I aM floored. I just received notice from GA Board of Nursing that they denied the endorsement of my MN RN license because I did not meet clinical practice requirements . When I called the board, they transferred me to a their Legal Nurse Consultant who stated that effective July 1, 2008 GA would no longer endorse RN license from Excelsior College students with no previous RN experience. She suggested that I go to my licensed state and work for a while then try again, but she could not give me a time frame.
Has anyone else experienced this. I thought we should at least have gotten some sort of notice/warning before this type of rule be adopted by the board. I am going to file a motion for reconsideration using an Attorney. Before I entered Excelsiors program I called GA Board to verify acceptance. I had been accepted to a traditional LPN to RN bridge program; I could have been almost finished their too. I am so sad right now. I have been crying for two days. I think I will need to see my doctor for Zoloft.
I have been an LPN for over 13 years doing Med/Surg for at least 10. I work on a hospital unit right now. THIS IS SO UNFAIR!!!:banghead:
Just curious, for those who are EC students and live in GA, have you talked with your local state senator or congress people about how the situation is decreasing their constituents access to health care and will do nothing but increase the nursing shortage? I wonder if their is a grassroots gig that could start to enact legislation which would include statute that provides Law that the GA BON must accept EC grads.
Tammy,
I as well as others have written letters to "everyone and their mamas". Some have even been in contact with the senators/representatives by phone. According to some of the posts on this board, it appears that there is some concern about this from some of the representatives.
I had about a 2 hour phone conversation with my represenative before the BON meeting last month. He was also one of the co-sponsors of the bill that the BON is now using against us. Per him EC was never once brought up during the legislative process and the BON's ruling was an unintended consequence. The problem is most of our lawmakers are ill informed and when someone like Sharon Cooper who they respect as a professional they follow along instead of researching further.
Hey everyone. I have been attempting to gather info on the Oct 3rd education committee meeting. Below is the e-mail correspondence between myself and the GNA. I finished my nursing courses in Aug. 2007, signed up and paid for the CPNE, asked to be put on the cancelation list and offered to travel to any testing site in the US with 24 hr notice. Even the, I did not get to take my CPNE until July 13th 2008. I passed with no repeats. July 15th, the last day of the CPNE was on of the most exciting and emotional days of my life. Until Aug 3rd, when I got the letter stating that GA had changed the laws on July 1st. I must say I am angry with the state, but also the school. Had I not waited for 11mths for the CPNE, I would be RN by now. Bad luck across the board I guess....
Here is the e-mail exchange, I have left off the name, b/c as you can see....she was speaking off the record.......
GNA,
Do you have any information on the education committee meeting that was to take place October 4, 2008? I completed my nursing courses in Aug 2007 and had to wait until July 13th 2008 to take the CPNE. After passing, receiving a new title and raise from my fabulous employer.....I received the letter of doom. I have been patiently waiting for what I pray is an inevitable reversal of the decision.
I don't mean to pester, but I am so curious and I can not find any information any where.
Thank you in advance for any information you may offer.
Rjlchef,
GNA & Excelsior will be sending out a message tomorrow to students. In the meantime I can tell you:
We met for 2 hours with the committee, they were quite meticulous in going through the current Board rules and asking questions about Excelsior's program. We were able to give very specific responses.
The committee indicated that the BON rules were not in alignment with Excelsior's program. We were not surprised by that opinion since the rules are written for a traditional model of nursing education. We offered a compromise and they have taken it under study. Next steps may be consideration of rules changes. GNA & Excelsior continue to give this our full attention. For now, we are still in a holding pattern. I am sorry this has delayed your licensure. Hopefully we'll resolve this soon.
GNA,
Off the record, are you hopeful? I haven't mentioned any of this to my employer. They have been great and given me a title and raise that I can not keep if the licensure falls through. I do not want to alert them because I feel that it is all going to be okay in the end. However, I can not keep dragging my feet. Please give me your opinion. Not the diplomatic, politically correct version. But, just your gut feeling about the direction that this is headed. I will not hold you to it, but you have an insiders view and I would hold your view in the highest regard.
Rjlchef,
Off the record I am very hopeful we'll prevail on this. We have a lot of political players on our side and we fully intend to see it through. The most frustrating issue at this point is that I don't have a sense for exactly WHEN this will be resolved. We are jumping through all the required hoops, so hopefully we can see where we are in a week or two as they consider our compromise & we suggest rules changes.
Excelsior will be sending out a messge to everyone tomorrow.
GNA,
Thank you so much for your response. I am concerned that once Licensed, the BON will not recognize my licensure at all. I ask them what I would need to do in order to make it valid and they said that there is nothing that can be done. Even if I complete a program that is on their approved list, according to the person who answered the phone at GA BON, the original license would be based on the Excelsior program and it would not be recognized. So, I am hesitant about taking the NCLEX at all. I am in the process of looking for a BSN program that would accept the Excelsior credits for transfer. If I have to go back to school, I do not want to go for a degree that I have already completed. I am finding that the BSN programs require you to have a license to be eligible for enrollment. Everything is contingent on the decision of the board so, I guess all we can do is wait and see.
Thanks again for all of your help. I am not sure if you are interested, but our family is pretty active in the legislative realm. We spend a lot of time contacting state representatives about diabetes research. Over the years we have learned that a hand written letter makes it to the reps. much more frequently than a typed or form letter. I attempted to make an appointment with Sonny Perdue to discuss the impact of this decision, but my request was denied. I was told that he doesn't have much to do with the decision. I beg to differ. He appointed the members on the BON and I believe that his opinion would matter a great deal to them. So I wrote him a letter. I would advise any one who wants to get the attention of their law makers to write a letter. The e-mails and typed stuff are fine, they will be acknowledged......but hand written letters are likely to be read.
Thank you for your time.
Rjlchef,
All I can tell you at this point is hang in there. We're pressing hard on this end.
Very good points re legislative contacts. Something I used to try to impress upon my students. More soon I hope.
Guess what!! The Representative that put this ball in motion, Sharon Cooper is the only candidate on the ticket for District 41 this 2008 election year. I believe that we should start a grassroot effort to take her job like she has taken so many of ours. If we can find someone willing to run and can get people in the district to vote for that person as a write in cadidate, We can boot her from office without having an opponent. It's a bit out there, but it just might work. Any one in District 41 that is willing to be a rep? I believe that is the Cobb county area. I would throw my name in the ring, but I am in Gwinnett. There is only 1 month left, but I believe that it is doable. I am willing to go door to door and I think that I can get flyer printed for a little of nothing.....Anyone interested?
Guess what!! The Representative that put this ball in motion, Sharon Cooper is the only candidate on the ticket for District 41 this 2008 election year. I believe that we should start a grassroot effort to take her job like she has taken so many of ours. If we can find someone willing to run and can get people in the district to vote for that person as a write in cadidate, We can boot her from office without having an opponent. It's a bit out there, but it just might work. Any one in District 41 that is willing to be a rep? I believe that is the Cobb county area. I would throw my name in the ring, but I am in Gwinnett. There is only 1 month left, but I believe that it is doable. I am willing to go door to door and I think that I can get flyer printed for a little of nothing.....Anyone interested?
Great idea! Is there anyone in Cobb county that can do this??? Not much of an election if she isn't competing against anyone. I will help pitch in on the cost of the flyers and signs to let the public know what kind of person they are voting for.
This is the letter I received about the education meeting and the current situation for those that are keeping up. Sounds positive and another student posted earlier that the gna remains hopefull but I wonder what kind of compromise they are speaking of. Changes I'm assuming...I don't mind...just that the ones that are almost done or are done may not be done in reality if they tack on extra courses or clinical time. I don't mind at all as long as can go through excelsior i'm willing to do what ever that is asked. I'm still completing the concepts anyways and can adapt but the students waiting to take CPNE or already have they may have another hoop to jump through that they weren't planning on. I 'm going to continue studying and taking test. I want to complete 2 more by the end of the year.
Here's the statement:
On September 18, President Ebersole, Dean Nettleton and others from Excelsior College as well as representatives from the Georgia Nurses Association (GNA) presented before the Georgia Board of Nursing at its regular meeting in an attempt to seek a reversal of its action. The Board decided to take no action at the meeting and referred the issue of licensure of Excelsior graduates to its Education Committee for further study.
On October 3, representatives from Excelsior College and the GNA met with the Education Committee. Despite the Board's longstanding history of licensing Excelsior's graduates, the committee determined that the Board of Nursing's rules as currently written are not in alignment with Excelsior's nontraditional model of education. Excelsior and GNA engaged the committee in consideration of a compromise solution that could allow the Board to move forward with allowing licensure for Excelsior's graduates. The committee is considering the proposed solution. Our next step will be to work with all parties involved to resolve the discrepancies in the rules.
Excelsior College and the GNA believe our collective advocacy efforts aimed at decreasing the barriers to higher education and nursing licensure are important for all the citizens of Georgia and we will remain in contact with the Georgia Board and other interested parties to see how we can move forward on this issue.
Specializes in ER and family advanced nursing practice.
Rjlchef and others who have finished the CPNE,
I can only guess how frustrating this must be for you guys. Have you actually graduated from EC yet? If so, I would not put everything on hold. If you have officially graduated, then I would continue on with the NCLEX and licensure even if it is another state. Minnesota has a fast turn around time for ATT letters. At least once a decision is made you will already be an RN.
Yes I am going out of mind. Trying to be patient and calm. I'm trying to stay motivated to keep studying and keep testing. I was hoping to be finshed with this next year but it might be the following year. I was planning..as well as others their future with themselves or family for this career, hours and possiblity this mean. Like you said at least it's not a no. Like one person stated probably less testing out and maybe mandatory clincials or precetorships/ externships. That would work out for hospitals as well... low cost/free help for them and more training for us.
I read some people had to decline jobs/ preceptorships and some are on hold. I really feel for those. Hang in their. That show employers in Ga have no problem hiring excelsior student if these student had job prospects and two that less nurses to fill theses positions which continues the shortage in ga. I think having less nurses, over worked nurses and high patient load is more of threat to patient safety then excelsior grads.
This info is heartbreaking, I would like to know is there anything that can be done regarding a person that has paid for this education, to get his/her money back. Is there a chance that a class action lawsuit could be filed if GA totallys say "NO" we aren't accepting Excelsior anymore. I feel that it is a waste of time and money and that's heartbreaking. I hope that that wont be their decision but just thinking ahead if it is......
This info is heartbreaking, I would like to know is there anything that can be done regarding a person that has paid for this education, to get his/her money back. Is there a chance that a class action lawsuit could be filed if GA totallys say "NO" we aren't accepting Excelsior anymore. I feel that it is a waste of time and money and that's heartbreaking. I hope that that wont be their decision but just thinking ahead if it is......
I'm optimistic and I think with some effective communication and leadership, the GBON will come to their senses and recognize the wisdom behind focusing on competency and outcome versus the process one goes through to obtain those core competencies.
. When I called the board, they transferred me to a their Legal Nurse Consultant who stated that effective July 1, 2008 GA would no longer endorse RN license from Excelsior College students with no previous RN experience. She suggested that I go to my licensed state and work for a while then try again, but she could not give me a time frame.
I def won't be voting for her.
rnlately
439 Posts
Tammy,
I as well as others have written letters to "everyone and their mamas". Some have even been in contact with the senators/representatives by phone. According to some of the posts on this board, it appears that there is some concern about this from some of the representatives.