Over crowded ga hospital preceptorship

[4pancakes]

Am I the only one that has noticed that the two hospitals that are still doing preceptorships for the open public are over crowed? Medical Center of Central Georgia, and Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, both have waiting list until March. They have stated that the board is aware of this situation, but has not yet done anything to improve this situation. Here is the thing that I have a problem with. If the State of Georgia requires preceptorship hours, they should also be required to accommodate the people they make take the preceptorship by ensuring that there are many hospitals allowing preceptorships! In my research, I have found that most all of the hospitals in Georgia aren't willing to do preceptorships for the open public. How can the Board require something of us that they aren't even initiating a plan of completion for? Is that really fair? What if the Government was ran that way? Perhaps, people would stand up and take notice then, and say don't just tell us we need more training, but provide the training! Just my opinion!

[elkpark]

I don't see how it's the BON's responsibility to make opportunities available for people to meet the requirements for licensure ... The board sets standards and requirements for licensure that it considers appropriate and, IMO, it's the responsibility of the people who are seeking licensure to figure out how to meet the requirements.

If the requirements really are unreasonable and unworkable, that will become a big enough problem for the state eventually that the requirements will get changed.

[4pancakes]

elkpark,

The State Board determines what the requirements are for a school to be acceptable education in their state, or they won't issue you a license. It really isn't the accrediting board..Moreover, how can the same board issue a license to RT, EMT, and the like(nothing against them; I'm just saying), and abandon the seasoned LPN's? Moreover, I graduated form Excelsior's RN program, and it's recognized for being a school of Excellence! So, if it's regionally accredited, and at the time of my enrollment was accepted in my state why shouldn't they along with the school be responsible for accommodating those of us who this affected? Perhaps, if this situation hit a little closer to your neighborhood, you would take a more compassionate stand! . I hope you are a better advocate for your patients than you are for your colleagues. Peace!

[ukstudent]

OP, I know that you are angry about this delay in being able to obtain your license but elkpark is correct, it is not the BON's job to make hospitals give you a preceptorship.

The BON's in every State have a requirement that non-on-line Schools of nursing have a set amount of clinical time that students need to do. Those schools then have to go and find local hospitals willing to let their students have clinical time. Which is why you will read on this site about students having to travel over an hour to get to clinical sites. Hospitals that allow students in have a working relationship with the schools and they have an understanding of what clinical standard the student should be at. Clinical time is also supervised by a nurse with their own license that can judge the students clinical competency up to the point of the final preceptorship.

Hospital do not have this with someone that has gone through an on-line program. They do not know what you or other students from your programs clinical experience has been.

At least Georgia has allowed you the opportunity to get your nursing license this way, several States have in the past several years have stooped issuing licenses including MD, my home State.

Put your name on the waiting lists, get your preceptorship and get your license. This is just another bump in the road that you can overcome.

[4pancakes]

ukstudent,

Thank you for your post. However, let me restate one of my previous post on another thread. I took my clinicals at Southern Regional in Riverdale, Ga. Mind you, this hospital is said to be the toughest to complete successfully during CPNE. But, I did complete successfully the first time! Moreover, this is a hospital license by the state of Ga. It is even hired by them to be one of there facilities to host these students, and to test them. So, they obviously have confidence in their own Master prepared preceptors..So if in the opinion of their own preceptors that I am a safe functioning nurse and knew everything required to pass, why not issue my license? After all, like you said, they are the one who set the amount of time the students have to complete their clinicals in non-traditional school settings such as Excelsior's, so you would think they would honor their own policy! Perhaps, it's an issue for BBB..

[Paulasmith]

I just went to srmc , I did my cpne there and I asked if they would allow me to do my preceptorship and I got a NO.... I was good enough for them then but not now ..... I dont understand ..

[HeadRNBSN40]

I have a question about this, are you talking about a Senior Practicum or are you a new nurse trying to find a RN Intern position?

[Paulasmith]

The state boards want me to complete 320 hour preceptorship I passed the boards back in dec

[MJB2010]

Are you a new grad Paula Smith? If you are I do not think you need that 320 hours. They told me to write new grad on my app.

[Paulasmith]

Southern gave me a no. .

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Your issue should be with your school, NOT the state of Georgia or the facilities that are kind enough and generous enough to offer preceptorship, limited though openings may be.

Some (not all) states and BONs take a dim view of Excelsior, though it may have some accolades to its name. My current state does not accept it for licensure, at all. The states that do permit it may place additional regulations/requirements, which indicates that they feel that there is a deficit in the program. That is an issue with THAT PROGRAM, that they need to account for, not the state or the BON, whose primary responsibility is to protect the public from inadequately prepared, or unsafe practitioners.

You paid a program to obtain schooling, education and experience to become a licensed professional. The program was inadequate for doing so by the BON. Why did YOU not investigate this, or your program not inform you? It was primarily your responsibility to investigate this, and secondarily for your program to make you aware.

Second, hospitals that offer preceptorship, often have to clear the program through the state to ensure it satisfies requirements. They also accept a huge amount of liability, that is rarely reimbursed, to have a student that they have little info/experience, to practice in their facility. Thus, they take on what could be an expensive. time consuming burden. Done properly, it will also require increased staffing and put burden on its' staff murses to provide that preceptorship, in a learning environment.

Thus, most see them as a burden and liability, especially when they pair it with local schools having students on the floors, schools where they are familiar with the program, where they have a vested local interest, and the school may have liability coverage for students.

So I can imagine that it would not be easy to find facilities open to independants precepting. Especially when those states may not want to accept the programs grads at all for licensure. Complaining about it is more likely to get them to phase out the option entirely.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Perhaps, if this situation hit a little closer to your neighborhood, you would take a more compassionate stand! . I hope you are a better advocate for your patients than you are for your colleagues. Peace!

My regrets. The attitude exemplified by these statements right here, tells me volumes.