RN HELP! RN License endorsement from Virginia to Florida

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I've been a nurse for 4 years. I have active Virginia RN License and want to endorse my license to Florida. I thought it will be a straight forward process (which is not). Here's my situation.

I submitted the following documents to Florida BON :  RN endorsement application form, License verification from Virginia BON and Finger printing done.

After a month, Florida BON said I have deficiencies: Education Evaluation Report and Proof of English Competency.

I called Virginia BON and Florida BON many times and they tell me different facts on how to proceed.

My Virginia license will expire in 3 months. CGFNS who evaluated my education credentials don't have my documents on their system. In order to do all the evaluation, I have to go back to my University in the Philippines. Philippines is in quarantine due to covid (who knows when my University can forward my credentials to CGFNS). Once the CGFNS receive the documents. It will take 3-12 weeks or more for them to evaluate it. By that time, my VA license is expired and wouldn't be able to endorse an expired license.

Florida BON agent 1 said that they need the deficiencies met in order for me to get Multi State license. IF I want Florida ONLY license, All I need is to ask for Virginia BON to downgrade my VA Multi State to Virginia ONLY license and Florida BON will accept that and will not need the deficiencies met and will give me FLORIDA ONLY LICENSE (which is no problem because I intend to stay here in Florida forever).

Virginia BON agent 1 said 1. I can downgrade my license if I declared Florida as my permanent residence and also in that way, I can renew my VA license while I am working on with the deficiencies to get Multi State License. 2. Virginia BON can't share CGFNS reports to other BONs.

Few weeks after I declared Florida as my permanent residence. I called Virginia BON to check if they downgraded my license.

Virginia BON agent 2 said that 1. Virginia BON can't downgrade my multi state license to Virginia ONLY license because they don't do that. 2. I can't have multiple license in different states. 3. Virginia BON can send CGFNS reports to other BON if requested.

NOW, I am stuck. I don't know which once is right and wrong. I am waiting for Virginia BON supervisor to call me. I hope the supervisor will call (I am not putting my hopes up). In a meantime, I emailed Virginia BON and request for my CGFNS reports to be forwarded to Florida BON.

Please share your knowledge or experience with me if you know anything about my situation. I don't want to loose my license due to democracy. Thank you nurses. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Since you are an internationally educated nurse, FL has different regs + complicated by compact license, I would contact your local  state Representative as they can quickly cut thru red tape involving government agencies.   See Who's My Legislator

If you don't need multistate license, only going to practice in Florida, go for the single license.   Best wishes in getting license issue resolved. 

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CGFNS can be very slow, they also require all documents to be resent for every new endorsement, they apparently can't use the ones you already paid to have sent to them.

If I were you I would start by planning to renew your Virginia License. You mentioned you have a multi state license. Virginia and Florida are compact states. Could you keep VA as your home state and just do travel nursing in Florida which would allow you to use your current license while you get this sorted out - even with out covid, that would take a lot more than 3 months. I would not run the risk of ending up with an expired Virginia license and no Florida License.

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Hello NRSKarenRN and kp2016,

Thank you for reading my long post and responding to it. I really appreciate both of your feedback. I just want to update you guys that after calling Virginia BON many times, they finally downgraded my license to single state license! yey!  Florida BON will now accept my RN license without me providing the CGFNS reports and will give me Florida only license soon (waiting for them to process my request).

I'll call my representative if something come up again due to bureaucracy. Thank you for this advise. 

Keep safe!

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Great news.  Once you obtain FL license with plans to live there long term, you can then place VA license on inactive status when license renewal due. That way will be easier to reinstate if need to return to VA.

Hope you enjoy your new position.

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