CA Board of Nursing

World Registration

Published

I was eligible to sit for the nclex for California.

Wow.. so I took my exam this September, went the distance all 265 questions. Unfortunately I didn't pass. Got my results and "near passing standard" all across the board so the news of failure basically tore me apart.

Now what makes it worse is after submitting the reapplication form and waiting for four weeks for a reply from the board, I get a letter today stating

:::: The Board has determined that the program you completed in the Philippines is not equivalent to the minimum requirements for licensure set forth in California Code Section 1426(d).

You may be able to view Section 1426 (d) and all other codes of the California Code of Regulations by going to our website at: www.rn.ca.gov. Once in the website there will be 'Tabs' at the top of the screen. Go to Regulations then to Nursing Practice Act and finally to California Code of Regulations.

California Code of Regulations Section 1426(d) states that theory and clinical practice shall be concurrent. The documents received state that some of the training was completed several semesters after the theory classes. ::::::

I email the evaluator in charge of my application and she explains ::::

You have options and that is to apply to the LVN Board or in another RN Board in a different state or go for your master's degree in nursing but in California you are not qualified as a RN without the Master's degree.

According to the RLE and the school's curriculum you should have completed the scrubs in NCM 101 and 102 but they were completed in NCM 104, 105 and 103. I am enclosing a copy of the letter that was sent to you yesterday.

I'm angry and sad at the same time. How is it possible that I was eligible to take the nclex the first time I applied and not eligible to retake now? I went from meeting the requirements of an RN to now meeting the requirements of an LVN. How is this possible?

They are saying I'm ineligible based on the dates of completion of my cases. The school requires 5 major, 5 minor, 5 assisted delivery, 5 actual delivery, and 5 cord dressing clinical cases which I completed or else I wouldn't have been able to graduate. All of a sudden Ca board is being technical about the completion dates of these cases. The school is well aware of the fact that completion of these cases is impossible to be concurrent with the theoretical classes. It is not always guaranteed that students will complete the needed cases in concurrent with the theoretical because there are times when there aren't any patients in the hospitals that we are rotated in. It is for this reason that the school allows completion of the needed cases through out the following semesters. We took the theoretical classes before we were allowed to go on our clinicals but the lack of patients made it difficult to complete those 5 cases during that semester. That's why some of my cases were completed one or two semesters after the theory classes.

Am I understanding this correctly? I thought all that matters was that my cases were complete regardless if it was completed in concurrent/along with theoretical or after theoretical. I learned what I was suppose to learn it just so happen that exposure to the actual thing came a semester later.

So now they are saying I can't sit for the nclex in California and I need to complete a masters degree to be qualified as an Rn in California. Is this possible? I went to school graduated with a BSN and in the end I'm told that I only qualify to be a LVN after submitting a reapplication for nclex. .

Clarification would be nice and I would appreciate any advice. This just makes me question if nursing is even the right fit for me cause it's been obstacles after obstacles.

Hello starleviosa, We're on the same boat, frm the start i got a lot of problems frm CABON. How's your application at Nevada? What are the requirements? Hope to hear frm u soon. Planning to redirect my application coz i know i can't do anything anymore. Have a good day.

0 Votes
We're at the same situation, they questioned evrything that i sent including sequence of my course & now my clinical cases wherein i graduated 2006 & i know they are just requiring for those graduates starting 2008. I'm an RN also in the phils. but it doesn't matter.

While I'm trying to help an overseas friend with her getting a ATT, I think you'll find that the CA BON is going back to as far as 2004 now. As such, you will find other issues that they will have in regards to the same concurrent cases and the amount of hours in certain courses.

What I really found interesting that these two major items (concurrent courses and the minimum hours) have been on CA BON written rules at least since 1987!! We're talking 25 years ago (almost the year I was born, but still a couple of years younger, lol)! It was only during the nursing shortage in the late 1990's that CA BON didn't enforce their own rules due to the "nursing shortage".

Recognize that back then in the 90's, all CA hospitals had to maintain a certain nursing to patient ratio or they risk getting all kinds of legal and ethical problems as set forth by CA, thus the term "nursing shortage". It was that, plus the hospitals needed experienced nurses during those times, not new grads.

As both my friend and I have been working so hard to get thru this, we've lost all hopes to ever getting her into a CA examination. Her friends have also stopped wasting their time (months waiting for the acceptance letter) and money (application fees), all have been denied 2-3 times. Some of them have been finding that other states are also looking harder into the minimum concurrency and/or minimum hours requirement. Even some of their friends who left PH to study for their nursing degree in the UK are also not meeting the CA BON requirements.

As she said, "CA is not going to happen anytime soon, just wishful thinking and unanswered prayers".

0 Votes

Hi, I already got my ATT. Processing took around 2 to 3 months. It was fast. I took TOEFL and had my credentials evaluated by CGFNS. its really easy. :)

0 Votes
Hi, I already got my ATT. Processing took around 2 to 3 months. It was fast. I took TOEFL and had my credentials evaluated by CGFNS. its really easy. :)

What state did you apply for?How long is the processing for CGFNS?

0 Votes
Hey guys, I just completed 3rd year and I'm an incoming 4th year nursing student this June in the Philippines (born and raised in CA, however) and I'm in the same scenario as many of you here. I've only completed 2 of actual delivery, assist, cord care, scrub, and circulating cases concurrently with the theory. My question is, before I graduate next year, would it possible for me to retake MS/OB lecture for a semester in order complete the remaining cases to comply with CA BON's requirements? Would the CA BON accept it? And if not, what would you guys advise for me? Thanks

I dont believe u can "retake ms/OB" . What school do u go to? In my 4th yr we had completion of duty.

0 Votes
Hi, I already got my ATT. Processing took around 2 to 3 months. It was fast. I took TOEFL and had my credentials evaluated by CGFNS. its really easy. :)

hello.. can u pls let me know what steps did u made???? thanks!!

0 Votes
Hi, I already got my ATT. Processing took around 2 to 3 months. It was fast. I took TOEFL and had my credentials evaluated by CGFNS. its really easy. :)

hello starleviosa how many months does CES takes to be evaluated...I am currently waiting for my Ca eligibility but I'm kinda hopeless to i decided to apply to another state....

0 Votes
Hi, I already got my ATT. Processing took around 2 to 3 months. It was fast. I took TOEFL and had my credentials evaluated by CGFNS. its really easy. :)

So the only thing is to provide the NV NCLEX with your S/S# and study hard, good luck in your examination!

0 Votes

Hi guys, it took 2 to 3 months all in all.

Steps I took:

1. ordered CGFNS-CES online. $335. You can choose to have the $500 expedited one, you'll have results in 10 days. I just took the regular one.

2. corresponded with my school so they can forward my transcript and breakdown of hours in my subjects needed by cgfns.

3. livescan fingerprinting $65. and mailed my application downloaded from the Nevada BRN website. $100

4. scheduled my english proficiency exam. I took the TOEFL $175. you can also take IELTS. I chose TOEFL because I have to wait 2 months for the next available date in IELTS, while with TOEFL I was able to take it in a week.

5. Afterwhich CGFNS notified me that my credentials were already sent to NV BRN, I contacted the board and asked about my application.

6. They said Im eligible and told me to pay $200 at pearsonvue.com/nclex whenever Im ready. Once you pay, you're required to take it within 3 months.

It was very easy and hassle free. :)

0 Votes

@starleviosa sorry my inbox full.. Pls email me [email protected]. Need your help.Thanks I appreciate your response..

0 Votes

I got my eligibility in new mexico. No toefl or ielts needed.

0 Votes
I got my eligibility in new mexico. No toefl or ielts needed.

That's great!

I've been trying to help an overseas friend myself. But maybe you can verify this best, since you've done the research. Do you have a SS#? My friend doesn't have a SS#.

She looked into NM also, while they don't require a SS# with the initial application to get the ATT, nor does NM require a SS# in taking the NCLEX, but the thing is, it was her understanding that without a SS#, the NM BON will not issue the actual RN license? If that's really the case, then, it's money she can't afford or time to spend.

But maybe then you can endorse your NM license to another state not needing a SS#? The other question that came up was if you don't have a NM RN license, then do you really have a RN license to endorse over?

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment