Arizona Board of nursing and Excelsior college update

I've seen several states make changes since I've been licensed as well but AZ definitely takes the cake!

Thay want to make restrictions on EC grads, yet they are a part of the multi-state licensure compact.

The only state (to my knowledge) who is part of the compact and has sought to restrict EC grads is Maryland.

The vast majority of the other compact states have no such restrictions.

So what does AZ hope to accomplish if they allow EC grad RN's from compact states to practice (since an RN license from a compact state is all that is required for AZ reciprocity), but want to place additional restrictions on their own permanent residents?

I guess nobody brought that up at their last BNE meeting.

If it is a compact license that is in use, then there is no reciprocity in actuality from AZ that is needed, provided that the nurse maintains a legal residence in the home state. The compact license is valid in that state.

The issue will occur if and when the nurse decides to move to AZ entirely and no longer has a valid compact license.

But that's my point Suzanne.

I fully understand the legal red tape behind it. You can't accomplish anything by allowing interstate reciprocity and at the same time restricting your own permanent residents. What sense does that make?

Let's say an EC grad originally licensed in Texas decides to take a travel assignment in AZ.

Liking AZ so much, he/she renews her contract and/or moves around to other AZ hospitals and somewhere between Flagstaff, Nogales, and Yuma, decides to call AZ home.

He/she unfortunately didn't make the magic deadline, and despite the fact that this nurse has worked assignments in ICU, ER, PACU, med/surg, or wherever within AZ hospitals, the state has decided that although he/she may be competent and safe as a traveler, but they are not competent and safe as a full time resident of AZ RN.

At the same time, AZ willingly licenses fresh new grads from AZ community colleges and universities with no experience and somehow comes to the conclusion that they are a safer and more competent alternative than any EC grad.

Boards of Nursing in any state are supposed to be looking out for the citizens of their state.

I wonder what the average AZ citizen would want for a nurse if given all of this info prior to being hospitalized?

At the same time, AZ willingly licenses fresh new grads from AZ community colleges and universities with no experience and somehow comes to the conclusion that they are a safer and more competent alternative than any EC grad.

Should the AzBON UNwillingly license new grads???

I'm confused and I'll admit it, I don't know what the EC program entails. Do EC grads not have a preceptorship at the end of school? What kind of experience is needed to get in???

I wonder what the average AZ citizen would want for a nurse if given all of this info prior to being hospitalized?

Even you have to admit that there are plenty of nurses that are not knowledgeable about what your program entails. Is it self paced, online?? I would argue that the regular citizen would rather have an experienced nurse than a new nurse (as in your Texas senario), but would also rather have a traditionally trained nurse than a self-paced nurse. Now before you get up-in-arms over that comment, note that I was just answering your question about an average citizen.

I'm not against this type of training. It why I am checking out this board. But saying that fresh new grads aren't as safe or as competent as an EC grad is a little bit of an exaggeration. We all have our strengths and weaknessess. I'll admit that some people shouldn't have graduated with my class (Boy will I admit that), and I'll admit that a lot of people couldn't have made it through EC either. Can't we all just get along??

Now before you get up-in-arms over that comment, note that I was just answering your question about an average citizen.

I'm not against this type of training. It why I am checking out this board. But saying that fresh new grads aren't as safe or as competent as an EC grad is a little bit of an exaggeration. We all have our strengths and weaknessess. I'll admit that some people shouldn't have graduated with my class (Boy will I admit that), and I'll admit that a lot of people couldn't have made it through EC either. Can't we all just get along??

I'm not up in arms over your comments. You brought up some good points.

The only thing I'll dispute is the "But saying that fresh new grads aren't as safe or as competent as an EC grad is a little bit of an exaggeration" comment.

That's not what I said nor do I believe anything remotely close to that. EC's lack of verifying prior clinical experience and lack of stringent admission standards has led to a lot of the problems that we are discussing today regarding licensure in certain states. EC, like any school, can and I'm sure has graduated it's share of less than adequately prepared grads.

There is no doubt in my mind that their program needs to be revamped on several levels. They are, however, adding more clinical component to their program as this was the root of much of the criticism EC has received from state boards. Is this enough to make the program better? I'm not really sure.

My comparison was about an experienced EC grad RN who worked as a traveler but later wanted permanent licensure getting denied, while a new grad from any other type of traditional program in AZ's community college or university system is getting licensed when it is still unknown how well they are going to do.

My comparison was not intended to say that any brand new RN from EC is always safer and/or more competent than any brand new grad from a more traditional program. That's definitely not true.

It was intended to point out how insane it would be to deny an experienced RN licensure who had no history of problems as an RN all the while gambling on how well a new grad is going to fly and issuing them a license.

Fair enough. I for one, believe that experience was the most beneficial thing for me in nursing school and in my transition into nursing. I believe it is a part of eduacation that you don't ever lose or forget.

I'm very naive about the problems with EC right now. I mean, I know there are issues because I see it on my SBON website. Allowing people to get into your program who don't have the experience needed does in fact, seem to bring down the reputation. But so does allowing failing ADN/BSN students to graduate when we all know they shouldn't. That's just the way it goes. Man, there were some downright terrible nursing students that were allowed to pass :angryfire . When they pass, IMO, it cheapens my degree. Everyone will think, Gees, it must not be hard to pass at that school.

To turn down a nurse with years experience and not recognize her RN is absurd. We all know that nursing is OJT anyway. That just doesn't make sense. I don't understand this. If you passed the NCLEX, and have a license number, then you're a nurse!

Thanks for replying!