Seeking the ever elusive FENS refresher course... (foreign educated nurses)

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Hullo out there

I am writing in the hopes that someone out there in the great wide world of nursing can direct me to a foreign educated nurse refresher course.

I have seen said program mentioned many, many times in many a post. (repetitive I know, but quite intentional I assure you). The Texas BON also sites such a program. They cannot however recommend or even list any such programs. Someone called Nurseeducator here on this site claims to work for a center that provides such courses, yet does not provide any links.

I am deeply frustrated. I am a foreign educated, but am an American citizen, so I don't need help with immigration. I am however struggling to get my CGFNS CES completed. I fear that that I will need to get some Peds experience before I can be licensed and have been trying to find out where and how I might do this.

When I do find an association that might provide a glimmer of hope, it turns out that it is for Hispanic foreign nurses, and as I am not Hispanic, the sense of anticlimax is great.

Please, please, if anyone out there knows anything that might be helpful, don't hesitate to let me know.

Sincerely, moi. :nurse:

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Hullo out there I am writing in the hopes that someone out there in the great wide world of nursing can direct me to a foreign educated nurse refresher course. I have seen said program mentioned many, many times in many a post. (repetitive I know, but quite intentional I assure you). The Texas BON also sites such a program. They cannot however recommend or even list any such programs. Someone called Nurseeducator here on this site claims to work for a center that provides such courses, yet does not provide any links. I am deeply frustrated. I am a foreign educated, but am an American citizen, so I don't need help with immigration. I am however struggling to get my CGFNS CES completed. I fear that that I will need to get some Peds experience before I can be licensed and have been trying to find out where and how I might do this. When I do find an association that might provide a glimmer of hope, it turns out that it is for Hispanic foreign nurses, and as I am not Hispanic, the sense of anticlimax is great. Please, please, if anyone out there knows anything that might be helpful, don't hesitate to let me know. Sincerely, moi. :nurse:
Hello, I think I found one... http://nursing.uthscsa.edu/ce/rnRefresherCourse.aspx
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thx :)

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expatRNdk,

I would love to hear from you as I am in the exact situation as you and also American who recently graduated (in my case in the UK) but not been employed and had hoped to return to my native land and successfully acquire a job with my training & degree within the specialty of critical care but am finding this more of an impossibility as the days go by and seriously wondering if I am going to need to reconsider my career options as my dreams of becoming a nurse in the US is certainly eluding me! How have things gone for you since 2012? Can you give me any hope? Have you had any luck or have you given up the hope of becoming an American Nurse as I fear might be on the horizon?

Thanks from another American who studied abroad and finding it difficult to come home and be a nurse! :(

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Hello michelle4uk,

well, it was a long road, but i did succeed in the end. I went throught CGFNS, got my Danish degree assessed and as it turns out they found it comparable to an American nursing degree. I then applied to the the Texas BON and fortunately they found my degree satisfactory, so it was not necessary to do any FENS course. This was fortunate, because there really isn't much to be found of that sort of thing. There are a few courses for spanish speaking nurses and there are refresher courses for nurses who have been out of the field for a while, but nothing specifically for my situation.

All in all, it took me a whole year to get to the point of being approved to sit the NCLEX.

The NCLEX wasn't all that bad, but I did have 5 yrs work experience under my belt. Didn't stop me from getting totally nerve wracked tho. I did pass tho and found a position on an ICU within a month.

The transition from working in a Danish University ICU and all that entails to working in a smaller town podunk ICU is a whole other story.

Don't give up hope, get the paperwork started early and be prepared to be patient.

If you go through CGFNS, make sure they fill out the paperwork exactly as requested. My old nursing school caused so many issues trying to be creative. They were what cost me the most time.

You may need to get some work experience, depending on the state that you want to apply to, make sure to look up the individual states requirements for foreign educated applicants.

Good luck to you, feel free to write again if you like.

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Have you ever found a school for Fens? I AM ALSO LOOKING, I am from the Philippines and residing now in Texas , looking forward to take the nclex but first I also need to take this FENS. Hoping some people can help us find where to go to.:(

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It says those who already pass the nclex , how about for those who have not taken the nclex yet, that s one of thier requirements too before taking nclex.

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Have you ever found a school for Fens? I AM ALSO LOOKING, I am from the Philippines and residing now in Texas , looking forward to take the nclex but first I also need to take this FENS. Hoping some people can help us find where to go to.:(

Hi have you contacted TX BoN? I am also applying to sit in NCLEX in Texas. Read below:

  1. All international applicants must provide proof of working in nursing for a period totaling two (2) years (i.e. 24 months) at any time after graduation from a nursing program. If you have not worked at least two (2) years as a first level, general nurse within the four (4) years preceding the filing of the application, you will not be licensed until you complete a Foreign Educated Nurse (FENS) refresher course consisting of 120 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours of clinical practice under direct supervision of a Registered Nurse. If you are required to take the FENS refresher, you will be given a six (6) month permit to complete the refresher course.

    I actually called TX BoN to clarify this issue and the steps I should take. Now I'm just waiting for my CGFNS CES report to be released. Anyways I believe that the "FENS" is taken right after you take the exam, not before you take the exam. There are also some exemptions like me I don't have to take the refresher course because I just graduation last 2013.

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Yes I just get confused, FENS are good after passing the NCLEX, I was able to clarify this things, but I graduated 2005 and havent practice myprofession since then, now Iam planning to go back to the Philippines to practice it for 2 yrs or have to start here all over again.

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Yes I just get confused, FENS are good after passing the NCLEX, I was able to clarify this things, but I graduated 2005 and havent practice myprofession since then, now Iam planning to go back to the Philippines to practice it for 2 yrs or have to start here all over again.

No no theyre saying that you need to take a 6 month refresher course here if youve graduated way back 2005. Call the BoN to clarify things first than starting all over again..

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Yes I just get confused, FENS are good after passing the NCLEX, I was able to clarify this things, but I graduated 2005 and havent practice myprofession since then, now Iam planning to go back to the Philippines to practice it for 2 yrs or have to start here all over again.

You just need a FENS 120 hours classroom (mostly Online) and 120 clinical, just shadow a RN at a hospital

Rn Refresher Course - Nurse Refresher Course - Nursing School Houston - Immunizations Houston

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