Flyingnurse123

Hi Aim89,
The whole process took 2 years. From May 2014 to May 2016!
1) I applied to BON on arrival, it took a lot of back and forth letters and double checking from the BON as they had never had someone from the UK from my University apply for licensure before ( I guess it will make it easier for the next person!). That took until December 12th 2014.
2) Meanwhile I was constantly looking for schools that would allow me to make up potential deficits (Silverdragon is correct! There are not many). Look out for Foreign Nurse Graduate Programs!
3) I was very lucky to find one and with letter in hand I applied and received an invite to interview in April 2015. The school I applied to wanted us foreign grads to also undertake a pharm course and introduction to US nursing in the summer of 2015.
4) Completed the course in the summer of 2015 and procured a place in fall 2015 and they allowed me to take all three courses at once (not all schools will allow this) I took Peds, OB and Psych within that 3 month semester and finished December 2015.
5) School had the transcripts ready for the CABON in January and they were sent off. Waited until late March to receive my ATT (Authorization to test) from the BON and commenced with a Kaplan R/V course for the NCLEX ( very good by the way).
6) Took the NCLEX-RN in May and passed first time( phew! As by this time failure was NOT an option)
Got my license the beginning of June and a Job the beginning of July! So like I said not easy but very worth it in the end if this is where you want/have to be. Work/life balance is similar 3 12 hr shifts etc BUT OH MY WORD the lack of holidays is going to take some getting used to lol! I had 8 weeks paid in the UK but here I get 2. I negotiated a further 3 with my new employer (unpaid) so not so bad at all.
Working conditions is dependent on where you work but in my facility I have 4 patients ( in the UK I had 13). Nursing I find is fairly universal in that regard, it is just a matter of fitting in with the team and supporting your colleagues. I hope that answers your questions. Don't lose hope.

Flyingnurse123

Oh just another quick thing! Make sure that you have been a resident in CA a year before you start school, otherwise they will charge you international tuition! There is quite a difference between international and resident fees.

DebzinUS

Taking a Pharmacology course is a great idea. If you look at the NCLEX test blueprint, pharm is up to 20% of the total content on the NCLEX. That's a big chunk.

Congrats on your first time NCLEX pass! The first time pass rate for first time foreign educated test takers is less than 30% (Stats are available on the NCSBN web site). I hope you are enjoying your new position! And yes, vacation time here sucks. That's one of the reasons why I am a nurse educator.

Pulaski

But if the difference is less than one year's net pay you would end up ahead by paying the international rate if you're able to start working 12 months earlier.

DebzinUS

In 2004, California became the first state to establish minimum registered nurse -patient ratios. The law established specific ratios for all acute care, psychiatric, and specialty units. The ratios are the maximum number of patients that may be assigned to an RN during one shift.

Flyingnurse123

Thank you DebzinUS for your congrats! I am glad that the patient ratios are specific to units here and not like they are in the UK, leads to improved patient safety. Yes Pulaski, I guess you could look at the international tuition rate that way. Makes sense.

Aim89

Thanks for all of your help, guys! I guess I'm just going to have to accept that there's not much more I can do before I graduate but continue to research and prepare myself for the slog once in CA! It does sound rather long and fustrating but glad to hear it's all worth it, Flyingnurse123

augigi

Check with the college - my university charges "out of state" tuition as long as you are on any temporary visa, EVEN IF you have been resident for >1 year. Ask me how I found that out...

cardB123

hello everyone!

Aim86 - Sorry if i have missed something, but why cant you make up the extra hours with the university you are attending now?

I am currently studying adult nursing and was planning on speaking to my tutor this week about registering to undertake some extra lectures and clinical placement in the mental health and child fields to make it up to the amount of hours you need to register with CBON? If my uni are agreeable to it of course!

Also im wondering how i will find out exactly how many hours i need?

Thanks guys, would really appreciate a response xx

rroxas

Hi, thanks for all your information, it is very helpful, I was getting very anxious in how I was going to start all this process. I finished my diploma in Adult nursing in 2012 and now planning to move to SoCal via spousal visa. I just have a question I am trying to register with the California Board of Registered Nursing and it said that I need to register with Breeze (department of consumer affairs) but it is asking me for a SSN/ITIN number. I guess my question is, am I in the right path?

Silverdragon102

Until you get a US SSNyou can not submit application to the BON

Pulaski

Which you cannot apply for until you arrive in the US on an immigrant visa.

cardB123

Hi guys I have an ssn already and just want to find out what missing now as I am still completing my adult nursing in the UK? I thought it would be easier to do it now as my uni is open to helping me make up the hours?

Thanks!

DebzinUS

You wont be able to apply to the CA BON until you have your adult nursing degree completed. Having a SSN already is great. Not much happens with anything you do here without one. I have sent you a pm.

marshmallowpie

Hi there. I know this is an older thread but I'm in a similar situation! Brief background: I'm actually from California originally (so I have an SSN and American Passport) but have been living in the UK for yonks and did my nursing degree here.

Now the fam and I need to move to California because my mother has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer. I have everything together for my application to the CABON except for the Breakdown of Credits which my uni are actually REFUSING TO DO!

What on earth do I do? I tried contacting the RCN but they won't respond to me. I'm feeling like I'm being made to chose between my career and whatever time I have left with my mum.