Governor of CA

Nursing Students Excelsior

Published

I am not a graduate of Excelsior yet, but I am well on my way (LS3, FCCA, and CPNE), so I fabricated a little, but the rest is true... tell me what you think, and if you are an Excelsior grad or intend to be, I say we flood the governor of CA office with emails such as this... there is strength in numbers guys, and I have found firsthand that action doesn't get taken unless you take it to the politicians themselves (did it here at Fort Hood regarding my kids medical at the military hospital, and I kid you not, the next day I got a call from the congressman and you can bet I got everything I wanted)... and it doesn't hurt if you are military or military affiliated that you throw in some of that patriotic stuff too!!! Lol, anyways feedback appreciated and fellow nurses unite!!!

(Sorry it's so long...)

Dear Governor Edmund G. Brown,

I am writing in regard to the current situation with the California Board of Registered Nursing, and the school from which I graduated Excelsior College. I am a military spouse with two children who, in the last five years, has lived in four different states related to the military moves that are inevitable when the man I married decided to serve our country. Since I received my LVN in 2009, I had a baby and moved three times, which, I am sure you can understand, makes it difficult for me to attend a "brick and mortar" school to obtain my RN. My ultimate goal is to become a nurse anesthetist, which through hard work and dedication I will achieve. Here is my dilemma: I am a California native, born and raised. When my husband retires from the US Army in 10-12 years we plan to move back to my home where my family is, but the career path that I have chosen- to help people and aid in health- requires state licensure of which, as of now, will not be granted in California. I come from a military family, and would think that California would understand this issue since they are home to Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines and all the other branches as well. The issue the board of nursing has with this school if you are unaware is: the lack of clinicals. The reality is that this school doesn't admit students without experience, I was a LVN who worked for four years before applying and completing the program. Other states with the same issues have made it possible through previous working experience (a set amount of hours)/ or through an additional preceptorship program for a RN to be endorsed into their state. It is bizarre to me that the home I love and grew up in I am exempted from working in, when at the time I attempt to endorse I will be a seasoned RN. Excelsior graduates have to work harder than traditional RN students because we have to "train" ourselves, and in the end we had to pass the same National Exam (Nclex) as any other nurse. The truth in my experience has been, and I am sure others will agree, that you really don't learn how to be a nurse until you become one and are working in that role. I understand the apprehension of the BON, however I don't feel that excluding Excelsior graduates such as myself completely is appropriate. Excelsior College is designed to fit the needs of our military and their families all the while providing a well-earned education. The fact that they are accredited by both NLNAC and CCNE proves their merit. To deny endorsement into California as a nurse is ridiculous, unfounded and due to the population that attend the school, simply non-patriotic. You cannot support your troops if you do not support their families, and all in all, we are the backbone to this great nation. I politely ask that you look into the issue with the board of nursing and reconsider, thus allowing endorsement into California. Even if they required a set number of working hours or a preceptorship, something is better than nothing. Any assistance you can give in resolving this issue is greatly appreciated.

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I see I have some punctuation issues now that I can see the entire message ( you can't when sending the email), but you, and hopefully he will, get the point.

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Good luck with it. You bring up some very valid points that are hard to argue, and using the military/patriotic view makes it hard to ignore.

Another option (maybe not for you since your not in Cali now and not an RN yet) is to contact the news media there about it. Since the news media loves to perpetuate the "nursing shortage", let them take a run at it asking why, with a "nursing shortage", they are not allowing qualified nurses to get their license there at all, while all 49 other states do (even if it is with hours worked/ additional clinical hours). And the ironic part is you can work at any Veterans/government nursing job in California since the Federal govt does recognize Excelsior grads licensed in other states.

I do just find it strange that no matter what, an Excelsior grad cannot get a nursing license in California; even if you have a Doctorate, if your initial RN is from Excelsior, they don't want you.

Just add that to a huge list of things that is "different" about Cali.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Yet CNAs can challenge the LVN/ NCLEX -PN by alternate education/experience for a non-endorsable CA LVN license only valid in CA. And CA is the only state that offers a LVN +30 option to challenge the NCLEX -RN ( again license only valid in CA)

Some states only except Excelsior grads that were LPN/LVN prior but won't accept RRT, corpsman , or medic to RN due to clinical hour differences.

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I do just find it strange that no matter what, an Excelsior grad cannot get a nursing license in California; even if you have a Doctorate, if your initial RN is from Excelsior, they don't want you.

Just add that to a huge list of things that is "different" about Cali.

That's not, by itself, "different." Every US state BON bases decisions about RN licensure on the pre-licensure nursing program you completed (the program that taught you basic nursing and made you eligible for licensure). If that program doesn't meet a state's requirements, nothing else you do educationally in the future, completing a BSN or graduate degrees in nursing, will change that -- because none of those additional degrees have any impact on your original, basic nursing education.

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Funny you talk about getting the news involved, because that is the exact threat I used here in TX to get my way...great minds think alike!

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That's not, by itself, "different." Every US state BON bases decisions about RN licensure on the pre-licensure nursing program you completed (the program that taught you basic nursing and made you eligible for licensure). If that program doesn't meet a state's requirements, nothing else you do educationally in the future, completing a BSN or graduate degrees in nursing, will change that -- because none of those additional degrees have any impact on your original, basic nursing education.

But if an accredited program is accepted in all other states (even with 13 or so others having stipulations), it is different.

I can understand (but don't agree with) some states requiring stipulations like doing some preceptor-ship, classroom/ clinical time or real world on the job experience before being allowed to get your license; but saying that even though you have a degree and are a licensed RN in another state, possibly having surpassed all requirements (aside from pre-graduation clinical time before becoming a RN since real world experience does not count for squat), even as far as getting your BSN, MSN or Doctorate, you still cannot be licensed is just ignorant.

Yet CNAs can challenge the LVN/ NCLEX -PN by alternate education/experience for a non-endorsable CA LVN license only valid in CA. And CA is the only state that offers a LVN +30 option to challenge the NCLEX -RN ( again license only valid in CA)

Wow, thats crazy. So you can be an LVN for 30 years and get your RN in California, but you can be an RN for 10 years in another state that graduated from Excelsior (having been a LVN for 20 years prior to that) and can not be an RN in California?

Some states only except Excelsior grads that were LPN/LVN prior but won't accept RRT, corpsman , or medic to RN due to clinical hour differences.

As a paramedic the only state I can't get licensed in is California. Some states do have a few hoops to go through, but I can get an endorsement in any of them (Oklahoma I need to do a Psych and OB preceptorship, Georgia I need a preceptorship, all the rest are just varying hours of on the job experience) .

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But if an accredited program is accepted in all other states (even with 13 or so others having stipulations), it is different.

I can understand (but don't agree with) some states requiring stipulations like doing some preceptor-ship, classroom/ clinical time or real world on the job experience before being allowed to get your license; but saying that even though you have a degree and are a licensed RN in another state, possibly having surpassed all requirements (aside from pre-graduation clinical time before becoming a RN since real world experience does not count for squat), even as far as getting your BSN, MSN or Doctorate, you still cannot be licensed is just ignorant.

The US is a republic; every US state retains the right to license and regulate the practice of nursing (as well as all other licensed occupations and professions), including establishing standards and requirements for eligibility for nursing licensure, within its own geographic borders. Whether you or I agree or disagree with the standards set by a particular state is immaterial.

What I don't really understand is how EC has convinced most US state BONs to treat EC graduates entirely differently from every other nursing student in the US. Every state requires that graduates of every other nursing program have completed some specific number of hours of supervised clinical education, in addition to the requirements about classroom education, but, somehow, EC students are entirely exempt from those requirements in most states. I don't understand the double standard and, frankly, I have a lot of respect for the CA BRN for actually enforcing their rules and regs consistently.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Wow thats crazy. So you can be an LVN for 30 years and get your RN in California, but you can be an RN for 10 years in another state that graduated from Excelsior (having been a LVN for 20 years prior to that) and can not be an RN in California? [/quote']

No you can be an LVN for a week take 30 credits and become an RN (valid in CA only )

See LVN 30 unit option info here:

http://www.rn.ca.gov/careers/steps.shtml

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Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.

I'd also point out that the ban went into effect if you graduated past 2003. There are MANY excelsior graduates with California licensure (like me!) that graduated before that time and have worked as RN's for a zillion years (for me, since 1989). No problems that I am aware of, or at least no more than the general RN graduate population.

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Not sure how allowing a CNA to challenge the nclex is consistently enforcing the rules, but to each his own. I know as a former CNA that in no way was I prepared for being a nurse, nor would I have been without school. What you forget is Excelsior grads come to the school with a clinical background and experience, and some of which is often more extensive than what a school can offer (a medic does so much more than any nursing student).

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The US is a republic; every US state retains the right to license and regulate the practice of nursing (as well as all other licensed occupations and professions), including establishing standards and requirements for eligibility for nursing licensure, within its own geographic borders. Whether you or I agree or disagree with the standards set by a particular state is immaterial. ...

What? I don't have the right to agree or disagree with what MY government does? Wow.

...What I don't really understand is how EC has convinced most US state BONs to treat EC graduates entirely differently from every other nursing student in the US. Every state requires that graduates of every other nursing program have completed some specific number of hours of supervised clinical education, in addition to the requirements about classroom education, but, somehow, EC students are entirely exempt from those requirements in most states. I don't understand the double standard and, frankly, I have a lot of respect for the CA BRN for actually enforcing their rules and regs consistently.

OK, I understand where your coming from. Are you on the California BON? You feel Excelsior students are cheating?

Let me ask you, do you really think doing clinical time really prepares you for being a nurse? Every new grad says the same thing, this is nothing like clinicals. You take an LVN who has been doing it for 10 years and make them do clinicals, what are they gong to learn that is new to them? As a paramedic I have been doing patient assessments for 16 years, doing actual hands on skills (vital signs, IV's, medications, drips, vents, intubation, 12 lead EKG and more, all without having to call a Dr to do any of it) and taking care of all kinds of patients (psych, OB, medical, trauma, all in a 24 hour shift). Yes nursing is different, but not by that much IMO.

I just spent about 20 minutes looking through the Tx BON to see if their are specific requirements for clinicals, and while I can find stuff defining clinical rotations, staff to student ratios and such, I could not find anything that said clinicals were a requirement to be an RN (I did find mention of a suggessted 1:3 ration for classroom:clinical (LVN does require 840 hours clinical).

I realize this is just one state, others may be different. Proof backing up that requirement would be helpful.

As for California being consistent, let me quote this:

No you can be an LVN for a week take 30 credits and become an RN (valid in CA only )

See LVN 30 unit option info here:

http://www.rn.ca.gov/careers/steps.shtml

Nope, no double standard there (thanks for the clarification Beachy).

And with that, I'm done

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