Unable to endorse my license

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Hi all,

I am a nurse (LVN) in California for almost 10 years and now I am unable to endorse my license over here in Washington state and probably most of the states since I have not finished any nursing program,well I actually almost did but due to difficult pregnancy I stopped right before graduating. So I took the NCLEX challenged the boards passed and worked for 10 years. Now I am over here in Washington state and the BON over here denied my endorsement and told me to retake the entire year of LPN and get my diploma:( so I was so shocked and devastated!!!! Does anybody know of any loopholes of how I am going to be able to get this California license endorsed without having to do nursing school all over again? Anyone knows anything about endorsing license at Oregon?Do you need to finish school and get a diploma for your LPN? HELP???!!!!!

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Do you need to finish school and get a diploma for your LPN? HELP???!!!!!
Every state board of nursing (with the lone exception of California) requires LPN/LVN endorsement applicants to have graduated from an approved practical or vocational nursing program.
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Every state board of nursing (with the lone exception of California) requires LPN/LVN endorsement applicants to have graduated from an approved practical or vocational nursing program.

Wow, you learn something new here on AN every day. I had no idea CA allowed that.

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I took the LPN boards and passed while I was in school for an RN. I then passed the RN. I am in NY.

I never worked as an LPN and didn't keep the license up once I passed my RN. Was that legit? And how is it different than what OP did?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
I took the LPN boards and passed while I was on school for an RN. I then passed the RN. I am in NY.

I never worked as an LPN and didn't keep the license up once I passed my RN. I'm in NY. Was that legit? And how is it different than what OP did?

I think it's different because you did eventually graduate from a school of nursing. You haven't tried to use or transfer that LPN license anywhere.

But your case does make me think: what if after you obtained your LPN license during RN school, you quit school? Would that LPN license still be valid?

If a bear poops in the woods, does anyone hear it?

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I think it's different because you did eventually graduate from a school of nursing. You haven't tried to use or transfer that LPN license anywhere.

No, I was using it as a backup. But I never went to school to be an LPN.

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California the state that won't accept excelsior grads but let's people who never go or finish nursing school to be lpns. Go figure.

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I think it's different because you did eventually graduate from a school of nursing. You haven't tried to use or transfer that LPN license anywhere.

But your case does make me think: what if after you obtained your LPN license during RN school, you quit school? Would that LPN license still be valid?

If a bear poops in the woods, does anyone hear it?

'Tis the little vignettes that I love so much.

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Wow, you learn something new here on AN every day. I had no idea CA allowed that.

Yeah, CA is its own little world. It also has the "30 unit option" path to RN licensure (also unique to CA and licensure via that path not recognized by any other state), and it was the last state to still have certificate NP programs, and license graduates of those programs even though they weren't eligible for national board certification, after every other state had started requiring an MSN (and those "certificate NPs" couldn't get licensed as NPs in any other state).

I've also heard that CA has unique pathways to practice in some other professions that are unique to CA and not recognized by any other state, but I don't know that for a fact or know any details.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Yeah, CA is its own little world. It also has the "30 unit option" path to RN licensure (also unique to CA and licensure via that path not recognized by any other state), and it was the last state to still have certificate NP programs after every other state had started requiring an MSN (and those "certificate NPs" couldn't get licensed in any other state).

I've also heard that CA has unique pathways to practice in some other professions that are unique to CA and not recognized by any other state, but I don't know that for a fact or know any details.

So crazy. And its like pulling teeth to get a CA license by endorsement sometimes. They will block you for not having the right communications gen ed class, I hear.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
you graduated from a nursing program so you are eligible for licenses in other states. the OP didn't graduate from any nursing program and has only been allowed to take the nclex and work as an LPN because she's in California, which allows this screwy way to get a license. she won't be eligible to work in any other state in the country until she passes a recognized nursing program.

OP has an entirely different issue. He/she has a license that is valid only in CA because he/she did not finish nursing school and simply took the NCLEX.

Op challenged LVN without graduating hence the license only valid in CA. Every other state requires a diploma.

Every state board of nursing (with the lone exception of California) requires LPN/LVN endorsement applicants to have graduated from an approved practical or vocational nursing program.

Wait, I'm confused. Maybe if one more person repeated this same idea I'd understand it better.

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Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.
California the state that won't accept excelsior grads but let's people who never go or finish nursing school to be lpns. Go figure.

Plus they have the 30-unit option but noooo, excelsior grads can never ever get a license.. No clue how that happened. (FWIW, I am an excelsior grad with a California license, but I graduated WAY WAY before the cutoff)..

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I suggest searching for an online program that get you what you need- there appears to be online everything nursing these days and some don't even require you to physically go to campus.

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