CA Board of Nursing

World Registration

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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.

Specializes in ICU.
The majority of the schools in CA have about 90% pass rate on the first try. For those educated internationally it's on average 50% pass rate on first try. Schools in the US who have those pass rates would be closed soon after. Yes, some US graduated are failing the NCLEX on the first try but that's not the not the norm. Unfortunately it seems to be the norm for international nursing graduates.

In the US fresh grads who have NEVER worked as a floor nurse wouldn't be hired to teach clinical rotations for nursing school. Those aren't CA standards. Unfortunately that seems to be a trend now in the Philippines. The excellent schools in the Philippines are now few and far between. It's a shame because they used to produce some very sharp nurses.

There is truth to some of what you said. I will acknowledge that. But I guess the mistake of other posters here is to generalized the education in the Philippines to be substandard.

I am working with a new nurse in my unit who finished her nursing degree in the US and boy I tell you, this nurse is extremely green that she doesn't even know the basic stuff like priming an IV line or simple drug computation. But despite that we didn't doubt the US education standard. If we are to generalize like some of the posters are doing here now, all of us nurses in our unit would think that if that's the kind of education one gets in the US, then we are all thankful that we finished our degree in our respective countries.

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Specializes in ICU.
ho-hum, you basically reposted what I already posted.

and BTW, there's no country breakdown on the 2011 data, if you really read it.

I don't agree with your opinion when you said:

"I am not saying that international nursing education is substandard, but it is not meeting the US standards of basic nursing care". That statement is a slap in the face to numerous other internationally-trained nurses who have moved up to become successful in the US.

Time to hit the ignore button.

Of course she would say that since you included in your statistics some other first world countries like Australia, UK and Canada. I bet if that statistic only shows the Philippines she wouldn't change her tone.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Can we please keep to topic

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spoke with the analyst in charge of my application and she is requesting for a letter from my school explaining why some of my cases were completed several semesters after the theory classes. she said she will re-evaluate my documents once that letter is received. i doubt her decision will change about my eligibility but it's worth a shot. i hope everything else besides the clinical cases is fine. the non concurrent issue was the only thing mentioned in her letter.

if that doesnt work, then it's on to the next state NJ and NY thanks for all of the replies, the positive and even the negative ones that seemed to look down on education in the philippines

to htodab- if u don't mind please update me regarding your application i wanted to know if they where able to give you the eligibility to take the exam..by the way. goodluck. I am currently processing mine too. thanks.

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i was able to take the exam the first time i applied but unfortunately i didnt pass. and now this issue comes up after i sent in the application to retake .

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I got my reply from the boards today and they want an explanation from my school why my 101 clinical cases where completed during 103 and 104.

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bsnjojo,

how long did it take for them to reply after u send out the requirements?did u send ur clinical cases too woth the signture or just the summary

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my cases from the delivery has no chief nurse signature since i did it at the maternity clinic do u think they will question that?

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Hi stacey, i mailed clinical cases last nov 17 and got their reply yesterday dec 9. The clinical cases that i submitted are copies of the original documents and have all the signatures that your going to submit to the PRC if your going to take the local boards in the philippines.

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I hope they wont question that stacey.

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any update, did they allow you already?

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hello guys.. i took my first NCLEX RN last august 2011 and failed reapply again november 2011 and got a reply letter dec 19 saying that im not eligible and need to send them a copy of clinical duty(major minor cases scrubs for cord dressings and delivery assistance) i graduated in 2009 i did not took the local board.. i have a copy here with with all my cases i did not submitted this copy to PRC because i did not took the exam back home. can i send these copy at the BRN?? or should i talk to the school?? its gona take forever again just like the first time im completing my requirements.. pls guys share ur updates on your situation. thanks.. may GOD help us..

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