Maryland Board of Nursing Horrors

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Here is a copy of a letter I recently sent to our governor regarding the inefficient mbon. I have been trying to get my cna license for 6 months now and all I am getting is the run around from employees who do not want to take responsibility;

Governor O'Malley,

If you go to the Maryland board of nursing website your name is prominently displayed on every page. I just wanted to let you know what kind of organization your name is attached to.

First some background; I am a 39 year old divorced/single nursing student with two daughters to raise. I am back in school because in this tough economy I really needed a career that offered some measure of both job security and a decent paycheck. This is the reason I have gone back to school after so many years.

After the first semester of school nursing students become eligible to receive a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license. On December 27, 2010, anticipating that I will have to work during the summer, I went for fingerprinting at CJIS and mailed off my completed application. The envelope was signed for January 2, 2011 by the board of nursing. After many phone calls and back and forth I finally received my 90 day temporary license at the end of March (3 months later!!!!!!). Remember, I could not work until I had at least a temporary license. Anyhow, temporary license in hand I was fortunate enough to procure a coveted nursing externship at Johns Hopkins Hospital. This externship will give me not only valuable nursing experience, but the extra money is desperately needed. This job will be a foot in the door at a wonderful hospital!

The issue? I am scheduled to start Monday and my temporary license expires the 8th!!! I have been very proactive trying to get my permanent license. A month ago I contacted the board of nursing trying to get a status. They told me they had no fingerprints or background check on file so they could not issue the license. When I asked why did someone not contact me I was rudely told that it is my job to keep calling to see if there are any problems. Then the woman in charge of new CNA licenses, (name deleted) informed me that I would have to take care of it and I was given the phone number of the nursing liason between CJIS and board of nursing. This woman, (name deleted), was lovely on the phone, sounded very sympathetic, and promised me results. When I called a week and a half later there were still no results. Even as of this date I am not receiving any return phone calls or emails. She told me I have to call CJIS, it was their issue. Well, I called CJIS. The woman there, (name deleted), told me that she saw that the fingerprinting and background checks were completed and that they had emailed and electronic copy to the board of nursing December 28, 2010!!! (I has received my verification from CJIS December 28 as well). I asked them if they could send another copy and they told me that the board of nursing has to request it. So I call the board of nursing who told me they can not do that, that the liason has to. Bottom line, I followed the directions, everything was in order to get my license, but no one is taking responsibility or action on the issue at hand. I can not work without this license so someone's mistake that no one is taking responsibility for may cost me my livelyhood and the potential of getting my dream job at Hopkins!

I was warned that the board of nursing is horrible to deal with. Potential employers, my professors at school, other nurses all warned me. Why should this board be allowed to run in such dysfunction? Why has no one taken steps to correct it when it can effect people's futures, their careers?

I would really appreciate it if someone can investigate the workings of the board of nursing and perhaps help expedite my license so I can work.

Thanks you,

respectfully,

(name deleted)

taxpayer/voter/single mom just trying to make ends

Friday morning I will be making the trek to the office. I am bringing my friend who is a high level manager/trainer at the FAA with me as he has ways of managing uncooperative employees. Anyhow, I just want to let everyone know about my experience with mbon.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Best of luck to you and please write back and let us know how it worked out.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

I hope everyone who reads this will see how terribly disorganized the MBON is.

And if you have ANYTHING to turn into them, such as application for initial licensure, fingerprints,etc...PLEASE GO THERE IN PERSON! NEVER EVER EVER MAIL ANYTHING TO THE BOARD!!

A co-worker of mine finally received her CNA #...after an entire YEAR of completing the class.

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I do not have the license in hand but I did get my license # emailed to me. I think they got tired of me contacting them. The funny thing (and scary thing) is, that once they worked on it, it only took a couple of hours to get things straight.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

Maryland doesn't issue paper licenses/certificates anymore. When I initially got my CNA certification, they sent me a piece of paper in the mail, basically saying "Congratulations Kimberly.....CNA/GNA A********* Expires 12/09"..etc. But other than that, don't expect anything lol. When jobs need to verify your license/certification #, they'll just look it up on the MBON website.

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oh my. I'm BaltimoreHon, I am so sorry about your experience. I am from an new RN from Florida moving to Baltimore in a month to actually work at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. I didn't have a job guarantee when I was applying to take the NCLEX so I just applied through the FL Board of Nursing which is super efficient about the whole process. I really appreciate how you send that letter to the Governor and I hope you got a positive response. I was starting to wonder what kind of BON you have going on in Maryland, because it took me 1 month to receive an application for endorsement by snail mail, got no email responses to questions and no one picks up the phone when I call.

I am going to take the advise and not mail anything in and just walk in next week when I come up there. I will go to the CJIS there, I don't want the BON to tell me I did something wrong by getting fingerprints in FL. I hope I am able to still get a temporary license on the same day. Do you think they will wait to get the results from CJIS before they give me a temporary license. I just need a temporary license by July 25th. Do you think I will be okay? I don't want them to screw up my chances of starting on time either. :/

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
oh my. I'm BaltimoreHon, I am so sorry about your experience. I am from an new RN from Florida moving to Baltimore in a month to actually work at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. I didn't have a job guarantee when I was applying to take the NCLEX so I just applied through the FL Board of Nursing which is super efficient about the whole process. I really appreciate how you send that letter to the Governor and I hope you got a positive response. I was starting to wonder what kind of BON you have going on in Maryland, because it took me 1 month to receive an application for endorsement by snail mail, got no email responses to questions and no one picks up the phone when I call.

I am going to take the advise and not mail anything in and just walk in next week when I come up there. I will go to the CJIS there, I don't want the BON to tell me I did something wrong by getting fingerprints in FL. I hope I am able to still get a temporary license on the same day. Do you think they will wait to get the results from CJIS before they give me a temporary license. I just need a temporary license by July 25th. Do you think I will be okay? I don't want them to screw up my chances of starting on time either. :/

Idk how it works for RN's, but when I applied for my CNA certification 2 years ago, I went and presented all my information to them in person. And I was able to get my temporary CNA # that same day. So you may be able to receive a temp. RN license # on the same day. Good luck!

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Specializes in CSICU.

Oh boy, thanks for the heads up about actually needing to go there in person for this stuff. I'm in Sweetie85's position of being a new grad to start July 25th and moving down from NH. I'm headed down there next week also, and this (along with apartment hunting, ah~) is priority.

Sweetie85, do you already have the paper copy of your license? I won't have mine in time and I'm guessing that might mean I'll have to get it when I go down before we start in July. Perhaps I'll have to work off my compact license while they process my temporary one and then work off the temporary one while they process the official one. Man, why isn't there a national license??

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Thanks. I hope it all goes well next week.

ean29, I got my paper license in the mail today so I'm all ready(1 week exactly from test date..gonna really miss FL). I don't know why you really need your paper copy if you verify it online. I did the online verification they requested already. Do you even need a temp license if you are part of a compact state? I agree, there should be a national license or at least a national standard for processing applications.

I'm going apartment hunting next week too..i've only been to MD once and that was for my interview. I don't know where to even begin. I just know I don't want to live in the city, but there are so many suburbs and every time I find what looks like a good apartment, I find reviews and they are horrible. I just hope I find a nice place. Good luck with your search. Let me know if you know of a nice safe suburb that close to the city. :)

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Specializes in CSICU.

Ah, apartment reviews, I know! Sometimes I think I should just stop reading them, otherwise I'll *never* find a place to live. I'm spending two days next week doing the apartment hunting gig - I'll share with you what I find. Maybe it'll help you!

Back to the original topic, when I called the MBON about license by endorsement, I was prepared to deal with battle-axes. However, they were quite helpful and prompt; maybe it was a fluke but it's always nice when you can get answers out of a board of nursing.

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So I walked into the BON office today for my temporary license and I have to say it was a easy process. I had requested the application in the mail. That actually took me 3 weeks for me to get from the email request, but I had filled everything out completely before I went to the office. I went to their recommended CJIS place to get my fingerprinting done, they do it electronically and you you a receipt saying it was completed. I walked into BON with all my stuff and it only took 20 minutes!! I got a copy of my temporary license and they said the it would be available online tomorrow. Thank God this process is over.

Basically I guess you have to walk in if you want to get things taken care of ASAP!. :)

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btw, I went apartment hunting today and decided to settle with this place in White Marsh called Eagles Walk. Its a lil pricey(888 for 1 bed w/ washer n dryer), but it looked really nice and safe. Its also relatively close to the hospital. I'm erasing the reviews I read and gonna form my own opinion cuz I was starting to feel the way you did. Good luck with your hunt!

Ah, apartment reviews, I know! Sometimes I think I should just stop reading them, otherwise I'll *never* find a place to live. I'm spending two days next week doing the apartment hunting gig - I'll share with you what I find. Maybe it'll help you!

Back to the original topic, when I called the MBON about license by endorsement, I was prepared to deal with battle-axes. However, they were quite helpful and prompt; maybe it was a fluke but it's always nice when you can get answers out of a board of nursing.

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