I just need to rant about the absurdity of the nurse licensing system in this country. The amount of money one has to waste in addition to the expense of the education is really criminal.
A happy little tally:
1. $200 for the privilege of taking my NCLEX from Pearson. (third party #1 who administer every test from NCLEX to 3rd grade Common Core) quite a nice little monopoly they've got going. http://www.phillyvoice.com/concerns-rising-over-pearson/[8 hours of work]
2. $100 and change for a nursing license from Wisconsin (where I graduated) [4 hours of work]
***job offer and acceptance from hospital in Texas (a compact state)***
2. $40.79 for a set of ****** fingerprints in Texas to send to BON. (third party #2 indentogo.com) because the state of Texas surely couldn't use my FBI fingerprints that were already on file for my previous health care work. can't cut out the company working out of a flippin' H&R Block who take about 10 seconds to stick my inked fingers on a piece of white paper. [1.75 hours of work]
3. $30 to nursys.com to "verify" my license. apparently the fact that I have THE ACTUAL LICENSE is not enough. I must have it "verified" by another private company that someone got a contract with the state. (oh wait, this is Texas. of course a private company got a big contract with the state under the auspices of saving taxpayer money while skewering the individuals who actually need the service.) [1.10 hours of work]
4. $186 for Texas to "endorse" my Wisconsin license. [7.29 hours of work]
5. $25 for Texas' licensing test (because the NCLEX just wasn't thorough enough presumably.) [1 hour of work]
And there you have it. $581.79, or 23.4 hours of work for the privilege of working. Good times. Looking forward to that first loan payment.
Yep, you nailed it. I'm ungrateful for my job. Glad you could sift through all the chaff to get to the main point of my post.
What's really amazing is that I've been practicing under my Wisconsin license since April and somehow have managed. Once I take that text for my permanent license I'll be better prepared though clearly.
Just to clarify, my original post wasn't an attempt to dispute the need for preparation in the form of background checks, fingerprints, license endoresments, testing, etc.--it was a complaint as to the rampant "nickel and diming" that is inherent in the process and also the redundancy (honestly, anyone with even a remote knowledge of database systems knows that accessing them doesn't need to cost $40 plus.) What is shocking is how meekly compliant most of the responses are here--the attitude of "well that's just the way it is."
Oh, and yes, of course I would have just applied for Texas nursing license had I known at the time I'd be working in Texas!
Look, I sucked it up, I paid my dues, I'm doing the work. I just don't planning on grabbing my ankles and taking it like a champ.
Ok people, really. Don't act like you're happy about being nickel and dimed, even if the whole process is necessary. $500+ is a lot when you've already paid for the degree. OP is just venting about that.
I agree, it really is ridiculous. Getting endorsed to other states is always a PITA. I got my first license in a compact state, but then ended up endorsing to two non-compact states, so I feel your pain.
For a profession that has as much impact as ours does, you'd think the standards and rules would be national and we could just get a national nursing license. I'd even be okay with doing ten times the work up front and getting a ridiculous amount of mandatory eduction done before getting my first license if I knew it meant I never had to endorse to another state again.
OP, just wait until it comes time to renew your licenses. I have renewed all of mine just in case because I'm not sure where I intend to end up in the long run. That gets just as expensive when every two years you have to pay three states for license renewal.
Ahh the renowned MBoN!!! To get a hold of someone you need a direct number. I remember when they processed all of my classmate's ATT's but mine was sitting at the bottom of a pile, even though I submitted mine first.
So to get a direct number, I called the Deparentment of Mental Health and Hygeine. Connected to the department in charge of overseeing the Boards, and complained. The lady gave me several direct lines they used to get in touch with the BON. I hope that helps!
aware of the unethical and likely illegal fees and credentialing going on from state to state.
i was born in this country and I am still trying to find out what makes people believe the states are " really united"!
That said, my advice to any looking to reciprocate licensure. Pressure the potential employer to pay or at least reimburse for these fees. Often, they will see it as an investment in a new employee or chalk up the fee to a sign on bonus.
Try getting a license from Texas with a nonsensical hit on your license. Over 600 dollars and 6 months of wanting to be told I need to come to Texas for a 6 hour ethical class because the 3 classes I took and paid for besides the 6800 dollar fine and 7200 dollars I paid my stupid lawyer was not enough for the state of Texas. My thought is to stay away from Texas as they will overwhelm you with patients and give you very little pay. If you think you have paid out a lot of money just wait, you have only just started, I have probably paid over $100,000 for having the priveldge of shoving things into people, listening to crude jokes, and being degraded by my peers, as well as managers and called a liar at every turn of the corner.
Rick, I understand your frustration. All you want to do when you finish school is start the job, start making a decent living, and get on with life. What you're experiencing is a familiar scenario to all nurses.
I hope you realize that being a nurse means a lot of time spent doing things that we feel could be more efficient such as a simple thing like getting a laxative order. If you're going to be the kind of nurse that keeps track of everything you don't think is right in your opinion I'm glad your working in Texas, not with me. You have to learn to relax and take the good with the bad or you'll burn out in a hurry.
I'm a beginning nursing student I also have a law license. Trust me, the BON is nothing compared to the Bar Association.It's $200 per year for the license and 12 CLE credits per year at a cost of over well over $1000 especially if you have to travel. Not to mention if you move from state to state, you may need to take another bar exam... I think that's around $700 at least. So I guess it's all a matter of perspective. : )
Well, you could look at it this way: The cartel charges a hefty price in order to weed out those who got into the profession for the wrong reasons...Maybe the requirements should be even more strict if verifying license and non-criminal background bothers those who are being trusted with the very lives of their clients. If this was an "easy" profession to enter, what would it look like, and more importantly, would you want lesser "proofed" people caring for your loved ones? I think you should count yourself lucky to get a job in Texas with this attitude. No one likes bureaucracy, but your attitude is pretty unusual for a brand new nurse who respects their chosen profession of caring. I am sorry for you, because things will only get tougher as you go through the challenges presented by the workplace. Being an RN is a privilege, not a right.
RNsRWe, ASN, RN
3 Articles; 10,428 Posts
7.29 hours....are you sure? I mean, I really thought it was closer to 7.244......