# Calling any US nurses or foreign nurses working in the USA



## 28clare2008 (Sep 12, 2008)

Hi

I am a student nurse in the UK training for my RGN. I would love to eventually move and practice in the usa and understand that there are cerain exams I need to take ie NCLEX and to pass state requirements as to where I would like to practice but I was just wondering if there are any other british nurses out there that are working in the USA or anyone else who has any knowledge of requirements for nursing in the usa who could offer any information or advice!

Thanks in advance

Clare
x


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

I think, based on what an old friend did going from Australia to Canada, where the system is like that in the US, there are two areas where you need extra classwork, obstetrics and psychiatry. The hospitals most likely to hire foreign nurses, the ones that recruit in Panama and the Philippines (they take US coursework and boards), are the big city hospitals. Perhaps if you contact one in a city you are interested in, they would have some informuation. There are a couple of threads here about this, I think.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

American Nurses Association - Home
AFT - Hot Topics - Recruitment and Rights of Foreign Nurses

Google "us foreign nurse".


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Thanks, twostep. It's good to have those sources, since we get a fair number of inquiries about nursing here.


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## JimAtJaxtr (Sep 5, 2008)

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has a lot of good information about the types of programs that are available. Welcome to AACN. Their info might give you an idea about how the education programs work here and what ares in which you might need more information.

Additionally, California and Nevada need nurses badly. So job opportunities might be more widely available than you might expect.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

A couple of years back, you could enter as a suitably qualified nurse with an immigrant visa, i.e. a green card. This program is now in terminal retrogression (ii.e. there are no visa numbers left) until Congress decides to renew it. You can still, of course, try your luck in the H1b lottery.

But I'm pretty sure that Congress will renew it. So if the OP is interested, now is the time for the OP to start preparing for all the requisites for state registration so she's ready to move when the bell is rung again. This might involve further studying requirements.


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## Jeudi (Apr 4, 2010)

Hi I am a qualified nurse RGN/RMN but want to work in the US California to be exact or San Fransisco. I haved decided to retrain as a midwife. I would like to know what are prospects for a UK nurse that will be tripple trained to work in the state of california?


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

Jeudi said:


> Hi I am a qualified nurse RGN/RMN but want to work in the US California to be exact or San Fransisco. I haved decided to retrain as a midwife. I would like to know what are prospects for a UK nurse that will be tripple trained to work in the state of california?


Midwifery is not common in the US. To work in the US, a master's degree in something like a theatre nurse would probably be better.


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## JaneRN (Dec 6, 2009)

As Fatbrit says being a midwife on top of RN/RMN doesn't really add much other than widen the areas you are able to work in. After qualifying as an RN in the US a nurse can apply to work in L&D (labour & delivery) it doesn't require a further qualifiaction. His advice re studying to Masters level may well give you an edge, as at the moment there are no visas for for the catagory most nurses are sponsored under (EB3) but for jobs requiring a higher degree like a MSc the catagory is EB2 which are at this time available. EB 2 & 3 are both greencard visas, there is also the possibility of a working visa for certain professions but becoming less common for hospitals sponsoring nurses. I don't know much at all about this catagory but it would not be the ideal way to go to the US. 
I would start thinking about trying to become licensed as a nurse first, get your nurse training transcripts evaluated so you can sit the NCLEX exam. Then when you've got through that hurdle see how the land lies. Hopefully there may be some movement with the Visa situation and any further qualifications you get can be evaluated at another time.


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