Why is CA BRN too picky?

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Hi There California folks! My name is Angie and I am a NV resident who will be moving to CA before the summer to live with my fiancee who is stationed in San Diego. I contacted your board of nursing and they are just impossible to work with. Here is a little background on me, I am an Excelsior student who is currently a LPN working in a sub acute unit. I am aware that the CA BRN has problems with the Excelsior program because they do not offer any clinicals. Well I can assure you that my clinical rotation for LPN school exceeds that of both of your LVN and RN requirements. I know what is lacking in my clinical rotations is what ever you are allowed to do as a RN in CA that you are not able to do as a LPN. Well long story short is that I wont be able to endorse my RN license from NV once I get it because CA does not feel my school is not approved. The CA BRN told me that my school does not offer any opportunity for clinicals along with theory simultaneously. But the school does offer clinicals after the theory & CPNE are completed as other states require additional clinicals. But they told me that since it is not offered simultaneously they wont accept my application. What is the difference? I thought clinical experience is clinical experience and it will be completed before graduation. Why is the state board so picky? They allow people who graduated from outside the country sit for the NCLEX. I should know because my family returned to the Philippines and they were able to sit for NCLEX. Anybody an Excelsior graduate who is currently working in CA? Thanks for hearing my ranting, I'm just fumming right now.

Juan,

Your post is so interesting and insightful What is CGFNS?

Thanks.

(Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. There is a similar organization that deals with graduates of foreign medical schools who want to come to the US.)

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There are about 10 on the national council's list. CGFNS was the only one who always sent us all the needed paperwork. Some just sent us the evaluation with no original transcript, some accepted open transcripts, etc. The RN program is much more universal across the US than the LVN.

Just got a call from my friend who still works there. They are down 3 people out of 6 due to the hiring freeze and swamped. (LVN Board).

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There are about 10 on the national council's list. CGFNS was the only one who always sent us all the needed paperwork. Some just sent us the evaluation with no original transcript, some accepted open transcripts, etc. The RN program is much more universal across the US than the LVN.

Just got a call from my friend who still works there. They are down 3 people out of 6 due to the hiring freeze and swamped. (LVN Board).

Who are you referring to when you say "us"? Do you represent a nursing body? Regarding the LVN board since you have a friend who works there, how may applications do they process a day? I heard that there were was a big leap between July 2009-April 2010. It was like one month they were average and then next month and following months it was like the wind blew in every application on the planet.

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Thank you everyone for your input. Apparently this thread seemed to go off topic but that is ok. I have already accepted the fact that I may never be able to endorse my NV license to CA as the CA BRN plans on denying me because of where I received my education. I also realize that my stay in CA will be short and we will eventually settle back in NV which recognizes Excelsior College. So if I have to work as a LVN in CA for the four years that we are in CA then I will do so.

I will attempt to try something that may or may not work. I am going to attempt to get my RN license through a state that requires a preceptorship before taking the NCLEX. I will also take a nursing course concurrently with this preceptorship that way the minimum requirement is met. The CA BRN may still deny me, but that is my only option right now. I am not going give up on my education because of one state board of nursing that does not recognize an accredited program. Just my added thoughts.

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More power to you Angela! GO FOR IT! :up::up:

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Who are you referring to when you say "us"? Do you represent a nursing body? Regarding the LVN board since you have a friend who works there, how may applications do they process a day? I heard that there were was a big leap between July 2009-April 2010. It was like one month they were average and then next month and following months it was like the wind blew in every application on the planet.

I just spoke with my friend. The furloughs and now the hiring freeze are doing a number on the Board. When I was there and it's still the same, CA doesn't just get CA graduates (LVN), they get people from all other states where their states don't accept paid experience. They are also 3 people down due to the current hiring freeze from the governor and have been working overtime.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Medical Surgical, Dialysis.

Hello everyone. I am new to this site and it seems as if there is some discrimination as it relates to foreign RNs. I am a PERMANENT RESIDENT who is about to become a NATURALIZED CITIZEN. When I did my nursing, it was in ENGLISH, both written and taught. We do not have online nursing schools in the Bahamas. We were taught by RNs and not just RNs with little experience. These people had over 20 years of nursing under their belts and they in turn were trained from the best of the best in England. I remember being in class for the first 8 weeks, M-F, 8-4:30, with test every week and you had to pass with 70 or higher. Next was the first set of clinical rotations which was anywhere from 8-12 weeks long. We had practical exams on vital signs, bed baths and bed making and you had to do them properly or you would surely have failed. The aseptic technique assessment was even worse. If you contaminated that tray and were unaware of it, they would let you continue and at the end of it all, politely tell you that you failed. We rotated in EVERY AREA of nursing. No area was left out. I passed my board exams the first time I took them and also my NCLEX. My transcript has my clinical and theoretical hours for each of the areas I rotated through. So be careful and try not to make it seem as if all FOREIGN nurses do not receive the education which is equivalent to a US education, because I can only speak for the ones from the Bahamas. I came here through the right and proper channels and have worked in TX, NM, VA, SC, GA, AZ AND TN. If I have offended anyone then I do humbly apologize.

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