LondonNurse

Hiya

I'm thinking seriously about talking a year or two out and travelling round the world working as a nurse.

Can anyone tell me what nursing is like in the U.S ?

From what I've gathered so far i need to take an NCLEX-RN exam...

Anyone got anything they could add?

Patrick

speak to rockgurl, she has just gone through the whole process and got a job in Arizona

Patrick

Rockgurl

Hello LondonNurse. Great idea to go travelling but I'll warn you...going to America isn't like popping off to Paris for the weekend. It's seriously difficult and so far it's taken me 2 years to get my visa. I leave in one weeks time after finally getting my green card. I had to take the NCLEX which was very difficult and took 6 months to prepare for. It's not something you can do on a whim. In order to go to the States you have to be seriously comitted and be prepared to wait for a long time to get your visa. There are so many hoops to jump through and masses of paperwork.

Wishing you luck though, and if there is anything I can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact me. I've been through the whole process and out the other side. See my timeline below for guidance.

LondonNurse

Are you planning on living in America forever?

I only really want to stay for a minium of a year and maximum of 3 years.

Is there a short(ish) term visa?

Which area are you working in. I'm in HIV / Infectious medicine but before then I worked in SCBU and I'm pretty open to other areas.

Cheers,

Siobhan :-)

LondonNurse

Are you planning on living in America forever?

I only really want to stay for a minium of a year and maximum of 3 years.

Is there a short(ish) term visa?

Which area are you working in. I'm in HIV / Infectious medicine but before then I worked in SCBU and I'm pretty open to other areas.

Also, did you go via an agency?
Cheers,

Siobhan :-)

Rockgurl

Hi Siobhan,

I am going through an agency and yes I plan on staying permanently I work in ICU. It doesn't make a difference though I don't think even if you only want to go for a while. It's still as hard to get in and you still have to take the NCLEX and/or CGFNS. I have heard of nurses going over on an H1B but I've never met any. Most go for the green card. You would have to be sponsored by a hospital to do that. You can try emailing a few and find out if they sponsor foreign nurses. I don't really know much about temp visas. I'm glad I went through an agency as they paid for everything...exam and legal fees etc.

SueIP

I agree with everything that Rockgurl said. I am 14 months down the line in the process (just took my NCLEX and failed- so going back in Feb to re-sit - so my plans have been put back 3 months)). You have to be committed and some days you will feel like packing it all in.

Make sure that the hospital you choose will sponser you. I am also with an Agency and so far their advice has been great (I think it wouldve taken a lot longer to get where I am without them). I am in touch with a few nurses who are all doing the same thing and the same as Rockgurl - the average time to re-locate to the USA seems to be 2 yrs. (One of the nurses I am in touch with and is also a member of this board just arrived in Florida last week to start her new life)

Wish you luck, you can contact me aswell if you need any further help...

Rockgurl

Oh Sue, I am so sorry to hear that you failed. You must be devastated. It's a bugger of an exam, isn't it? It's nothing like the stuff you revise and none of it seems to make sense. Never mind...you know what it's like now and you'll go back and pass this time. It's just a blip on the horizon. {{{Sue}}}

SueIP

Thanks Rockgurl,

Yup I was devastated at the time, but i still managed to get 2 job offers anyway...just got to pass the damn thing now. I dont remember much about the exam really...We arrived in Florida 10 days before I did it and in that time both my boys were ill and my Hubby, all resulting in trips to the ER...I was also up at 5am trying to get my baby's temp down (it had been 104 at one point) - so no the ideal relaxing start before i go in there anyway...

The exam had NOTHING in it that I had studied either which is a bit of a pain!!!! BUT it means I go back in Feb and if I pass then I can finalise one of the job offers and hopefully be out there before the end of next year...(there must have been a reason NOT to pass this time but I WILL do it next time)

Btw, good luck with your new venture - wish you well...let us know how you get on.

Patrick

I let any of you give me a bed bath if you want!

What No takers, oh well then.

Patrick

LondonNurse

Thanks for all your replies...

I think I will go ahead with my nursing application for the U.S.

Rockgurl, which agency did you use and would you reccommend them?

I'm not really fussed about where I work, NY,California,Texas or Colorado would to fine :-)

I'm a bit worried about my practical experience in midwifery and childrens nursing. I think I'm about 20 hours short of theory in each and 40 hours short in practice in ok for peads tho. Not sure how I can get round it. Wonder what my local un iwould say if I rang up and asked if I could do some theory !

Just out of interest did you do the CFGNS (I think its called exam) ? And also, can you work temporarily if you pass that or are employers not keen to take you on if you havent got your NCLEX.

Thanks for your help everyone :-)

Rockgurl

I've heard of nurses just taking their CGFNS and being issued a temp work visa with the premise that they take and pass the NCLEX within 2 years and adjust to a green card. It depends which state you go to. I don't know much about that, sorry.

You will have to make up hours but I don't know how you would do that. I have heard of people going back into college for a couple of weeks to finish stuff off. You will need to send in nursing transcripts. I sent mine in 3 times, and you have to apply for it everything you apply for a nursing license in another state. It's a bureaucratic mess!

I am with the largest nursing relocation agency (who will remain nameless). Would I recommend them? Let's put it this way...they're incompetent, irritating, unreliable liars, but hey...I got my green card. What can I tell you? It ain't pretty but it works. You'll be better off not having a place you want to go. I wanted CT, and there was nothing, so I opted for anywhere in the NorthEast. I ended up in Arizona. Go figure.

Flipping hell...I'm sure my spelling would be better if I would have had more than 3 hours sleep.

SueIP

Hi,

I dont know much about CGFNS but I do know some states require both CGFNS and NCLEX....some sates just require NCLEX. I am going to Florida and they just require NCLEX.

Rockgurl is right about bureaucratic mess - it took my school of nursing 3 times to get my transcript right because they kept forgetting to put things on it that I had done - you will need to get that done asap and keep on top of your school....

I am with an agency but I am pretty sure they only re-locate nurses to Florida - and they have been ok with me - bit slow but ok!!!!