I am an LVN and have been for 12+ years. I have recently heard that I could challenge the board (with my years of work experience) and once approved I could sit for the RN boards. Does anyone know about this? PLEASE HELP!!!

I doubt you can challenge the boards... But who knows..

I've never heard of being able to do this. It could possibly vary by state. I'd contact your state Board of Nursing to find out for sure.

And let us know what you find out!

I think challenging the boards is a provision only available to people in California and being that you're an LVN, there's a 50% can you are in California!! Contact your states Board of Nursing to get the details.

I think challenging the boards is a provision only available to people in California and being that you're an LVN, there's a 50% can you are in California!! Contact your states Board of Nursing to get the details.

The LVN's I go to school with here in CA might disagree with that assumption. I don't think our program would be inundated with LVN's if they could just challenge the boards. There is a 30 unit option they can take, if they already have a degree in another field. I do agree that you might want to check with your BON.

Is it just me, or does it seem odd that in California, LVN's with experience can challenge the RN boards, as if being an LVN is the same as an RN, but Excelsior grads who can't sit for the boards unless they can prove they can function as an RN won't be allowed to practice, even though they have met the same evaluation standards as the ADN's who graduate from traditional California schools. It's even weirder that those LVN's who graduate from Excelsior College with their ADN would, at this point, according to what I presently understand--and I could be wrong, would be denied the right to a California license to practice under the legislation California is presently considering.

Believe me, I don't begrudge anyone the ability to get where they want by the most reasonable route they can take, I'm all for it. But this just seems so inconsistent to me.

It almost seems political......

Good luck to you--and thanks for the info!

Is it just me, or does it seem odd that in California, LVN's with experience can challenge the RN boards, as if being an LVN is the same as an RN, but Excelsior grads who can't sit for the boards unless they can prove they can function as an RN won't be allowed to practice, even though they have met the same evaluation standards as the ADN's who graduate from traditional California schools.

There seems to be a lot of confusion here. As Vsummer1 pointed out, you don't automatically become an RN if you pass the LVN challenge exams in California.

LVN's don't challenge the RN boards. What they're doing is taking exams to demonstrate competence in some of the basic nursing courses, so they can save some school time. The idea is to give LVN's some credit for their knowledge and experience.

If they pass all of the challenge exams and meet all of the other requirements, LVN's can save, for example, one year out of a two year ADN program. But they still have to attend nursing school, usually for at least one year.

So you don't, by any means, automatically become an RN in California if you pass the LVN challenge exams.

Just FYI, about 50 percent of the LVN's who take the challenge exams for my ADN program don't pass and end up having to do the two years anyway. So, I assume these challenge exams must be pretty tough.

This is my understanding of how it works at my school, but it's always best to check and verify the details with the school you plan to attend and, of course, the BORN.

Is it just me, or does it seem odd that in California, LVN's with experience can challenge the RN boards, as if being an LVN is the same as an RN, but Excelsior grads who can't sit for the boards unless they can prove they can function as an RN won't be allowed to practice, even though they have met the same evaluation standards as the ADN's who graduate from traditional California schools. It's even weirder that those LVN's who graduate from Excelsior College with their ADN would, at this point, according to what I presently understand--and I could be wrong, would be denied the right to a California license to practice under the legislation California is presently considering.

And I have some beachfront property to sell you in Arizona if you think that California grants the RN status you are hoping for without EARNING it from what the STATE of CA determines is an accredited school! I don't care if New York says it is okay, or Utah... you are comparing apples to oranges on a false premise.

I should open an internet school, state that I can grant you the degree, and everyone should pay me for the degree. Or, I could just tell all LVN's to pay me and I will make them an RN. But will any state agree? NOPE.

CHECK OUT THE CALIFORNIA BON. Don't get your panties in a twist over FALSE information, go to the website.

I was TRYING to be nice in my previous post, but you ain't listenin'.

Go to the BON in your state - they are the experts!

I was TRYING to be nice in my previous post, but you ain't listenin'.

Yeah, there seems to be a lot of that going around here. It would be nice if people would actually read previous posts before jumping to conclusions.

And I have some beachfront property to sell you in Arizona if you think that California grants the RN status you are hoping for without EARNING it from what the STATE of CA determines is an accredited school! I don't care if New York says it is okay, or Utah... you are comparing apples to oranges on a false premise.

I should open an internet school, state that I can grant you the degree, and everyone should pay me for the degree. Or, I could just tell all LVN's to pay me and I will make them an RN. But will any state agree? NOPE.

CHECK OUT THE CALIFORNIA BON. Don't get your panties in a twist over FALSE information, go to the website.

I was TRYING to be nice in my previous post, but you ain't listenin'.

Just as California has the right to set their own rules for RN licensure per state: so do people have the right to choose their own level of education at whatever school works for them. I find your response about Excelsior being compared to any unaccredited internet school-RIDICULOUS. Just because some of you are residents of CA does not mean that you have to constantly make condescending remarks about Excelsior in New York. Some of you seem to forget that many qualified graduates from Excelsior have also passed the NCLEX successfully. The CA BON has the right to make their own rules--but, you do not have the right to put other people's schools down, when you have probably not even take a class there, internet or not. You seem to be able to so easily criticize Excelsior--when most internet sites do not just get NLNAC accreditation.

Why not just agree to disagree-this debate is getting kind of old.

heather/

Just because some of you are residents of CA does not mean that you have to constantly make condescending remarks about Excelsior in New York.

heather/

Hey Heather. Perhaps Vsummer1 did go a little overboard. But Chris shouldn't have mentioned Excelsior in the first place. Not only is it irrelant to the topic at hand, but her conclusions were totally inaccurate. I mean, honestly, when someone makes outrageous statements like that, it's going to stir up controversy, especially when it's not true.

My point is that both sides need to make an effort. I don't know why Chris made those statements, because there really was no cause or reason for it. But if she had stuck with the facts, or at least tried to learn them, we wouldn't be talking about this now.

So many controversies could be avoided if people would simply read and pay attention to the previous posts, before jumping the gun and making unfounded allegations.

*Sigh*