CA Board of Nursing

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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.

Hi elvinze.. I graduated 2006. Yes, I did re-apply 4th week of january 2012, and got the letter 2 weeks later. And just like the others, they want me to give them a copy of Clinical Cases. Same story.. But I'm not giving them a copy yet. Instead I will send them a letter to reevaluate/re-check my application. Asking them that maybe they overlooked at my application knowing that I am not a New Graduate, I have a working experience and I have SS#. Just taking a shot maybe they would give me another chance! Let's see what happens..

Hi. I think asking them to re-check or re-evaluate your credentials won't work. You better talk your evaluator in person like what I did but still it didn't work. You know my evaluator show me how she evaluated and checked my transcript and clinical rotation and I was shocked on what i saw. She really checked it one by one. The schedule of classes and topics to the hospital duties and area and she sticked post its to every subjects that she saw not concurrent. They are actually checking every information one by one. Anyway let see what will happen. don't forget to post it here just to have an idea. Thanks

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@ Sallyp911, are there more tangible information regarding the issue? What are your PH workers actually saying? Because almost PH graduates are BSN degrees, and very rarely are there LVN type diplomas from the Philippines. It's totally acceptable if they enforce new rules or reinforce stricter rules on their licensing as they move forward to the year, but these nurses who were already licensed from 2004 - 2010, should they be punished? after all, they provided care when the state was in dire need of.

I also understand what you mean by the privilege and right angle, but since these nurses have already worked and cared for California's constituents for so long, aren't they entitled for a due process at least? instead of just taking away their licenses in a snap?

Has anybody in your PH-Coworkers experience renewing difficulties?

Just to make some clarifications:

(a). I'm not sure if you followed the thread closely and maybe I didn't make myself clear, but I was referring to my sister-in-law PH co-workers.

(b). The degrees I was referring to was the out of state nurses NOT from the PH at all, but rather the older nurse's who probably still wear their old white striped hats from the Nightingale days. They are being forced to get their BSN degree, so you can imagine the hardship of going back to college with their own same aged daughter's or maybe grand-daughter's and the expenses and the time to study.

©. Due process you speak of only applies to those nurses that have been fired and or disciplined for mistreatment of a patient, misconduct and other type of offenses. The non-renewal of one's RN license is up to the CA BON, there's an appeal process, but for now, the rules are going to be further enforced and like a driver's license, it can be revoked or suspended for whatever reasons if it doesn't meet the minimum requirements. It seems like however, the affected nurses can still get their licenses renewed as a "conditional" one, meaning that they have the same 3-4 years to get their classes together like those in the other states. My sister-in-law's co-workers have been hearing that lately.

(d). Yes, it's sad to say even with their long service and devout dedication to the hospital and patients, if it means they are let go, to the hospital and even it's top managers, NM, HR, etc, it's all business. Yes, the patients will sorely miss their favorite nurse(s). But that's the cruel and harsh reality of any workplace.

(e). In this same thread, you'll see that other posters are already experiencing the CA renewal process of having to now present better documentation of their college courses taken as posted recently by ElvinZE and iibernardii. Btw, guys, good luck with your renewals!

Since those affected licenses were granted under a unenforced requirement(s), it doesn't mean that one gets an automatic license come renewal and review times. If you think about it, maybe they should consider themselves very lucky that they even got to apply in the first place. CA BON could have denied them years ago.

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if you are denied to sit on an exam does it mean the same with denial of licensure?

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hi sallyp911, I don't think we're on the same page, :o because my concerns were about Nurses who are licensed & are already practicing/working.. and the rumored revocation of their licenses. I don't think that ElvinZE and iibernardii are renewing their licenses, because they don't have one (yet), rather they are reapplying to sit for the exam again. :o

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Yes, my school explained everything. And my analyst was firm with the decision. Im done with it. Its just too much, it will stress you out. Let's go to Nevada. They have cgfns, it has less strict credential evaluation that dont ask for all these crap. I graduated from a nursing school which has been up for years now and has a good reputation in the Philippines. And its really very frustrating that all of the graduates in my school were able to get the exam and I cant? Bu lls hit! I hope I graduated last year so that I wouldnt have to undergo all this new requirements, but well there's nothing I can do about it now. I can't sulk.

My plan is to apply for licensure in another state then move back to Ca after a year too based on licsensure by endorsement. Sound like a good plan right? :)

You guys, California is hopeless. You guys gotta believe me, I've spent so much money for fedex for the mail to submit requirements and mail from school with explanations blah blah. I have a very big file with correspondence with BRN. haha. :) It's a dead end. It will burn you out. There are so many states out there.

Hi Starleviosa,

I am licensed in NEVADA since OCT. 2011, and I'm having it endorsed now in California, and did all their **** and submitted my OR/DR cases from my school(CEU) and I got a letter today saying I need to take additional coursework....found this thread, and reading it...I'm now on page 5...I'm just really sad and upset right now...I did a lot of things and sacrificed...I'm already a RN and they're giving me this rubbishhhhh...

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I received the letter today, very upset, I even cried. I started inquiring, one school I called say they get calls like mine periodically and referred me to a college which is a little far from our house (Ventura College), I tried Pierce College, and I'm working on the application now..UPDATE ME ON YOUR ENDEAVORS and PLANS!

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I received the letter today, very upset, I even cried. I started inquiring, one school I called say they get calls like mine periodically and referred me to a college which is a little far from our house (Ventura College), I tried Pierce College, and I'm working on the application now..UPDATE ME ON YOUR ENDEAVORS and PLANS!

did you try calling ventura college if they will allow you to take those courses?

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Nope, I tried Pierce College(more convenient) and they're accepting applications 'til May, and I'm working on it now. Are you planning to apply too?

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@ jejubente really? are you serious? my god what the hect thats too much work for us.. i already renewed my liscense here in ca last year it will expired by 2013... i dnt know if im gonna encounter the same problem as yours in the future... thanks!! y dont u stay in nevada intead so maybe u dnt need to take any classes...

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Thanks for the suggestion, my family is in California, and relocating is expensive. My parents are advising me to just finish the course, bec CA BRN has a point too.

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Nope, I tried Pierce College(more convenient) and they're accepting applications 'til May, and I'm working on it now. Are you planning to apply too?

so you will have to apply for the whole program and go through the whole program? or do they allow you to take only the classes you need?

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Just the subjects I need, OB and MS. You can go to their website and have a specific section for Foreign Grads taking just additional courses.

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