Nursing license denied by California

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Specializes in surgery, dialysis.

I am starting this thread to find out if anyone has run into problems with the California Registered Nursing Board. If you have, could you please give me some advise as to what I should do.

First I have a 4 year BSN (with honors) from Canada. I have written and passed, on the first try, the NCLEX-RN and the CRNE (Canadian Registered Nurse EXAM). I am a Registered nurse in 1 canadian province and in Nevada and Alaska. I have been working in a Nevada hospital for a while and have experience in both countries.

My husband, who is in the US military, has beed transferred to California. I have been trying to get my RN license in California for 4 months and I keep getting denied with "you don't have enough hours in obstetrics and pediatrics to qualify for a license."

What I don't understand is that I do have hours in pediatrics and obstetrics but it was during my community clinical and not in a clinical specifically called "obstetrics." I spent 160 hours assessing newborns (obstetrics) and immunizing infants and preschool children (pediatrics) in the community.

I've asked my school to send a letter to the nursing board to clarify this as they refused to look at my coursework when I brought it into the board. they still denied me even after the letter was written.

They told me that I should take two classes here in California to make up the hours. Okay I thought, I'll give in and do what they want. I called up about 20 schools on their list within 100miles from where I live and got the same response; you can not just take two classes, you have to be registered in the program full or part time, from the beginning, in order to do clinical.

I went to the nursing board again to talk to them about the impossible task they've given me. My licensing agent said "yes it's hard to get in to do classes, that's why we give you 3 years to do it, try university of Phoenix." So I called the university of Phoenix, same response, they just told me to do my NP, which will qualify me to work in California and I can get it in 2 years.

I am so incredibly frustrated that I don't know what to do. I have been commuting to Nevada to work one weekend a month so we have a little extra income but I can't keep driving 8 hours to work!!!

HELP!!

p.s. they will not let me do the hours at work, it has to be done though a school. My current hospital offered to send me to obstetrics and pediatrics as a clinical.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Why do you need hours in either specialty to be licensed in California? I don't understand. My friend worked in Cali in med surg as a new grad with no problem (she was from Canada). Is this something new?

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Specializes in surgery, dialysis.

i'm not a new grad, I've been a nurse for over 7 years. they want clinical hours in school and based on their assessment my university has not given me enough hours in pediatrics and obstetrics.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Yes I understand you aren't a new grad. I was unaware that hours were required in obstetrics and peds specifically through school. It's unlikely that my friend had the hours, but that was back in 2005. They must have changed their requirements.

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Specializes in surgery, dialysis.

I find it ridiculous especially because they won't allow me to show them my course work from my clinical. I think I'm going to write and call the local media about this.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I think it's ridiculous also, and at some point, I may want to work in Cali myself, so I'm curious. Usually, you need a defined number of clinical hours and that's it. If you don't plan to work in peds or OB, it makes no sense. I have never worked in peds or OB, and I don't ever plan to. Based on their requirements, I would also be denied.

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

This is a recent development in CA and they have refused numerous international students because of it.Given that there is no nursing shortage in CA, and plenty of US nurses desiring to work there, the BON has no reason to be accommodating. You could contact the media, but given the economic issues in the USA, few will be very motivated to make changes to the BON rules at this time.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

Good to know. I figured this was a recent development. I have no plans to apply to California in the near future, so it's not a pressing concern for me. And you're right....contacting the media probably wouldn't do any good.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moving to International Nursing as there are a couple of threads there regarding this subject.

I'm with Joanna73: we are hearing that this is a new requirement in California.

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It is NOT a new CA BON rule/regulation, they are simply enforcing a couple of codes that's been their written policy since at least 2003.

These same rules also applies to any USA based grads of Excelsior College that graduated after Jan., 2007, those prior to that month/year, was grandfathered in and does not affect them. This is for any and all Excelsior's grads nationwide.

It doesn't matter if you have 10,000 hours and/or 10 years in whatever CA BON says you were deficient in, it ALL goes back to your original college education.

My sister-in-law and several of her AZ co-workers falls into this group of declined applicants after some with near 5 years of RN experience, but never licensed in CA. I think one was but still denied. It has affected any and all RN's regardless of their country of origin, if it's due to the concurrency OR lack of certain hours lacking.

Is this legal? I don't know, but Excelsior has already challenged this in a court of law and lost their case several years ago.

It does mean having to re-take the deficient classes/clinical courses or enrolling in a new nursing program. However, there's been no solid proof of anyone here yet able to just take the couple of courses and satisfy the CA BON requirement. Once you have met the missing requirement from whatever CA BON says, you're good to go.

It's almost just like my friends who are real estate agents in CA and probably like most other states, in order to maintain their CA license, they must show written proof that they have taken certain courses within a certain time period every couple of years or so before they can get their licenses renewed or else they become inactive and can no longer be involved in the real estate business.

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Specializes in surgery, dialysis.

I appreciate what you are saying sallyp but the CA BON does not make sense in their requirements. first, when I asked my lic agent what courses she wanted me to take and how many hours she stated that there was not a specific course or level of course and no specific hours. she actually recommended to have my school write a letter stating that I had these courses. she told me that most canadian nurses have this problem but after speaking with their school, the school writes a letter to the board and the nurse gets a license. none of that made sense to me especially given the fact that I did have the hours.

Second, if I need to fix a deficit, should I not be given a task that is achievable?

My hospital in Nevada has offered to preceptor me (on my own time) in these areas to satisfy the requirements (I have a great educator) but that is not allowed.

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I appreciate what you are saying sallyp but the CA BON does not make sense in their requirements. first, when I asked my lic agent what courses she wanted me to take and how many hours she stated that there was not a specific course or level of course and no specific hours. she actually recommended to have my school write a letter stating that I had these courses. she told me that most canadian nurses have this problem but after speaking with their school, the school writes a letter to the board and the nurse gets a license. none of that made sense to me especially given the fact that I did have the hours.

Second, if I need to fix a deficit, should I not be given a task that is achievable?

My hospital in Nevada has offered to preceptor me (on my own time) in these areas to satisfy the requirements (I have a great educator) but that is not allowed.

Yes, I agree with you, CA BON is vague on their specifics and uses generalizations. I'm trying to help an overseas friend (as a new grad) as well and it's been so tough.

I would give your school the information that you got from CA BON and let them structure a letter that works in your favor or helps to meet the CA BON ruling. Maye they are already have a form letter ready to go, if it's been a problem in the past. Might you know other canadian nurses that were from your same school and was able to get their licenses endorsed over to CA so that you know it's possible?

I'm not sure if a hospital letter and their assistance would help out, never know, but CA BON is looking at it from a educational standpoint, regardless of the real life experiences, I know, I know, it's silly, just have to work within their system. Good luck!

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