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:
It outlines everything that has been happening. Please, go to this link and put your letters that you have sent to the politicians of this state or just leave your comments. That blog will reach a bigger audience and hopefully garner more support for our cause.
It's lengthy, but it had to be because the right margin cut into the original message. So, I had to shorten the sentences to make it fit.
EDIT: This was written by my DH, by the way...:redbeathe
I read it. So powerful, and true. It made me cry. My efforts and prayers are with all of you wonderful nurses!
I just found out that today's teleconference at the GA BON is to approve a batch of us who have filed our waivers. That's the good news...
The bad news is, that is NOT THE LAST STEP....
The next step is, all of us get sent over to the ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE for more approval!!
How long does this take? Who can say? Nobody knows...
So, now we have to contact the Attorney General's office. Carry our noise to them...as soon as I find a contact number and a website, I'll post it as an edit right here.
EDIT: the Attorney General's phone number is 404-656-3300. Their fax is 404-657-8733. I don't have an email yet, but you can call them and ask them HOW LONG IS THIS PROCESS GOING TO TAKE?
Also, here is another contact for the GA BON, who will also answer your questions:
Because, that is the policy with all waivers filed within the state of Georgia. They go through their appropriate boards for approval, then they go to the AG's office. Why? I don't know. What I DO know is this is the most screwed up state government I have ever had the displeasure of having to deal with!
Once again, they have been so comfortable, sitting atop their pedestals, passing judgement on those they view as lesser than they....
It is time for them to be knocked off their pedestals. Keep making your noise, to the Governor, to the Secretary of State, and now to the Attorney General's office...demand equal rights to every other nurse in this state, and demand that President Keeton and Rep. Cooper be removed from their posts before they harm anyone else!!!
NURSES, UNITE!!! NOW IS THE TIME FOR SOCIAL UPHEAVAL!! PROTEST AGAINST THIS DISCRIMINATION!!!
Gobsmacked Nurse; I believe you and the other EC grads are being discriminated against. Do you know that, because of the false claims that have been made about the quality of EC, hospitals in Georgia, Atlanta, especially; now hold a negative view of EC grads as incompetent and substandard b/c of this?
As I have said before, no scientific evidence has been produced to prove their claims; only their rotten opinions, despite the evidence which shows EC grads are indeed safe and competent nurses. Now, EC and its grads have been slandered and damaged professionally,economically, and socially, possibly irreperabely ( spelling?). I am not an attorney, but I am not dumb either, and it appears like you all have a very good cause to take legal action against these SOBs; sorry about the expression; I am just outraged by the injustice of this.
And I agree with you, 100%! We have a long fight ahead of us, but we must keep fighting! Not just for us, but for everyone who is coming in behind us, for the nurses who are working short-staffed in this state, and for the patients who suffer because their nurses are too busy with their heavy load to get to their needs in an efficient manner, all because of these two individuals, sitting oh-so-comfortably in their ivory towers, looking down their noses at us as if we were second class citizens!! Foreign nurses are treated better than we are!
Read her letter to the AJC again. Do you see something else besides discrimination? How about LIBEL?
Everyone affected by this, consult an attorney and find out what your rights are!
I hope you guys get endorsed. Also what olsogirl was saying about the negative view that is being painted...I'm worried about that. Even if we get endorsed this year and the next how are hospitals looking at us? Will we get hired and given a reasonable chance just like a new graduate from any other college? Or will they think we are automatically incompetent and hold us to higher standard or not hire us at all. The longer this goes on people are going to associate EC with negative words. Just over 2years ago I called a hospital and inquired about intern/extern and jobs and asked if graduating from EC matters. They said no, as long as you have your RN by the state of GA they could care less where you went to school. (AS is should be with an RN..wheather you go to Emory school of nursing and pay those big buck or go to a Technical school, or nontraditional college like EC...it should not matter in Nursing) Hearing that gave me the push to go apply and procced thinking their will not be any problems but now I wonder if the answer might be different. They might ponder and think whether they want to hire an EC grad. I hope not. As you get endorsed and start working keep us all informed on your experiences.
And I agree with you, 100%! We have a long fight ahead of us, but we must keep fighting! Not just for us, but for everyone who is coming in behind us, for the nurses who are working short-staffed in this state, and for the patients who suffer because their nurses are too busy with their heavy load to get to their needs in an efficient manner, all because of these two individuals, sitting oh-so-comfortably in their ivory towers, looking down their noses at us as if we were second class citizens!! Foreign nurses are treated better than we are!
Read her letter to the AJC again. Do you see something else besides discrimination? How about LIBEL?
Everyone affected by this, consult an attorney and find out what your rights are!
Gobsmackednurse, I believe you are right about libel too; I read the opinion.
But why the attorney general's office?? that doesn't make sense. i just sent in my waiver as when i sent in my application the first week of january, i never saw anything on the website about it. i was hoping that once this got settled, we woulndn't have to have all this silly, paperwork. I just hope I filled it out to their liking as they can always deny it. this is the most backward state govt in the US. I will have to start making some calls. I have sent emails, but I guess calling is now what we need!!
. 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.
oslogirl
181 Posts
I read it. So powerful, and true. It made me cry. My efforts and prayers are with all of you wonderful nurses!