VM204

Sen. Sharon Cooper rewrote the law that stopped RN's from receiving their license by endorsement. This was passed and signed by the gov on Feb 9th of this year. The law now states that if your school was not regionally accredited than it must have the same components as the ones that are. You also have to take and pass the NCLEX. Try contacting Sen Cooper or the Board. You may have another issue blocking you from getting your license. It is so difficult here in Georgia. My friend went to college here to get her RN from LPN and they now want her to work 300hrs with a preceptor! It makes no sense.

JLuckRN- Thank you for your post and your story. I have been in circles with all of the people that you have named. Sen Mitch Seabough and Balflour have "retired" so I was unable to speak directly with them. I was told they took jobs that conflicted with their positions so they had stepped down. It was only a few months after they signed the amended bill. I have been in contact with Judy Laclair at Sen. Seabough's office. She told me that I was the first nurse to call the office and voice a concern. She has been working on this for me and I have high hopes that the bill will be amended yet again when they go back into 2012 session (January). Please call her or email her and voice your concerns also. She can be reached at 404-656-6446 or [email protected]. She is very helpful and understood how this is affecting many RN's looking to practice in GA. Everyone else gave me the run-around or was so confused it was useless. Please call and have your mentor call also.

I did think of obtaining a SC or NC license. I am in Lumpkin County. When I searched for positions or hospitals in those states it seemed to be about 2 hours away. I called both boards and told them my situation here and they told me I could obtain a license there. I did read some about people working in Federal facilities. Do you know where I could get more information? I don't have my BSN. I have a diploma. I always wanted to go back to school but once I started working it was all over. Thank you!

Thank you! It is very difficult. I am a single mother of 4 that just relocated to Georgia. I was told by the BON after they received my application, fee, and supporting documents that once I had relocated to GA and submitted my fingerprints that my license would be sent in 7-10 business days. I would have never moved my family here or have quit my job in NJ if I knew this issue was a possibility. There was no information at that time that there was an amended bill that would block me. I was the Assistant Director of a very large home care agency. I had a comfortable salary and comfortable hours. Now I am here on food stamps and looking into TANF just to care for my kids. I came here with a savings account that would hold us up until I obtained employment but that has run out. I didn't expect to be sitting here for months without employment. I have applied for every non-nursing job within a 25 mi radius but have not been called in for an interview. I guess its suspicious that an RN making a great salary is now not licensed and looking for minimum wage. If you were denied a license as well please contact the senator's office as well as the governor. I was surprised to call Senator Seabough's office only to find out that I was the only one to reach out and complain. His assistant, Judy told me no one had brought this to their attention and assured me the bill wasn't meant to block diploma trained nurses.

Everyone denied a license by endorsement because their nursing program was Nationally Accredited instead of Regionally Accredited should complain to the senators as well as the governor who elected them. They should complain to Brian Kemp as well. He is the Secretary of State. I am a single mother of four with no income after relocating to Georgia. I applied by endorsement prior to my move and was told that once I move here and submit in fingerprinting for background check then I will receive my license in 7-10 business days (2 weeks). After that time came and went I called only to have a Board member call me back and tell me about the newly amended bill put in effect in May of 2011. I applied in July and was not notified at that time. Now I am submitting in applications for anything and getting denials because I am over-qualified. I am a registered nurse. Have been for over 15 years. I was a director of a home care agency a few months ago and now I have no means of income. The more nurses that write in letters of complains the better off we are. I am being told that two legislatures will go in session (January) to fix this bill but there is no guarantees in my book. Please write and call and get your story out there. All of the phone numbers are on their web pages. Thank you! Vicki

If you were denied a RN license by endorsement due to the national accreditation (not regionally accredited) of your nursing program please read: Please contact the offices of the three senators that wrote the amended bill 43-26-3 that stated that an approved nursing program has to be regionally accredited (not nationally accredited). Tell them you are a RN being denied a license in Georgia. Ask them if they know the difference in accreditation process and standards. Tell them it is your right to be employed according to your education status. Tell them that no other state would deny you. Email them and phone their offices. Let them know who this law affected. When I contacted them I was told that I was the only nurse to call and complain about the bill. They were unaware that nurses were being denied. The senators are Mitch Seabaugh of the 28th, Don Balflour of the 9th, and Jim Butterworth of the 50th district. You can find their information on the internet. Unfortunately, Mr Seabaugh and Mr. Balflour have left the senate but their office is still there to pick the phone up. They will respond. I have also contacted Governor Dean who appointed these men to their positions. He read through my information and has contacted the secretary of state, Mr. Kemp to follow up. I had luck with two legislatures willing to look into the bill and possibly amend it in January when they go back to session but need others to voice their concerns as well. There is strength in numbers and if everyone denied a license is willing to send out emails or phone calls then we can get this bill amended to be fair. Please help.

I was denied a GA RN license this summer after applying via endorsement. I am a Diploma RN from a Nationally Accredited program. In fact, my school was accredited by the National League Accreditation Commission based here in Atlanta, GA. In NJ I was a successful RN with an administration position. Here, I am not a nurse. If you have experienced a denial based on National Accreditation please contact the three senators that penned the Senate Bill affecting us. They are Mitch Seabaugh of the 28th district, Jim Butterworth of the 50th district, and and Don Balflour of the 9th district. You can find phone numbers and email on their websites. Unfortunately, Mr Seabaugh and Mr Balflour have left the senate but Mr Butterworth is still there. Either way, someone will answer the phone. I have someone from the 28th district working on amending the bill but when I had contacted them I was told that this is the first complaint they had of the amended bill. She assured me that she has two other legislatures working on the bill and will sign it when they return to session in January. I have also contacted Governor Dean who appointed these senators. He read through my information and assured me he would speak with the Secretary of State. I am waiting to hear back from him. Please contact these people with your story and your complaints. Everyone I spoke with told me I was the only one they heard from and didn't know there was an issue. Please email them often and phone them. If we stick together we can assure this actually gets fixed in January!!