Incompetent Pennsylvania Board of Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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I put my Registered Nurse license from Pennsylvania inactive in 2012 because I moved to Raleigh NC to work. I came back to Pennsylvania in 2018.It is now 2024and I want to go back to work. No where on the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing on Their website could I find my Registered Nurse license.After numerous phone calls and being on hold for several days I had to tell the help desk what my license number was so they could reactivate my Registered Nurse license. Thank God I still had a copy of my Pennsylvania RN license because they were clueless. I am so angry because now there is a fee of 275 dollars I have to pay. This nursing board is 

incompetent. They have given me all kinds of grief. The first time I called they had my name spelled wrong . The next I had to call because their website had a big circle with a question mark which said duplicate. The mistakes just kept coming.I want to sue them for abuse.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

What you describe, while frustrating, does not meet the legal standard for abuse (At least in California). I pay $250.00 every two years just renewing my license and the same to reactivate should I go inactive. Any lawyer who take the case is most likely an ambulance chaser who will take your retainer and either do nothing and at least in CA retainers are not refundable. 

Every state BON has another agency above them that they must answer to. For instance CA's BON is under the Department of Consumer Affairs. If I need something from my BON I give them 1 chance to help me then I call DOCA. They have been extremely helpful and are always pleasant and knowledgeable.

Hppy

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Online PA LICENSE VERIFICATION  allows one to search by name or license number to determine license status.   Anytime difficulty dealing with a government agency, I've found contacting one's state legislator helps to get issue quickly resolved.  PA now requires Child Abuse education: 3 hrs first time then 2 hrs with each license renewal. thereafter. Took a long time for BON to get PA legislators to agree to increased license fees to cover department services cost;  They have greatly increased service time along with recent website improvements since Governor Shaprio in office past 2 years with new Secretary of State Al Schmidt in charge.  Hope you have your reinstated license soon.

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

PA BON is definitely a headache. The good news is that they now accept compact licensure so if you have that, you don't need to reactivate.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Hope to see an update for members in similar situations.

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You want to go back to work after a 6 year hiatus?

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