no chance for pediatric nurses?

Suzanne4, thank you for your prompt reply. I graduated nursing school 3 years ago in Berlin/Germany. I did have maternal/mental health training along with all the general nursing students in both clinical and theory.
That's what is so frustrating to me. The problem seems to be that there are no specific regulations on the requirements of hours in each subject. I understand that each case is unique but they said its not the hours of training but my title that doesn't even make them bother looking into my transcripts.
I am the equivalent of an RN in Germany. General Nurses work in all fields of nursing except Pediatrics and I was trained for both Pediatrics and General Nursing. I've worked in Maternal/Pediatric and pulmonary intensive care for adults.
The problem is that just because my job title says pediatric nurse people automatically assume that I have less education but that's not true.
Unfortunately state law in NY says that they only accept applications from General Nurses.
I'm pediatric but that doesn't mean I wasn't trained in general nursing as well.

my training was 3 years total- This is the longest program for RN's.


total of 1904 hours of theory- 647 in Pediatrics and 1257 in General Nursing (geriatric, maternal, mental, surgery, internal health, anatomy)
My transcripts show individual hours for each subject in nursing school, like ethics, hygiene, nursing procedures etc.


total of 3363 hours of practical training with emphasize in pediatric units, but also 300 hours in ob/gyn, 150 hours in operating theatre, 192 hours in mental units, 192 hours in home nursing, 154 hours in an adult icu.

My professional title says I'm a first level pediatric nurse. However, my school sent a cover letter along with the transcripts explaining that I am trained in general and pediatric nursing and that my title allows me to work in all specialities of nursing in Germany.
It's complicated but I've always wanted to work in pediatrics and german law requires a special training for nurses who want to work in pediatrics.


I don't know if the transcripts my nursing school provides are unclear but there has to be a misunderstanding.
The BON told me I could appeal but chances are slim and the lady I talked to on the phone said that they'd most likely throw it out.



do you think I should try a different state? Take my transcripts to a nursing school and see if they give me any credit?

Hi Suzanne,

thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I was out of town for christmas. My in Laws live in the Albany area, so i took the chance and went straight to the BON in Albany and talked face to face to the person who denied my case. They admitted that they simply threw my transcripts on the garbage pile just because the title "pediatric nurse" indicated that i was trained and educated in a specialty of nursing and that they didn't even look at any of my transcripts!! They only look if the title states "general or first level nurse"

well, after I explained my case, they said I need to have my nursing school in germany send them a copy of the curriculum for general nurses so they can compare them to my transcripts.
duh. Not like they could just LOOK at my transcripts or pull out somebody elses transcripts to compare them. But I guess that's all I can do for now and hope that they'll review it and finally pay some attention to my transcripts.
i don't understand why there isn't something like a standard for how many hours of training they require.

regarding your questions: I did my clinical and theory hours at the same time.
It's basically the same training as a general nurse, just that general nurses don't get enough training in pediatrics in germany- their title doesn't allow them to practice nursing in pediatrics, that's why there's a special course for ped nurses like me -except that I am allowed to work in all fields of nursing since I get trained in all areas. But my title is registered pediatric nurse. and I guess that's where the problem is for the BON.

I do have a greencard and live in NYC as a permanent resident.
Hope you had a great christmas!

best regards,
Steffi

I did go through CVS with my initial application that they denied. They just want to see a german curriculum for general nurses to compare that one with mine for some reason. The guy I talked to said that my nursing school should just forward that to his office and that this doesn't have to go through cgfns.

yeah, if they still deny me after that, I will either try a different state or see if there is a nursing school that will give me some credit and then just take classes.