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Old 05-30-2010, 20:31   #31
Surgicalcric
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dragbag036 View Post
How can I find out more about the California RN?
Guy (I believe it was Guy) has the details. Shoot him a PM.

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Old 05-31-2010, 14:12   #32
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18D Challenging California RN

Completing the 18D course and functioning in the field does not qualify you to take the California RN Exam. Here is what the application for licensure by examination from the CA State Board of nursing says about Medical Corpsman:
*************************************
CORPSMEN:
Pursuant to Section 1418 of the Business and Professions Code, corpsmen must meet the same theory and clinical qualifications as that of a registered nurse. As a result, those applicants applying for licensure based on military training and experience may not meet the minimum qualifications for licensure.

The Board suggests that you contact a college in your area regarding your educational background. The college may be able to advise you if you will be able to use any of your course work and/or training toward a degree in registered nursing.

Also, you may want to contact the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians to inquire about licensure requirements for a licensed vocational nurse. That board may be contacted at (916) 263-7800 and is located at 2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 205 Sacramento, CA 95833.

You may also visit their web site at www.bvnpt.ca.gov. If you choose to submit an application for licensure, your fees will be nonrefundable and your application
will be evaluated. • Please mail the Request for Transcript form to the school of nursing with the fee required by the school. • Transcripts must be received and evaluated by the Board prior to being found eligible for the
examination. If you have any questions, please contact the Board of Registered Nursing at (916) 322-3350.
*******************************
Having both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in nursing, I'm pretty confident that the average 18D would not pass the NCLEX because the focus is different and a lot of subjects are just not taught to SF. It would also be pretty hard to prove that you met the clinical hour requirements which is broken down into things like OB, gerontology, human growth and development, psychiatric, and many more.

Being an 18D is an incredible leg up for success in college for just about any aspect of medicine, but just like selection and the Q Course, there are no short-cuts.
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Old 05-31-2010, 15:25   #33
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18D's are not considered "corpsmen" by the nursing board. IIRC, the section you referenced below was specifically intended to address Navy Independent Duty Corpsmen (IDC's) who were trying to piggyback into the program from the multiple Naval Bases in the region.

Though that certainly could have changed in the recent past.

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Old 05-31-2010, 17:20   #34
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18D Challenging California RN

I couldn't find anything on the California State Board of Nursing website that specified any difference or delineating an exception for Special Forces personnel. I deal with several RN boards and I can say pretty confidently that when they use the term "Corpsman," that they mean any military medical specialist. I doubt that they really know the difference.

I'm not trying to be disagreeable, but in 25 years of experience as an RN, I've yet to meet any former 18D that was able to take the NCLEX-RN exam without first attending a formal course of instruction with the requisite hospital clinical hours first. I don't see them being successful without it because the focus is different.

At one time, the SF Medic course was really structured along the lines of what the Physician Assistant would learn but from what my friends that are still in tell me, it appears to be more trauma and paramedic skills oriented. When I went through in the 80's, we were learning our stuff from the RVN Vets.

There are a number of bridge programs at Community Colleges that give credit for Paramedic experience as a fast-track to RN, but there are experience and certification requirements for entry and it's all focused on the civilian EMT-P.
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Old 05-31-2010, 17:24   #35
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Gentlemen,
Thanks for the replies. I will contact Guy as stated above. Also I agree that straight out of the course 18D's may not posses the hours, credentialing, or the patient contact times to pass the Nursing Exams. One thing that I will ask that those of us on this site to remember is that, not all of us are made the same. When a question is ask, opinions are great, but they are just that. Many here work on degrees in various fields, have various hands on as paramedics (not just as an 18D), Critical Care Emergency Transport an so on.

Again, thank you for the advice and information. I will do as my father taught me and "don't take the preachers word for it, read the book for yourself"

Thank you all for your service to this GREAT NATION, on a day of remembrance.
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Old 05-31-2010, 17:30   #36
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I dont know about the CA RN board requirements, but I have spoken to several 18D's who have successfully passed the CA boards. It has been a couple years but seems to me Guy was one of them and an instructor at SOCMSS-P was another. For a while there was a running post on SOCNET about it as well.

As for the 18D course, the first 5 months center around general and trauma medicine, to include paramedic type skills, and the final 6 months around clinical medicine (sports med/ortho, anesthesiology, surgery, nursing skills, gastro and infectious disease, etc...)

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Last edited by Surgicalcric; 05-31-2010 at 17:36.
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