Maryland Board of Nursing Horrors

U.S.A. Maryland

Published

Here is a copy of a letter I recently sent to our governor regarding the inefficient mbon. I have been trying to get my cna license for 6 months now and all I am getting is the run around from employees who do not want to take responsibility;

Governor O'Malley,

If you go to the Maryland board of nursing website your name is prominently displayed on every page. I just wanted to let you know what kind of organization your name is attached to.

First some background; I am a 39 year old divorced/single nursing student with two daughters to raise. I am back in school because in this tough economy I really needed a career that offered some measure of both job security and a decent paycheck. This is the reason I have gone back to school after so many years.

After the first semester of school nursing students become eligible to receive a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license. On December 27, 2010, anticipating that I will have to work during the summer, I went for fingerprinting at CJIS and mailed off my completed application. The envelope was signed for January 2, 2011 by the board of nursing. After many phone calls and back and forth I finally received my 90 day temporary license at the end of March (3 months later!!!!!!). Remember, I could not work until I had at least a temporary license. Anyhow, temporary license in hand I was fortunate enough to procure a coveted nursing externship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This externship will give me not only valuable nursing experience, but the extra money is desperately needed. This job will be a foot in the door at a wonderful hospital!

The issue? I am scheduled to start Monday and my temporary license expires the 8th!!! I have been very proactive trying to get my permanent license. A month ago I contacted the board of nursing trying to get a status. They told me they had no fingerprints or background check on file so they could not issue the license. When I asked why did someone not contact me I was rudely told that it is my job to keep calling to see if there are any problems. Then the woman in charge of new CNA licenses, (name deleted) informed me that I would have to take care of it and I was given the phone number of the nursing liason between CJIS and board of nursing. This woman, (name deleted), was lovely on the phone, sounded very sympathetic, and promised me results. When I called a week and a half later there were still no results. Even as of this date I am not receiving any return phone calls or emails. She told me I have to call CJIS, it was their issue. Well, I called CJIS. The woman there, (name deleted), told me that she saw that the fingerprinting and background checks were completed and that they had emailed and electronic copy to the board of nursing December 28, 2010!!! (I has received my verification from CJIS December 28 as well). I asked them if they could send another copy and they told me that the board of nursing has to request it. So I call the board of nursing who told me they can not do that, that the liason has to. Bottom line, I followed the directions, everything was in order to get my license, but no one is taking responsibility or action on the issue at hand. I can not work without this license so someone's mistake that no one is taking responsibility for may cost me my livelyhood and the potential of getting my dream job at Hopkins!

I was warned that the board of nursing is horrible to deal with. Potential employers, my professors at school, other nurses all warned me. Why should this board be allowed to run in such dysfunction? Why has no one taken steps to correct it when it can effect people's futures, their careers?

I would really appreciate it if someone can investigate the workings of the board of nursing and perhaps help expedite my license so I can work.

Thanks you,

respectfully,

(name deleted)

taxpayer/voter/single mom just trying to make ends

Friday morning I will be making the trek to the office. I am bringing my friend who is a high level manager/trainer at the FAA with me as he has ways of managing uncooperative employees. Anyhow, I just want to let everyone know about my experience with mbon.

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

Oops typo.. I meant to say "born in an odd year.."

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Specializes in Medical Telemetry, SICU.

Just wanted to follow up. Within a week of paying Pearson I received my ATT. Took my test and passed 07/15 and 07/16 I had an active license number.

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lucky you!

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I was planning to move to Maryland in July but became a little worried about having a nightmare experience after reading posts on this board. Sure enough, I applied for a license on July 1st and paid for a temporary permit as well. I expressed my concern in person about not being hired or being let go if I didn't have at least a temporary permit within 30 days (I'm from a compact state). The woman at the front desk was dismissive and said "Nah, something will work out" while she doodled on a post-it. I was concerned but I started putting in applications for jobs using my compact status. Very few employers would even give me the time of day and a couple even laughed when I told them a temporary permit was in the works. They told me it was doubtful I would have the license within 30 days.

I called the Maryland BON a week after applying for licensure to simply ask on the status of the temporary license so I could get to work and the woman I spoke to literally screamed at me over the phone. My licensure status has said "pending" online for 5 months and the temporary license I paid for expired months ago after being "pending" the entire time. That was money down the toilet. I finally called the BON last week and told them to just cancel the whole process since it was a waste of my time and the same voice that screamed at me over the phone actually said "I don't understand why. Why don't you want the license anymore?" Maybe because another state I was interested in, Massachusetts, gave me a full license and a job within 2 weeks this past September. Thanks for nothing, Maryland.

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Specializes in critical care.
I was planning to move to Maryland in July but became a little worried about having a nightmare experience after reading posts on this board. Sure enough, I applied for a license on July 1st and paid for a temporary permit as well. I expressed my concern in person about not being hired or being let go if I didn't have at least a temporary permit within 30 days (I'm from a compact state). The woman at the front desk was dismissive and said "Nah, something will work out" while she doodled on a post-it. I was concerned but I started putting in applications for jobs using my compact status. Very few employers would even give me the time of day and a couple even laughed when I told them a temporary permit was in the works. They told me it was doubtful I would have the license within 30 days.

I called the Maryland BON a week after applying for licensure to simply ask on the status of the temporary license so I could get to work and the woman I spoke to literally screamed at me over the phone. My licensure status has said "pending" online for 5 months and the temporary license I paid for expired months ago after being "pending" the entire time. That was money down the toilet. I finally called the BON last week and told them to just cancel the whole process since it was a waste of my time and the same voice that screamed at me over the phone actually said "I don't understand why. Why don't you want the license anymore?" Maybe because another state I was interested in, Massachusetts, gave me a full license and a job within 2 weeks this past September. Thanks for nothing, Maryland.

I just posted a comment to this and then read it again, realizing I missed the last part that you canceled it. Forgive the previous comment, if you did, in fact, receive it. I thought compact meant you don't need a license issued by other compact states to work in them?

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I just posted a comment to this and then read it again, realizing I missed the last part that you canceled it. Forgive the previous comment, if you did, in fact, receive it. I thought compact meant you don't need a license issued by other compact states to work in them?

The way employers and the BON in Maryland explained compact status to me, you can work for up to 30 days on a compact license, but the state expects you operate on either a temporary or full license issued by Maryland beyond that. 3 long term facilities wanted to interview me back in July but all said the Maryland license would likely not be issued within even 3 months. They were worried they would train me and then have to let me go a few weeks later because I still didn't have any form of Maryland licensure. And just an update, this is now February, my MD license is still 'pending'. They didn't cancel my application or approve the license. LOL Go figure. I guess I'll keep trying to get the license.

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Specializes in critical care.
The way employers and the BON in Maryland explained compact status to me, you can work for up to 30 days on a compact license, but the state expects you operate on either a temporary or full license issued by Maryland beyond that. 3 long term facilities wanted to interview me back in July but all said the Maryland license would likely not be issued within even 3 months. They were worried they would train me and then have to let me go a few weeks later because I still didn't have any form of Maryland licensure. And just an update, this is now February, my MD license is still 'pending'. They didn't cancel my application or approve the license. LOL Go figure. I guess I'll keep trying to get the license.

Rumor has it if you go in person, they'll take care of everything right there. That's a shame things were so jacked up. I've never heard that Maryland requires a Maryland license. Defeats the purpose of being compact.

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Rumor has it if you go in person, they'll take care of everything right there. That's a shame things were so jacked up. I've never heard that Maryland requires a Maryland license. Defeats the purpose of being compact.

Oh yeah, I've made sure all of my contact with them has been either in person or on the phone. I called them Monday and was told everything would be taken care of that day (license number posted). The woman apologized, said she had no idea why it is still pending, and said it would be done within 24 hours. On Tuesday--no license. I called again and another woman told me my FBI background check hadn't cleared yet (2 other states have done background checks since without issue). I called back later that same day to see if I could re-do the background check as something had to be wrong and yet another woman told me the background check was completed months ago with no problem. Now the problem is residency. LOL So I guess it will stay pending until I become a legal resident of Maryland. I honestly don't know at this point. Staying put in Massachusetts is sounding better and better.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Progressive Care, Med-Surg.

I am moving to MD in about 2 months so recently applied for an endorsement license from NY. I drove down to Baltimore a few weeks ago to try to deal directly with the BON because of all the negative comments here. I did my fingerprint card right there and within 2 days had a temporary license so I'm hopeful that the process is underway. But do a lot people still experience the temporary license expiring before the actual license is issued? My impression is that the criminal background check is needed to even get the temporary, so the rest of the process is things like (I guess) confirming nursing school/NCLEX status etc (although I don't really understand that either; how could you get a temporary license w/out their confirming that you already have a nursing license somewhere, and that you went to school etc.). Does anybody have a current ETA for a permanent license after application?

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Specializes in critical care.
I am moving to MD in about 2 months so recently applied for an endorsement license from NY. I drove down to Baltimore a few weeks ago to try to deal directly with the BON because of all the negative comments here. I did my fingerprint card right there and within 2 days had a temporary license so I'm hopeful that the process is underway. But do a lot people still experience the temporary license expiring before the actual license is issued? My impression is that the criminal background check is needed to even get the temporary, so the rest of the process is things like (I guess) confirming nursing school/NCLEX status etc (although I don't really understand that either; how could you get a temporary license w/out their confirming that you already have a nursing license somewhere, and that you went to school etc.). Does anybody have a current ETA for a permanent license after application?

When I became a CNA, I finished the class early-mid May. Maryland issues a 90-day letter, which allows you to work with a temporary CNA license until your real one arrives. I received my 90-day letter after I received my CNA license, which took until the end of August to arrive. (More than 90 days.) It ended up being a complete waste of my time and money because I started my first semester of nursing school that week, and I wasn't able to put time into finding a job, and then work it. I recommend persistance. Call and email every week if you are able, even just to ask what the status of your application is. I wouldn't trust them to get a single thing done without reminding them to do it. I had to do that for CNA and for RN.

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rebecca41, I am applying too for endorsement from NY. But in my case because I don´t have 5 years working in the US and my studies are from a Spanish language country I need to take the English proficiency test. I live now in Maryland but I don´t have a job because I am in the process to take the English test. I am thinking about doing the process in person because of the bad comments in here. I heard that near the BON there is a place to take the fingerprints. is this true? Did you do all the process the same day? I requested the application package by mail and they told me that I can do it online and denied me the package by mail. What should I do? I appreciate your comments. I really need help!

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It's been over 2 weeks since I registered with Pearson and sent in all paperwork to MBON. MBON already cashed my check. Still no ATT. I've called on 3 separate days and hit "1 1 2" which goes to the incompetent (would that even be the word if they don't answer though?) line to check on ATTs, statuses, etc. Anyway, the longest I was on hold before I hung up was 2.5 hours. I then pressed another line to get directed to the "general questions" imbecile who was rude and wouldn't let me talk but as soon as I said "ATT" she said "I'm transferring you" before I could even complain that "UM HELLO YOU IDIOT THEY DON'T PICK UP THE PHONE." Someone on Google doubted they were on a call queue and that's exactly how it is. You get the generic "your call is important to us blah.' Lies.

Either they are understaffed or don't give a flying f about their job. However, after reading many horror stories and hearing from other fellow nurses, it's safe to say they just don't care. Forgot how, but I received a telephone number for a specific associate at MBON who had her own voicemail. Left a message last week and still had not heard back. I left a detailed msg that required all of what they needed and asked she either call me back or send me my damn ATT. I am currently working M-F fulltime and what do you know, they're closed on the wknds. I don't exactly live down the street from Baltimore but I guess I'll round up some friends and make a day of it. The trouble and unprofessionalism of these inadequate creatures. Hope they don't real help sometime in their future.

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