Nursing license denied by California

[superveronica]

I am starting this thread to find out if anyone has run into problems with the California Registered Nursing Board. If you have, could you please give me some advise as to what I should do.

First I have a 4 year BSN (with honors) from Canada. I have written and passed, on the first try, the NCLEX-RN and the CRNE (Canadian Registered Nurse EXAM). I am a Registered nurse in 1 canadian province and in Nevada and Alaska. I have been working in a Nevada hospital for a while and have experience in both countries.

My husband, who is in the US military, has beed transferred to California. I have been trying to get my RN license in California for 4 months and I keep getting denied with "you don't have enough hours in obstetrics and pediatrics to qualify for a license."

What I don't understand is that I do have hours in pediatrics and obstetrics but it was during my community clinical and not in a clinical specifically called "obstetrics." I spent 160 hours assessing newborns (obstetrics) and immunizing infants and preschool children (pediatrics) in the community.

I've asked my school to send a letter to the nursing board to clarify this as they refused to look at my coursework when I brought it into the board. they still denied me even after the letter was written.

They told me that I should take two classes here in California to make up the hours. Okay I thought, I'll give in and do what they want. I called up about 20 schools on their list within 100miles from where I live and got the same response; you can not just take two classes, you have to be registered in the program full or part time, from the beginning, in order to do clinical.

I went to the nursing board again to talk to them about the impossible task they've given me. My licensing agent said "yes it's hard to get in to do classes, that's why we give you 3 years to do it, try university of Phoenix." So I called the university of Phoenix, same response, they just told me to do my NP, which will qualify me to work in California and I can get it in 2 years.

I am so incredibly frustrated that I don't know what to do. I have been commuting to Nevada to work one weekend a month so we have a little extra income but I can't keep driving 8 hours to work!!!

HELP!!

p.s. they will not let me do the hours at work, it has to be done though a school. My current hospital offered to send me to obstetrics and pediatrics as a clinical.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I have nothing else to add but an observation that California has truly tightened its rules with no apparent rhyme or reason other than to limit the entry of out of state (and out of country) nurses coming to the Golden State. Keep us updated.

[RN_Marie]

I'm a BSN graduate from a California university. I just want to share that it is not only internationally educated nurse applicants that's having problem with the CABON. Many of my classmates still do not have their ATT (3 months post-grad) because the boards required them to submit explanation and supporting documents for every traffic violation above $300. Before, it was not such a big deal to have traffic violations and the boards do not usually hinder applicants as long as the violation had been paid. Now, it's totally different where every little thing is scrutinized.

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

I’m a BSN graduate from a California university. I just want to share that it is not only internationally educated nurse applicants that’s having problem with the CABON. Many of my classmates still do not have their ATT (3 months post-grad) because the boards required them to submit explanation and supporting documents for every traffic violation above $300. Before, it was not such a big deal to have traffic violations and the boards do not usually hinder applicants as long as the violation had been paid. Now, it’s totally different where every little thing is scrutinized.

Wow, just wow!

[sallyp911]

I’m a BSN graduate from a California university. I just want to share that it is not only internationally educated nurse applicants that’s having problem with the CABON. Many of my classmates still do not have their ATT (3 months post-grad) because the boards required them to submit explanation and supporting documents for every traffic violation above $300. Before, it was not such a big deal to have traffic violations and the boards do not usually hinder applicants as long as the violation had been paid. Now, it’s totally different where every little thing is scrutinized.

Yep, so very true! It happened to a sorority sister back in 2010. She had a speeding ticket and after court cost, administration fees and all kinds of other fees, it was a $475 ticket. She didn't have the money to pay for it back then, never thought of it as she was going to school in a different county. Out of sight, out of mind, so it went from $200 to $475 after time and her mail kept going to her folk's house and then they moved.

It falls under the CA BRN's Enforcement Program. Somewhat like the enforcement of the concurrency and insufficient hours issues, it's actually on old written rule, just never enforced like before or as heavily.

But fixing and paying for a traffic ticket is much easier to take care of and resolve quickly versus those here having their concurrency or lack of hours problems and add to those unable to secure a valid S/S#.

Just think if the Board of Consumer Affairs actually did take over the CA BRN, which was recently overturned or delayed for a few years. Things will get even tougher and more strict with new rules and new regulations and they could even retroactive them. What's the old saying..."you ain't seen nothing yet".

[kids]

It's a heck of a task to locate it but I know I recently read a post that mentioned a school that will let nurses take individual terms. It was in one of the threads regarding the problems nurses trained in the Philippines are facing with the CA BoN, I believe it may have been a post within the lat couple of months but could very well be part of one of the large threads.

ETA: I'm stunned, I actually found the post.

It appears that Pierce College will allow foreign trained nurses to take needed 'components' on a space available basis. Here is a link to the first post that mentions it:

https://allnurses.com/international-nursing/ca-board-nursing-647809-page20.html#post6206584

If you read forward from there the original poster (JujuBente) went to Pierce the next day and their report looks somewhat promising (page 22).

I know that several nurses trained in the Philippines are abandoning their attempts at getting a CA license and are pursuing initial licensure in another state with the intent to endorse to CA at a later date. Given that your situation goes back to your original education I don't think the posters new plan will be successful.

[kids]

Yep, so very true! It happened to a sorority sister back in 2010. She had a speeding ticket and after court cost, administration fees and all kinds of other fees, it was a $475 ticket. She didn't have the money to pay for it back then, never thought of it as she was going to school in a different county. Out of sight, out of mind, so it went from $200 to $475 after time and her mail kept going to her folk's house and then they moved.

Your friend's situation doesn't sound so much that it was a ticket over $300 as it was an unpaid ticket. Many states won't issue a license (or renew an exisiting license) if you have unpaid fines/tickets, past due child support or unpaid taxes.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Given that the economy is so poor, I'm not surprised that CA has tightened up. What is surprising is the vast differences in licensing requirements from state to state. It would make it easier (and much more sense) if there was one national BON. Either that or more compact states. It seems very unfair that certain states have stricter laws

[RN_Canada]

given that the economy is so poor, i'm not surprised that ca has tightened up

what does the economy have to do with it?

there should be no influence on the licensing of nurses other than making sure they meet requirements that are in place for public protection.

labour forces should not be an influence on obtaining a nursing license. getting a license is one thing...getting a job is completely different.

[RN_Marie]

What does the economy have to do with it?

The California Board of Nursing and NCLEX is a big money-maker. Everyday, the CABON approves / grants a license for at least 300 individual. 300 x $150 application, 300 x $200 testing fee = $105,000 per day revenue, $105,000 x 25 days = $2,625,000. And this is only for testing, this does not include study materials and so on and so forth.

So what does the economy have to do with tightening requirements?

As the number of unemployed RN saturate the California market grows, the rise in unemployment has the opposite effect on investors. When there's a high number of skilled/professional workers out of jobs, it shows that the state is not attracting investors and companies do not continue to grow.

Also, we are now in the technological-era. Consumers have more access to information and demands better service for their buck. CABON and licensing is placed to protect the public. CABON spends an upwards of $5 Million dollars a year investigating and prosecuting nurses. CABON is only accountable to the consumers of California. And with the increasing rate of everything and uncertainty of jobs, more consumers demand better quality service from what they paid for.

And before anyone thinks otherwise, I do not think that the internationally educated RNs are less qualified than the California graduates. Some of the best mentors I had been educated in the Philippines. By reinforcing regulations they placed to safeguard the consumers, it is what we always say that prevention is always better than cure.

[RN_Canada]

Thanks for the response...

I am simply going by my own lived experience here in Canada.

The regulatory bodies do not exist to make money, they exist under legislation to ensure that nurses who provide care for the Canadian public meet the requirements that have been set for public protection.

The fact that there may or may not be jobs is not a factor in regulation...that is a labour market issue. Increasing the number of applicants they process in order to make money is a conflict of interest and outside of the legislated mandate of public protection

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

California has always been attractive to nurses. When the economy is poor and their own locally trained nurses aren't securing jobs, the BON can decide to limit the number of licenses granted by changing the requirements. Also, Canadian and American regulations are vastly different. There is no comparison, RN Canada.

[superveronica]

Thanks so much, I'll give it a try