Recent nursing graduates in California are waiting months to receive their license to practice, according to a California Healthline report.
The publication states that at least 2,000 recent nursing graduates remain in licensing limbo, with their applications taking as long as 24 weeks for the California Board of Registered Nursing to process.
The issue isn't limited to nursing graduates. Experienced nurses from other states who apply to work in California find themselves in the same position, according to the report.
The problem is partly attributed to the flawed $96 million implementation of a computer system called BreEZe, which aimed to streamline professional licensing, according to California Healthline. Patricia McFarland, CEO of the Association of California Nurse Leaders, an advocacy group, also told the publication the licensing board lacks the manpower to handle the volume of license applications it receives.
Veronica Harms, a spokeswoman for the Department of Consumer Affairs that oversees the nursing board, told California Healthline the department took care of early glitches in BreEZe. But she acknowledged to the publication that the system isn't perfect, as it is still labor-intensive and time consuming.
Ms. Harms added the board's new executive officer, Joseph Morris, "has acknowledged the backlog of applications and is determined to work with [the department] in finding long-term solutions."
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