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:
I know, I was sooooo happy to receive that email!!! Hopefully they will all pay attention. Again, thanks for the information so I was able to help our plight against Sharon Cooper and GABON!!! :wink2:
Folks here is my attempt at writing to the legislators. My background was as a Military Corpsman and that is where I received my training and most of my hospital expereince. I doubt I will hear back from many of them. But, I emailed every representative on the list.
"
Dear Sir or Madam,
Over the past six months there has been a lot of discussion over the status and quality of graduates from nursing programs such as Excelsior College. It seems that over this period of time I have heard individuals like myself being portrayed as dangerous, undereducated, and many other defamatory and derogatory remarks all coming from our elected officials, such Mrs. Sharon Cooper and others. As a military veteran, and there are many from this state, I have never felt more like a second class citizen in any of my travels until now, and in my own state none the less. The elected officials should consider the limited options available to military men and women when it comes to obtaining education and licensing as a Registered Nurse. Excelsior College has provided this route for thousands of military member over the course of thirty plus years. For thirty years these military members could attend Excelsior while on active duty or shortly after returning to Georgia and if they graduate from the program they could obtain licensing by endorsement. Once again those citizens of the State of Georgia have to sacrifice their dreams because of a few individuals with power. As a former military member and one of those individuals affected, I am appalled at the actions of the elected officials that want to defame my colleagues and I.
I started in medicine in 1982 as a newly licensed EMT in my home state. From there I joined the United States Navy to become a Navy Hospital Corpsman. I attended training at the Balboa Naval Institute of health in San Diego and graduated in the top five of my class. This was an intensive training cycle filled with hundreds of hours of classroom and clinical rotations within the various specialties of the Naval Hospital. From there I was transferred to the Naval Hospital at Jacksonville, Florida. During that duty rotation I performed the duties of a Registered Nurse both in the hospital environment and the outpatient clinical environment. In the military, the hospital corpsman is the nursing staff with the charge nurses being registered bachelor s level nurses. We were responsible for all the well being of our patients and were responsible for all the nursing skills and procedures required by our patient. From my hospital rotation I attended Aviation Medicine training at the Aviation Medical Institute in Pensacola, Florida. This training allowed us to perform preliminary physical exams on pilots, officers and members of the crew. Our role was to serve in conjunction with the flight surgeon at the Naval Air installation or the Naval Aircraft Carrier at sea. I was looking forward to my first deployment aboard the USS Midway, which was forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. However, when I reported onboard, the aviation medical section was full and I was assigned to be in charge of the 24 bed hospital ward aboard the ship. Most people do not know that aboard the aircraft carriers we are basically a self contained hospital. In addition to the 24 bed ward we had a one bed ICU. For 12 hours a day I was the only medical personnel in the ward area. My first cruise we had every bed occupied with sick or injured sailors. I was personally responsible for all nursing decisions, skills and procedures for these men. In addition, I was responsible for all pre-op and post-op care of our crew members preparing for surgery or recovering for surgery. There was no over sight by a Registered Nurse. My shipmate relieved me after my 12 hour shift and then he was responsible for all the nursing care provided to the patients. We performed this rotation over the period of two years. The only relief we had was when the ship was in port and we could close the ward down and refer patient admissions to the local civilian or Naval Hospital. When I came off active duty and decided to remain in the reserves up until 2005. I started looking into Excelsior College to obtain my RN degree.
Excelsior College allowed me the opportunity to work the three jobs I need to support my family. I have a daughter in college and I pay the bills. There are many military members and civilians in this state dealing with the same situation. So, I decided to attend Excelsior College and I am one exam and practical exam away from completing my dream and lifelong goal.
I would like to point out some additional reasons I chose Excelsior College.
-Accepted in Georgia for over 30 years for license by endorsement.
-NCLEX exam grades on par and higher than a majority of traditional nursing schools in Georgia.
-In order to attend Excelsior College I had to prove that I had extensive hands on nursing experience. I showed almost twenty years of patient care experience both in the military and civilian job market. I am also a licensed Paramedic, Registered Medical Assistant and Level II EMS instructor in the State of Georgia. This requirement applies to anyone who wants to attend Excelsior College. Most of the students attending Excelsior have five to ten years of on the floor hospital experience. Anyone that tells you different has not checked their information.
-When we take an exam it must be taken at Sylvan or Pearson Vue locations in Georgia. This is the same location where the NCLEX exam is given. Pearson Vue and Sylvan are testing centers offering testing for many different programs. When I enter the test site I must provide picture ID, empty my pockets and store my entire personal belongs in a locker, have my picture taken and then have my fingerprint scanned. I know it has been reported that we take this exam open book and at home. That is not true and I challenge anyone to prove different.
-Excelsior College has been awarded the Center of Excellence award by the National League of Nursing. The same National League of Nursing that provides accreditation of the traditional nursing programs in Georgia.
Representative Cooper and others have pushed these laws through the legislature and committees by providing false information to their colleagues. I urge all the legislators of Georgia to do their own research. They contend that Excelsior graduates are dangerous to their patients. Yet, they will not provide specific examples of incidents. Nor, will they provide information on the number of incidents involving graduates from traditional schools of nursing in Georgia. I work as the lab coordinator for a local college with a traditional nursing program. On a daily basis I can observe what is being taught and I also have the luxury of asking the students what they do on their clinical rotations. They all have a sign off sheet, but they are only required to demonstrate one of each procedure. In corpsman school we had to demonstrate the procedure on a patient numerous times. I encourage you to talk to hospital staff and reach your own conclusion about how qualified they are to practice nursing unsupervised on patients. Also, contact hospital staff that work with Excelsior graduates and see how they feel about their competence levels. There are thousands of Excelsior graduates providing safe care to patients in most of the major hospitals in the Atlanta area.
Currently, Mrs. Cooper's health and human services committee is sitting on SB49, which passed in the senate by a vote of 51 to 2. However, she continues to write bills that contradicts the Senate bill and the action of the Governor.
I ask that you vote against HB 475 and push for consideration of SB 49 in the House of Representatives. Help prove to the military members and others of this state that you understand their special circumstances and want to see our citizens succeed in their dreams. "
I received an email last night from a Rep. (will have to check mail again for name) stating that unless HB 475 is amended he would not support it and he also stated that SB 49 would not move out of H&HS committee. I hope they truly are "working on this". These actions are such a slap in the face especially to me as a born and raised Georgian (not that being born here makes me special or entitled). I'll be glad when the gov't finally removes the knives out of my back.
. 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.
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gobsmackednurse
86 Posts
You ROCK , Nik!!! And so does Rep. Benton!!!!
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