The Wisconsin Department of Regulation & Licensing (DRL) continues to insist that completion of the pre-MSN phase of Marquette's Direct Entry program is sufficient for RN licensure in Wisconsin. The DRL's logic is that the "Certificate of Completion" is, in fact, a "diploma of graduation." Therefore Direct Entry students do meet the criteria for licensure in the Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act 441.04 which requires one to hold a "diploma of graduation" in order to be eligible for licensure. Even after it has been shown that the RN licensure of Marquette's Direct Entry students at the completion of the pre-MSN phase was never actually approved by the DRL or the Wisconsin Board of Nursing in the first place, they still continue to stand by their original argument. We now have a very odd set of conflicting assertions that are being held up by Marquette and the DRL:
- Marquette adamantly and boldly proclaimed before the Board of Nursing at their meeting on August 30th that Direct Entry students are not awarded any kind of degree or diploma at the completion of the pre-MSN phase.
- Marquette is adamant that Direct Entry students do not have graduation dates because they have not graduated from Marquette University at the completion of the pre-MSN phase of the program.
- The DRL claims that Marquette's Direct Entry students are legally eligible for licensure in Wisconsin because a "Certificate of Completion of pre-MSN basic nursing education" is, in fact, a "diploma of graduation."
Can somebody please explain to me how it is possible that I hold a "diploma of graduation" from Marquette University, and yet I have not graduated from Marquette University nor have I been awarded any kind of degree or diploma from Marquette?
Fine. Whatever. Since the DRL and Marquette claim that this "Certificate of Completion of pre-MSN basic nursing education" is actually a "diploma of graduation," then they should not have a problem producing some documentation to this effect. I could use documentation that I hold a "diploma of graduation" from a school of nursing to appeal Mississippi's initial denial of my application for licensure here, and also for any possible future attempts to transfer my license to another state. I sent these letters out this morning requesting documentation from both the DRL and from Marquette stating that I hold a "diploma of graduation" from Marquette.
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September 17, 2007
Debra J. Kraft
Interim General Counsel
Wisconsin Department of Regulation & Licensing
P.O. Box 8935
Madison, WI 53708-8935
Dear Ms. Kraft:
In your letter dated September 6, 2007 to my Father, ________, you stated that the reason that the pre-MSN part of Marquette’s Direct Entry program meets the criteria for RN licensure in Wisconsin under the Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act 441.04 is because:
the Department [of Regulation and Licensing] has determined that the Certificate of Completion awarded to students upon completion of the basic training phase of the Program by Marquette University is, in fact, a "diploma of graduation."
I request a letter from you, Debra Kraft, to me, Lydia Bertrand, stating that the "Certificate of Completion of Pre-MSN Basic Nursing Preparation" that I received from the Marquette University College of Nursing on August 13, 2005 is a "diploma of graduation" from an accredited and board-approved school of professional nursing.
Sincerely,
Lydia Bertrand
_________________________________________________
September 17, 2007
Dr. Judith Miller
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs & Research
Marquette University College of Nursing
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
Dear Dr. Miller:
A letter dated September 6, 2007 from Debra Kraft to my Father, ________, stated that the reason that the pre-MSN part of Marquette’s Direct Entry program meets the criteria for RN licensure in Wisconsin under the Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act 441.04 is because:
the Department [of Regulation and Licensing] has determined that the Certificate of Completion awarded to students upon completion of the basic training phase of the Program by Marquette University is, in fact, a "diploma of graduation."
I request a letter from you, Dr. Judith Miller, to me, Lydia Bertrand, stating that the "Certificate of Completion of Pre-MSN Basic Nursing Preparation" that I received from the Marquette University College of Nursing on August 13, 2005 is a "diploma of graduation" from an accredited and board-approved school of professional nursing.
Sincerely,
Lydia Bertrand
