Australian RN wanting to work in California - Hospital Based Diploma course backgroun

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Hi,

I'm married to a US citizen and am now a permanent resident here in Los Angeles.

I want to start the ball rolling with applying for registration here in California and am fully aware of NCLEX-RN process.

I rang the CNB yesterday having read the website info & explained that I do not have transcripts from the Hospital Based Diploma school I had my training with (Class of January, 1976 - graduated and registered 1979) and unfortunately the school no longer exists.

Even more unfortunately, the archivist with the Health Department of Western Australia advised me that the records no longer exist there and that they were culled!!

I have tried all avenues (a long list of wonderful networking contacts) and the information simply doesn't seem to be out there.

When I explained this to the CNB person, she reiterated 4 times that my application couldn't be processed without the transcripts.

Any clues as to how to proceed with this?

My background is that I've been a registered nurse in Australia since 1979, working constantly since that time (I'm now 50 years of age) up until migrating here in February this year. I was a Level 3 Clinical Nurse (specialising in Gerontology) with vast experience - loved nursing and I'm missing it terribly.

On the offchance CFGNS can somehow miraculously locate the records, the course I did included Pediatrics, Obs/Gyn and Psych. In each case the students of W.A.S.O.N were sent to hospitals specialising in those areas, having had the theory component at the school.

Having said that, my next question is regarding how relevant that training will be, 30 years after the event - given that I haven't practiced in those areas since my training? In other words, would you anticipate I'd need to return to a college to bring myself up to date.

I do appreciate your help with my questions. I'm feeling a little lost.

Linda

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Is there nothing documented anywhere on what would be in your transcripts.? Can you state in Au not put anything in writing? Otherwise I think you will have problems

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What I do have is the course outline and my own record i.e. number of hours on each of the areas studied e.g. endocrinology, neurology etc. It doesn't have a breakdown on exactly what was studied.

Also has wards/hospitals I went to and hours there, including ward reports. Also have my marks for each subject studied.

My understanding is that still doesn't comprise a transcript.

I've spoken to three of my former lecturers/tutors, including one who has written a history of the Western Australian School of Nursing and neither of them have very detailed breakdowns or transcripts.

I also spoke to another who was one of the crew who spent the week or so lugging the boxes of records from the former school of nursing to the Health Dept archives area.

My understanding is that after 20 years, these things can be culled and that's what happened. I queried whether anything had been kept on microfiche and they said "no". The other problem is that because it was a new school (had amalgamated Royal Perth school of nursing and the former W.A. Government School of Nursing in about 1974), the program changed each year, initially. So even if I find transcripts for say the class of 1975, it's not what the class of '76 studied.

My deepest fear is that I'll never be able to practice here. Then I'd need to just return to Australia each year and keep up practice there. Still, seems like a shame the US can't perhaps benefit by my experience. I've studied for NCLEX - done heaps of sample exam papers and I'm consistently sitting on somewhere between 80% - 90%, so I'mnot washed up.

: ))

Then again, I don't know that I could start all over again and do an entire nursing degree course again.

Thank you for the reply - much appreciated.

Linda

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Sounds like you have much to offer nursing, sounds like a bad situation, but you can understand the position the BON is in.

Several suggestions, if you go to a local nursing program, they maybe able to give you advanced placement.

Do you have a diploma? That may help.....

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What we have seen happen in the past is that there is a record someplace, and then it is verified by an instructor or someone that worked at your school and knew you. There has been much written about this on the UK forum as it has happened there quite often since the NMC took over everything and many of the older programs are no longer around.

There is much information there as to what can be accepted.

Best of luck to you.

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Specializes in intensive care, recovery, anesthetics.

Is there no law of somekind in Australia that outlines the minimum amount of hours in each area, that needed to be done during your time of education?

That could help you a lot.

5cats

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The licensing boards of each state there have on file what was completed in the nursing programs there, no matter how far back.

That is why I mentioned to check out the UK forum, much has been written on what can be done to get things accepted in other countries. And it can be done.

Chances are that the hospitals where one first worked also had the transcripts on file from the school, you may wish to start with that route as well.

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Ah, this is a wealth of helpful information. Thank you all - excellent suggestions to follow up on.

This forum is a wonderful resource.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Also, you may not have to return to Oz each year. I know some states (NSW, Vic) only require experience in the previous 5 years to maintain registration.

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