Update July 1, 2009: CES requirement is now required for new applicants starting July 1, 2009, and NEW application form must be used. Disregard this post.

Eversince we’ve been helping nurses select board of nursing in the US to apply for their licensure and NCLEX, Vermont is one of those we highly suggest because they have lesser requirements and fees compared to other states. They don’t require CES for foreign nurses (as long as nursing education was taught in English, like the Phils), fingerprint cards, and you can even apply while waiting for your local (PRC) license, you just have to secure Certificate of Passing/Board Rating. Their service efficiency is also noteworthy. They evaluate and process eligibility in 3-4 months only, promptly answer your emails, and they do have online status checking.

But just recently, we encountered problem with the added Verification of Licensure(VOL) requirement. Effective 01 October 2008, nurse-applicants’ license must be verified as in good standing by PRC using the additional VOL form. The problem is, when nurses go to PRC, the regulating body refuses to stamp/seal the form because according to them, Vermont BON hasn’t notified them or made any arrangement regarding the new requirement.

So we contacted Vermont BON and their evaluation specialist Sandy Swenson about this matter, and as usual they responded immediately. Here’s the quick reply:

A letter was mailed to the PRC today indicating that we require a verification of licensure before you can be approved to take the exam. You’ll want to follow up with the PRC within the next 2 – 3 weeks to make sure they received our letter.

So if you’re applying at Vermont, please follow up with the PRC. And hope that PRC will act favorably and bring collective sigh of relief to those nurses who started their application for licensure by NCLEX exam.

Update: PRC is now processing Verification of License. Our nurse-friend NurseKimmie posted these procedures in the comment section:

Finally, I already have my VoL form. just got it earlier.Thanks God.

Here’s the procedure that I did:

1. Fill out the green request form. (available @ the information. I’m sorry i can’t recall the name of the form but you can ask them. it’s used for requesting Cert. of Good Standing & Nursing/State Board something)

2. Pay P75 at the cashier.

3. Go to the Metering Stamp Station and let them put a documentary stamp in your VoL form. There’s a fee of P21.

4. Proceed to Window 16 then present your receipt, VoL form with Documentary stamp ang photocopy of your license.

5. Wait for your claim stub. Usually they will release it after 3 days.

6. On the scheduled release of your VoL, buy first a PRC envelope worth P17.

7. Go to Window 19, give them your claim stub then present your envelope so that they will put a stamp on it also. You will be the one to put the form inside the envelope and also the address of Vermont BON. PRC will not do it for you. And always double check your VoL form before leaving PRC just to be sure that your name is spelled correctly and that there is really a stamp/seal on your VoL and also the name & signature of the certifying official.

Thank you Kimmie!

Update: I’ve contacted Vermont about the concerns of NLE passers who dont have their license yet; here’s the excerpt of my communication with  Ms. Lydia Pitkin, Vt BON Admin Asst:

Nonoy:

Im a nurse-applicant from the Philippines. I passed the Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam last June 2008 and as you are aware it will take several months for our license to be released. I understand that instead of my license I can submit board pass letter(Certificate of Passing and Board Rating) from PRC and and have them certify that my license application is in good standing. The problem is, PRC doesn’t certify license application in good standing if the licensed havent been released yet. Is it possible that we just mail the board pass letter without the Verification of Licensure form? We will just mail the Verification of Licensure form when our licensed is released.

Ms Pitkin:

You should wait until you are able to get your licensed verified, since it can take some time, and you wouldn’t want your application to expire in the meantime.  We have heard from a few applicants that the PRC will verify good standing for exam passers, so I would recommend checking with the PRC again.  If they still refuse, unfortunately you should wait until you can get the documents before applying.

Yes new passers have to fulfill the VoL requirement. I think what we can do is plead our case to the top brass of PRC, that they’d be considerate enough to certify in good standing the license application of new passers.

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