California Graduate Information Center

Update: Thursday, Oct. 1

Dear graduates,

The California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) recently sent letters to some graduates stating that they must complete additional coursework* before they can be licensed. As we understand the BRN’s request, this coursework may include up to 140 extra direct patient care hours, including:

• 30 concurrent direct care and theory hours in obstetrics
• 30 concurrent direct care and theory hours in pediatrics

Our top priority is providing a path to help California graduates get licensed. Although our current lawsuit disputes the application of in-state program approval rules to out-of-state licensure candidates, we've developed additional courses so you don't have to wait for the legal process to conclude.

Additional Courses

These additional courses are:

• BSN 491: Maternal-Newborn Nursing
• BSN 492: Pediatric Nursing
• BSN 493 : Supervised Integrative Practicum

*Note: Because the BRN makes final licensure determinations for individual applicants, Nightingale cannot guarantee the outcome of any individual application. Nightingale continues to dispute the BRN’s application of these requirements. These courses are being offered to provide graduates and learners with a path to address the requirements the BRN is currently applying while Nightingale continues to pursue its legal challenge.

How to Enroll

Complete this form to indicate your interest in the additional courses.

The form will be open from Friday, Oct. 2 at 8 a.m. MT until Friday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. MT.

There will be no cost to you to reserve your spot or enroll in these courses. This course is available to graduates seeking California licensure. Additionally, you must be available to spend 40 hours per week on coursework.

Since these courses are new, enrollment numbers will be limited for the first cohort of graduates taking these courses. During the next few weeks, we will gather data about outcomes, resources, placements, and graduates’ success in obtaining ATTs after completion. We will use this information to identify gaps, make improvements, and expand future enrollments as needed.

Enrollment priority will be assigned by graduation cohort and time of form submission, as space allows. If space does not permit us to enroll you immediately, you will be considered in the future. You do not need to submit the form again.

We are excited to offer this opportunity, and we’re sure you have questions. Read more below: 
 
Nightingale College 
 

Additional Resources: 
Additional Course FAQs
Forbearance FAQ
California Graduate Information Center
College Catalog course descriptions and addenda
rmahlberg@nightingale.edu

 

Update: Friday, Sept. 25

Dear learners and graduates,

This week, we had planned to send you more information about the additional courses we’ve created for California graduates and learners. Unfortunately, some logistical details are taking longer to complete than we had planned, and we will provide more information in the coming days.

We understand that you’re waiting for information and that many of you are eager to take the next steps. We want to move this process along quickly, too. However, we want to make sure all the details are in place so that we can provide clear information about enrollment and next steps.

Progress on the Lawsuit

This week, the Court granted Nightingale’s request for an expedited preliminary injunction hearing. The new date is October 23, 2026. At this hearing, we will ask the judge to allow affected Nightingale graduates to move forward with the licensure process while the lawsuit continues. Although we cannot predict the outcome, this hearing is an important step in our effort to move the legal process forward.

Impacting Public Opinion

We’re proud that our CEO, Mikhail Shneyder, recently spoke with Nurse.org to share his view of our efforts to stand with our graduates. A recent op-ed also appeared in the San Diego Union-Tribune. We’ll post links to the California Graduate Information Center when the articles are available.

Our efforts to smooth your path to licensure are ongoing. As we finalize course details and take legal and public action, we’ll provide the most up-to-date information at the California Graduate Information Center.

Nightingale College

 

Important Update: California Licensure Applications

Thursday, Sept. 17

Dear California Learners and Graduates,

The BRN recently notified some California ATT applicants that it requires additional coursework before it will allow Nightingale graduates to test for licensure. Although we disagree with the BRN’s interpretation and maintain that our current curriculum follows published regulations, the BRN has identified the following as additional requirements for these applicants:

Up to 140 additional direct patient care hours, including:

• 30 concurrent direct care and theoretical hours in obstetrics
• 30 concurrent direct care and theoretical hours in pediatrics

We know this news is significant, and our priority is to help you move toward California licensure.

What we’re doing

We’ve been developing additional courses, and we plan to send course syllabi and enrollment details next week. Although we disagree with the BRN’s application of these requirements, we are providing a path for graduates to address the requirements currently being applied by the BRN rather than requiring them to wait for the legal process. Graduates who plan to seek California licensure by endorsement from another state may also be subject to these requirements.

Because the BRN makes final licensure determinations for individual applicants, Nightingale cannot guarantee the outcome of any individual application. Graduates with questions about their eligibility for licensure with this additional coursework may contact the BRN.

Cost

The additional coursework will be free for Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 graduates. For later cohorts, Nightingale is incorporating the additional education into the program to address the BRN’s current licensure position. Although the College maintains its position that its existing curriculum is sufficient and will continue its legal actions, Nightingale will provide these courses free of charge.

Our position

The College maintains its position that:

• the BRN lacks legal authority to apply the 500-hour direct patient care requirement for California-approved programs to out-of-state licensure applicants, and
• the BRN’s interpretation and application of the concurrency requirement to Nightingale graduates is disputed.

We will keep pursuing legal action and advocating for our graduates to obtain California licensure.

In the meantime

We’re committed to seeing our graduates through the licensure process. Our team will continue working on your behalf, and we’ll keep you informed as we make progress. Thank you for your patience and continued commitment to your nursing education and career.

Additional resources:

• Updates: California Graduate Information Center
• Questions: rmahlberg@nightingale.edu
• Mental health support for learners, graduates, and family members: HigherEdEap

Sincerely,

Nightingale College

 

Update: Wednesday, Sept. 9

Last week, we filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the BRN from holding ATTs while the lawsuit continues. The hearing currently is scheduled for January.

Our next step is to ask the court to hear the preliminary injunction sooner. We know the continued delay is creating significant hardship for our graduates, and we are pursuing available options to seek relief as quickly as possible.

Court schedules and legal proceedings can change quickly. We will share confirmed updates as they become available. Please visit the California Graduate Information Center for the latest information.

 

Update: Friday, Aug. 28

This morning, the judge issued a decision on Nightingale’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) in our case against the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

The Decision

• The judge denied Nightingale’s request for a temporary restraining order.

What This Means

• The judge did not decide who was right in the underlying case. This decision only addressed Nightingale’s request for the court to take immediate action.
• Today’s decision does not require the BRN to change how it is currently handling the affected licensure applications.

What’s Next

• Nightingale will now seek a preliminary injunction. This gives us a way to ask the court to address the immediate issue affecting graduates before the entire lawsuit is decided.
• We intend to file the preliminary injunction as early as next week. The court will then determine the timing for considering the request.*

*Note: The July 21, 2027 Initial Case Management Conference date assigned to us on the court docket is not a firm date. It is subject to evolve based on legal actions. Court proceedings may begin ahead of this date.

We are disappointed by today’s TRO hearing outcome, and we know our learners and graduates may feel the same way. However, today’s decision does not end the underlying legal dispute, and Nightingale will continue to pursue available legal options.

We remain committed to advocating for our graduates and helping them pursue licensure in California. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Because this is an evolving legal matter, please continue to rely on verified communications from Nightingale and the BRN.

Questions

If you have questions, please email Raye Mahlberg at rmahlberg@nightingale.edu or visit the California Graduate Information Center.

 

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BRN Lawsuit Filed

Dear Learners and Graduates,

On Monday, Aug. 24, Nightingale College filed a lawsuit against the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Nightingale has also asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) while the lawsuit proceeds. The BRN received formal notice of these filings on August 27.

Why is Nightingale filing this lawsuit?

Our goal is, and has always been, to support our graduates in obtaining licensure. For approximately six years, the BRN approved nearly 2,000 Nightingale graduates for California RN licensure. In May 2026, the BRN stopped approving Nightingale graduates' applications even though no new law or regulation had taken effect.

For months, Nightingale worked with the BRN to resolve the issues affecting our graduates, providing extensive information about our curriculum and meeting directly with BRN leadership and counsel. Despite those efforts, hundreds of graduates' applications remain on hold, and Nightingale concluded that court intervention was necessary.

The lawsuit challenges the BRN's application of direct-patient-care requirements derived from California law governing approved nursing programs and an unwritten "concurrency" standard to graduates of out-of-state nursing programs. Nightingale alleges that these requirements are being unlawfully applied to individual licensure applicants.

These delays have had real consequences. Graduates have lost job opportunities, had employment delayed or placed at risk, and experienced months of uncertainty while waiting for their applications to move forward.

What happens next?

Nightingale is asking the court to stop the BRN from applying the challenged requirements and to require the BRN to process Nightingale graduates' licensure applications under the legal standards applicable to graduates of out-of-state nursing programs.

Nightingale also has requested emergency relief through a TRO. We have asked the court to consider that request on an expedited basis, but the timing and outcome are determined by the court. We will provide an update when the court acts.

What do you need to do?

Nothing is required of you because Nightingale filed this lawsuit, and the lawsuit does not change your enrollment, academic program, or graduation timeline.

If you have applied for California licensure, continue to comply with requests concerning your individual application. If the court issues an order affecting Nightingale graduates, we will let you know what it means and whether any action is required.

Because litigation is ongoing, we encourage you to rely on verified communications from Nightingale and the BRN for updates.

Questions

If you have questions, please email Raye Mahlberg at rmahlberg@nightingale.edu or visit the California Graduate Information Center. We will continue to provide updates as significant developments occur.

Thank you for your patience. Nightingale remains committed to supporting our learners and graduates in their pursuit of California RN licensure.