Former 91C20 with expired license

[nownser]

I attended the Army 91C20 course during the Viet Nam era at Fitzsimons Hospital in Denver. Upon course completion we took our state boards and I received my Colorado LPN. Many years later, in 2005, I allowed my license to expire. Now living in rural Virginia and there is a dire need for school nurses and substitutes. Is there a non-complicated method to reactivate my license, challenge the boards, or attend a local nursing school for a refresher course?

[elkpark]

Have you asked the Colorado BON about reactivating your expired license? That is where I would start. If you can get your CO license back, then you can endorse it to other states and go from there.

[nownser]

Update:

Contacted CO, was sent paperwork to reactivate license, and was told that I needed to attend an accredited refresher course. This is difficult as I have no refresher courses, accredited by CO, within 750 miles. So that option is unrealistic.

My next thought was to contact VA BON. I was told that, as long as my license for CO is listed on NURSYS, I only needed to pay for verification, complete application, and have background check completed. OH, and pay my $250 in various fees. All that was completed and received by VA BON on 9/18. Simple enough! Or, so I thought. 7 weeks later, no license, not even a 30 day Authorization to Practice letter. Because 1) CO has not responded to the VA request for more information [even with NURSYS verification], 2) They can't find computerized transcripts from nursing school [completed in 1969, so I emailed a copy],3) Background check shows Disorderly Conduct arrest in 1966 [They have rcvd a Certified records check from listed police dept. stating I have no arrest record on file there].

It would appear that VA BON is not prepared for anything that is not computerized. Hopefully they will able to convert "old school" training into their computerized, preferred format.

Have any of you experienced this type of issue or delay?

[elkpark]

BONs tend to be underfunded and understaffed. There is often a significant delay in getting applications and documents processed.

[nownser]

My application has been denied by VA BO. Reason is not attending an approved nursing school and they furnished the code numbers on which the decision was based. Strangely enough, those codes include a paragraph that states military training and experience will be accepted in lieu of education requirements. I have requested a conference with the BON.