Citizen of the U.S about to graduate with a BSN wants to take NCLEX-RN in California

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Hello I'm a senior nursing student at a college in the Philippines, my mother sent me here to study nursing because its more affordable. I came to the Philippines 4 years ago hoping there would no problems with taking the NCkEX-RN with no problems, but now I'm a bit skeptical that I may have waisted my 4years in the philippines if I can't take the NCLeX anyways since California is being strict... What is the best thing to do, take the NClEX-RN in the philippines or take it in California anyways assuming they will grant me permission to take the exam. I don't know what to do. I've been reading blogs on the fact that BSN graduates if from the Philippines are being restricted because of concurrency of the subjects and clinical experience...I really need clarification.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the Nurse Registration forum

Where you take the exam doesn't matter meeting requirements is the key as without meeting requirements you will not get permission to sit NCLEX. Remember NCLEX is just a part of the licensing process.

It is a risk with CA although you have a US SSN which means you can apply to them as well as some of the other states that require a US SSN for application to be accepted

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So what your saying is its a hopeless case, unless by some miracle the board changes their mind. That's such a downer... What if I do the Lvn to RN program? Or consider actually redoing the whole course in California, which would invalidate any achievement within the 4 years I spent studying not to mention my parents' investment. Is there no way at all? Maybe I'll just reconsider majoring in something else.. 

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Joiskol,

I would advice that you send in the forms from this link:

http://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/applicants/end_intlgrads.pdf

Some of the forms, you can't fill out and some forms you have to give it to your university to fill it out and sent it to CA BON and let them check your hours of clinical practice. If the clinical practice hours are not equavalent to the CA standards...you might have to take only "some of those classes" and "not all". They break it down into if i could remember...6 or 7 categories. Surgical, Medical, Maternity, Paediatric and Psychiatric....there is one more missing that i can't remember.....Pathiophysiology? The school will have to break down the courses under these categories and add how many hours you did.....They don't tell you the actual hours that you need the CA BON...they will just compare it to their numbers of hours and compare it to yours...

You just need to make sure everything is filled out correctly. best of luck.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
So what your saying is its a hopeless case, unless by some miracle the board changes their mind. That's such a downer... What if I do the Lvn to RN program? Or consider actually redoing the whole course in California, which would invalidate any achievement within the 4 years I spent studying not to mention my parents' investment. Is there no way at all? Maybe I'll just reconsider majoring in something else.. 
Each state in the US has individual requirements for approval to take the NCLEX. These are currently the states that require concurrent practicum....

Alabama

Arizona

California

Georgia

Illinois

Kansas

Louisiana

Maryland

North Dakota

Oklahoma

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

Which leaves 37 other states that do not have this requirement. California has recently enforced this restriction in response to the many for profit organization diploma mills that have proliferated with the rush to the nursing profession in this bad economy.......banning some schools/programs altogether to ensure the quality of nurses at the bedside. For example....recently....the LVN-BSN program from ISU (Indiana State University) was shut down due to

CA BRN determined certain areas of concern
https://allnurses.com/indiana-state-university/lvn-bsn-isu-781241-page4.html

Many states have followed suit and many more are considering similar legislation to continue to assure the quality of nurses in the field. only those states that have explicit education requirements of concurrent theory and practicum will philippine nurses have licensure issues.

excelsior college new york nursing graduates have had same issue recently.

see state board licensure requirements here

I wish you the best

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So what your saying is its a hopeless case, unless by some miracle the board changes their mind. That's such a downer... What if I do the Lvn to RN program? Or consider actually redoing the whole course in California, which would invalidate any achievement within the 4 years I spent studying not to mention my parents' investment. Is there no way at all? Maybe I'll just reconsider majoring in something else.. 

You should still apply into CA, supposely the CHED changed the curriculums so that it's in full compliance with the CA BON minimum requirements, that was suppose to happen with the 2012 grads but there's been very few if any that actually got approved.

Maybe the 2013 grads will be luckier, who knows? But the words I've heard is that the CHED may not implement the better and true changes till the 2016 year, but that remains to be seen, who knows maybe they did already or sooner.

The key issue is do you know for a fact with 100% assurance that ALL single courses taken and completed were down in the exact SAME semester (not months or a year later) between your clinical and theory sections.

Discuss with the school counselors or the dean (face-to-face and stare him/her in the eyes, I'm dead serious about doing this, you pay the money or your hard working parents have, make the school own up to it) that they are in "full compliance" with the CA BON requirements and with a guarantee from the CHED, that's your best bet. Pay special attention to the concurrency issue AND that you have been given the minimum required hours in the sections as required by the CA BON, have them show to you in writing! They need to break-down the hours and classes anyways.

Understand when this is all said and done, only the CA BON can make the final decision on getting your ATT. Good luck!

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Btw, here's a good link to read and show your mom, it does help to let others know of the plight we're faced with, print it out if you have to, I know it's helped with other friends when the parents and relatives don't understand as well. In fact, I heard that this link was used to be sent to the CHED board members in Sept. 2012!!

Click this: https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/who-blame-ca-682278.html

Then, reserve this for after you pass the NCLEX-RN and why you can't get a hospital job (due to the declining demand for PH nurses) but if you're okay with nursing homes and LTC and SNF's, that's fine, just not for me. Click here : https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/us-labor-market-779683.html

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Thank you all for such valuable information. I might end up moving out of California and trying a different state. I have hopes that in time I will be able to practice what I worked so hard to finish.

I have one question, I know of a clinical instructor from my school here in the Philippines who is now a n RN in New York. He has been there for about a year already. Is New York a good option? I'm thinking if he was able to take the NCLEX in New York within last year, should I consider New York? I don't know. Just a thought.

All this information would have been helpful 3 years ago, when I actually considered not continuing. But anyways I am hoping optimistically. It's not the end if the world. Thank again for the information really appreciate it.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

New York requires CVS which is a long process regardless whether as initial application or endorsing. This is required if classed as an international nurse. I suppose a lot will depend where in the state you plan working but if you check out the New York state forum you will see many nurses both experienced and new grad struggling for work

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