and any experience you may have had with that. I need help. I'm astonished. I'm very upset. I'm glad I have this forum...

[Haunted]

Originally Posted by Hopefull2009

I think the worse part is that SURELY they would have known when she submitted this application to TN that it was a common problem with folks coming to TN via CA.

I think that it is a crying shame that they took her money, and through no fault of her own, denied her a license when she took the same NCLEX as every other RN.

I am so sorry this has happened to you.

THANK YOU! That seems to just about sum it up.

[caliotter3]

If TN accepts Excelsior, they are probably your best bet as far as online options. Provided your nursing courses are no more than five years old, you may be able to get credit for them. Otherwise you will have to navigate the Excelsior program like everyone else. Cost involved. But anything will have a cost. I highly suggest that you look into this and make your decision before the end of September, because Excelsior is changing it's curriculum on October 1, 2007. There will be a second clinical experience. As it stands now one clinical experience (at about $1750 a try), proves to be too much for many. They are also adding another written test and there are other proposed changes.

With your good grades, however, you might be able to find a nursing program that will accept you for the purpose of graduation. You have a far better chance of this happening than most people with less than excellent GPAs. Good luck on getting your problem fixed. (I'm in the same boat, but haven't taken the NCLEX in CA yet. It is so discouraging.)