Getting a Hawaii RN License by Endorsement from California

[cheethaj]

Disclaimer:

This post does not constitute legal advice and is merely an account of my experience applying for licensure by endorsement in Hawaii. Word of advice - Apply well in advance of moving to Hawaii.

Background:

I am a 27 year old new graduate nurse with an RN license from California.

Where to Find the Application:

The Hawaii department of commerce and consumer affairs:Nursing website is http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/boards/nursing/. On the right side of the page you click "Application Forms and Publications"and then select "Nursing License (without exam) Note: applying by endorsement". Within this category I selected "Requirements and Application" (Note: PDF is required to view these files). Do not forget to also fill out the license verification form in the same category and sent it to your current state board of nursing.

Requirements for applying to Hawaii by endorsement:

1) Completed Application

2) Fee - This part is misleading because the fee is dependent of the time period in which you are applying and to make things worse, the fee you pay does not count toward the next two year licensing cycle. For example, I applied in February 2013 and paid a fee on $180, but if I wanted my license before July 1, 2013 (when the cycle begins) I would need to pay another $135 fee just for the few months at the end of that particular cycle. This did not make much sense to me but that is how it is done in Hawaii.

3) Verification of License - This part would be quicker and easier had I been from a state that utilized NURSYS (an online website that verifies nursing licenses and sends verifications to other state boards). At this point in time, California is not one of those states and so I needed to fill out the verification form under the "Nursing License (without exam) Note:applying by endorsement" category and send it to the California department of nursing with a fee of $60. Information for California license verification can be found at http://www.rn.ca.gov/licensees/verifications.shtml.

4) Disciplinary Action Documents - If you have not been convicted of a crime or it has been annulled or expunged then you do not need to send any documents, but I was unsure whether or not my ticket for "possessing an open container while driving" fell under the definition of a criminal offense. I called the department and they told me that they could not give out legal advice, so I decided to send my certified court documents anyway. This is where things went wrong.

The court that I went to in order to get my certified court documents ($25 per conviction by the way) refused to send the documents directly to the Hawaii nursing board and so I needed to send them on my own. I received a letter from the Hawaii nursing board stating that my application was incomplete and missing documentation after about a month of waiting. I called the board of nursing and they said that they were missing my court documents. I asked the clerk to look for them and she said she found them, but they needed to be sent directly from the court. I told her the situation and so she accepted the court documents.

Then I waited again for a few weeks when I received another letter stating that my application was incomplete because I did not provided a letter explaining my disciplinary offense. I then wrote a letter and sent it to the board the same day. I waited and waited for almost two months or so. I then called the board again and asked them what the status was with regards to my application. They told me that they finally received everything but the clerk still needed to approve it so that it could make it to the next monthly board meeting where they approve licensure. She then told me that I was waiting for the July meeting because that is when I could get my license for the $180 that I paid. She told me that I could pay $135 for my license for the month of June if I wanted it before July. Ughh I was so frustrated because I just wanted my nursing license. I told her that I would just wait for the July meeting. I finally received a notice of licensure on July 4,2013 after waiting for nearly six months for my Hawaii nursing license. My advice to you is to start applying for your Hawaii nursing license well in advance and send a letter explaining your conviction, if you have one, with your original application.

5) Action Against Your License Documents - I did not have any action against my license so I do not have any help for you guys in this department.

[kpatterson4]

Thanks for the info! So helpful!

[moosemom74]

Hi cheethaj,

First of all bless you for creating this thread/post. I can't tell you what your advice and willingness to share your experiences with this process means. I am getting ready to graduate from a BSN program this December and I am starting the process of gathering all documentation needed to disclose a DUI conviction from 7 years age. I would really really appreciate any advice regarding the letter of explanation surrounding the event. I would be so grateful for a sample of your letter as a reference for how to begin. Thank you for all your help and support with this process. My email is: [email protected]

[willowita, ADN, RN]

I applied for endoresement 2 months ago. Still waiting....

[Love2Sleep, BSN, RN]

I am originally from HI, but now live in WA. I plan on moving back some day..... when my son is finished with school. I was looking on the website, and one of the requirements was to have an nclex score of 1600. How did you go about finding that info?

[cheethaj]

I am originally from HI, but now live in WA. I plan on moving back some day..... when my son is finished with school. I was looking on the website, and one of the requirements was to have an nclex score of 1600. How did you go about finding that info?

The requirement says that you have to pass the NCLEX OR have a score of 1600. I'm assuming that the NCLEX was scored like that back in the day.

[Love2Sleep, BSN, RN]

Got it. Thanks!

[CaliCalinurse]

I recently applied for licensure in California and got denied based off of charges that showed up on my finger prints. I have NO convictions- all charges were dismissed. I am considering applying for Hawaii but when I got to question number five in the application which states " are you presently being investigated or is any disciplinary action pending against you" I am unsure of what to answer. I called the number listed on their website and finally got through after about 20 calls. The person I talked to informed me that she could not answer that question for me but that I needed to be truthful in my application. I told her that I intend to be truthful but I am unsure of what the question means considering my situation. She gave me the number for the BRN and I have called over 30 times with a busy tone. Does anyone know if I am meant to answer yes or no to this question? I have no disciplinary action against my license because I don't have a license. But am I technically under investigation? I am confused.

[cheethaj]

Hi CaliCalinurse,

If you didn't recently commit a crime and you don't have actions against your RN license then the answer is no. But when you applied to California, did you disclose the charge even though it was dismissed. You have to report dismissed items even though you were not convicted. Iʻm not really sure why because it seems like it would be really hard to hold a dismissed offense against someone. Maybe it helps to catch multiple offenders in different states or maybe because the background check agency that they use didn't update their records after the offense was dismissed and it still shows up as an unresolved case. Bottom line, report it so that they cant use it against you later. Hope this helps.

[sizzlev]

I just received word I FINALLY will get my license in July. I applied in January of this year, so it took about 4-5 mo. I had to be reviewed due to a misdemeanor I had over 10yrs ago which made the process longer. They asked me to send a letter of explanation after of my offenses. Then by that time it was on the border of the renewal period so I then had to mail them my preference of when I wanted to receive my license and any fees extra that apply.

Calling them is the worse. You have to call five or so times before getting on hold with the right department and I was even hung up on a few times after that by the machine. Then you have to wait on hold for about 45mins before speaking with someone. So don't let them rush you off the phone until you have everything answered.

[thekid]

Oh goodness I'm sorry you had to go through this. When I applied for my nursing license (RN) a few years ago, it was nothing like that kind of nightmare but I do remember it taking about three months. The good news is the renewal process is easy. They have it set up now so you just sign on and submit payment and receive your card in the mail. So hopefully the worst is behind you. I'm currently endorsing my license to Arizona and it hasn't been much easier. I know what you mean about sitting on the phone and not getting answers. Good luck to you.

[iseanseani]

hi,

I'm 27yo and looking to make a big move. I'm really excited to apply for my hawaii license!

in the instructions, it says, "check must be in US dollars and be from a US financial institution."

What does that mean- can I use a personal check... or does it have to be a certified check or a money order?

Thanks in advance!