As you are aware, regulatory changes in Virginia over the past couple of years have limited licensure eligibility for graduates of Excelsior's associate degree in nursing program. Prior to a 2008 amendment of the regulations of the Virginia Board of Nursing, our graduates had been eligible for direct licensure. While there is currently a mechanism for registered nurse licensure by endorsement for Excelsior graduates, there remains no objective evidence to support a departure from Virginia's quarter century policy of licensing our graduates by examination.
In an ongoing effort to increase access to nursing education for Virginia citizens, we have proposed a regulatory amendment to the Virginia Board of Nursing that will restore the opportunity for our graduates to qualify for licensure by examination. The proposed amendment will eliminate an unnecessary barrier to the entry of high quality candidates into the profession of registered nursing.
The public comment period for this proposed regulatory change that will restore licensure by examination in Virginia for Excelsior graduates begins July 5 and ends August 4. We encourage you to read the proposed amendment and ask you to support its adoption. You may do so by visiting Virginia Regulatory Town Hall web site at
between July 5 and August 4 and submitting a supporting statement online. Your statement should reflect your personal experience and how the regulatory change will impact you or your friends and colleagues.
Following the comment period, the Board will make a decision about the proposed change at its September meeting.
Thank you for your support, time and effort on behalf of Excelsior's School of Nursing, one of only 15 National League for Nursing Centers of Excellence nationwide.
Wow, lots of support! Only two comments from opposed people thus far, and one sounds like she doesn't understand that EC isn't for people with no healthcare experience. Typical!
Specializes in CHPLN- Cert. hospice/palliative care LPN.
Hi Lunah and all!
Thanks for posting on the VA townhall website! I also posted a couple days ago. I was very involved LAST go around in 2008. Unfortunately, things didn't turn out so well back then. I had completely lost hope that things could turn around. I am cautiously optimistic with this new proposed legislation. I wrote a pretty long comment, trying to give a clear picture of the clinical background that many EC students actually have prior to even being accepted into the program, using my own experiences as an example. I agree with many of the posts here that speak to some of the comments that have multiple typos and intelligible sentence structure. I imagine those comments were written with a lot of emotion and spelling/sentence structure fell a bit to the wasteside. I decided to write my comment seperately as a rough draft, edited it, spell checked it then cut and pasted it. It took a while, but (seeing as I LIVE in VA) this legislation is very important to me. Thank you to all of you who posted a comment. Keep your fingers crossed for us here in VA! I had to withdraw from EC last year when the VA BON made their changes. Let's hope things get fixed so I can re-enroll.
I have been keeping up with the comments and can't believe how bad some of them are in terms of grammar and spelling. Not a good way to present oneself in terms of education when one is trying to make a point about education. I am certain that the persons that the comments are directed toward are noticing this too. Embarrassing.
Specializes in CHPLN- Cert. hospice/palliative care LPN.
I have been keeping up with the comments and can't believe how bad some of them are in terms of grammar and spelling. Not a good way to present oneself in terms of education when one is trying to make a point about education. I am certain that the persons that the comments are directed toward are noticing this too. Embarrassing.
Ugh... I so agree! I'm sure they mean well, but it does give the impression that Excelsior students are "educationally challenged". I think folks are typing with pure emotion and their brain is woring faster than their typing fingers. I think it is important to focus on the factual reasons that this legislation should pass. Unfortunately, some of the comments add to the misconception that Excelsior is "the easy way out".
In regards to some of the opposing comments, am seriously considering making an additional comment (not sure if it's even allowed??) to dispell some of the statements made based on ignorance and incorrect assuptions. Things like, "LPN's do not get clinical experience in med/surg. floors, surgery, OB, psych..." blah, blah, blah. I had rotations in ALL of that. I can't speak to EMT's and respiratory therapists because I don't know how their education process works, but they actively save lives so they MUST have a good deal of formal training.
I also think it's important to point out all of Excelsior's awards/recognition and accreditations. This is not an "online diploma-by-mail" kind of deal. It sickens me they way some nurses of certain degree levels look down their noses at others trying to further their careers. I resent the insinuation that I am stupid or uneducated. Grrrrr!
I wouldn't bother to comment again ... some minds are just closed to this program. And as a paramedic, all my clinicals -- ED, ICU, the floors, surgery, OB, psych, peds and geri, etc. -- were done in a hospital with RNs for clinical instructors, and were extensive and ongoing throughout my two-year Associates program. *shrug* But they weren't nursing clinicals, so they don't count, right?
Seriously, if they want to discount the experiences of EC students, perhaps all nursing school clinicals should be standardized, because I've heard tales of some terrible clinicals from students and other nurses, and I can tell you that their approved programs are surely no better.
Specializes in CHPLN- Cert. hospice/palliative care LPN.
I wouldn't bother to comment again ... some minds are just closed to this program. And as a paramedic, all my clinicals -- ED, ICU, the floors, surgery, OB, psych, peds and geri, etc. -- were done in a hospital with RNs for clinical instructors, and were extensive and ongoing throughout my two-year Associates program. *shrug* But they weren't nursing clinicals, so they don't count, right?
Seriously, if they want to discount the experiences of EC students, perhaps all nursing school clinicals should be standardized, because I've heard tales of some terrible clinicals from students and other nurses, and I can tell you that their approved programs are surely no better.
Thanks for talking me off the ledge. lol! You make valid points. Also great to hear about the clinical portion for paramedics. I figured they were intense, you know... seeing as paramedics save lives! :)
No worries. :) I had to talk myself down from the same place! You have put so much time and energy into fighting the good fight -- I hope this works out. *fingers crossed*
just curious..is there a generic letter for this petition? just in my past experience in petitioning for respiratory issues for national and state legislation there was always a generic letter that you could send in with your name and titles attached to it. it also alleviated those errors everyone is noticing. it seems like it was always the number of people is what counted. i will be glad to do this and write my own petition, but i was just curious since i am just beginning at ec and was thinking a generic petition would be nice. i just want to support anyone going through this experience because you all have worked your tails off to have those credentials!!
Lunah, MSN, RN
14 Articles; 13,773 Posts
Wow, lots of support! Only two comments from opposed people thus far, and one sounds like she doesn't understand that EC isn't for people with no healthcare experience. Typical!