De Javu... my experience, International RN to US RN.

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It's been a while since I logged in and saw the forum and I terribly miss it. but I can't help but feel that I experienced this before..."de javu" or "a glitch in the matrix" this is exactly the same situation I was in when I graduated in 1995. no US visas, it's hard to find a descent work in hospitals in manila, so many BSN graduates looking for a job and if they can't find one in the hospital, they will settle for any job even if it is not a nursing job. just to earn a living.

As for me, I waited for 9 years before I got here and live the famous cliche, "the american dream". I took the different path, because in the first place, I really do not want to be a nurse. The first thing I did when after graduating and passing the national nursing board was to find a job far away from being a nurse. I applied for any job that will accept my BSN degree. Medical Rep, office works, anything... you name it applied for it so i can just move on and start over. fortunately I landed a job in Human Resources... during that time I dont even know what Human Resources do. I started as a timekeeper cum company nurse...and oh yes I answered the deadly quetion during interview..."why nursing?" I worked my way up and learned the works of being a Human Resources Practioner... nine years past and I was a manager for human resources in one of the respected and more profitable company in the philippines, and earning six figure salary with all the benefits extended to an executive, company car, travel abroad, secretary, you name it I got it.

Come 2004, 9 years not doing even a hint of Nursing job, my wife and I thought of "trying to work in the US as a nurse" because even I was earning a six figure salary and my wife's salary was not far behind, (did I mentioned that my wife and I are classmates in college and also is a nurse? but working also for a one of the top companies in the Phil?) we thought that we cannot help our extended family and give our children a bright future if we stay in the Phil. And I guess the rest was history.

We came here in the US last 2005 because of the Schedule A visas for nurses, had one of the hardest transition... encountered and battled the retrogression, asked a lot of questions to this forum and specially to Suzzane (which by the way still my Angel) but now working as an ICCU nurse and my wife as an L&D Nurse. Still trying to live the "american dream" which is I think is overrated. Nothing came easy for us, even now. After 2 years, we still don't have a house, we don't have thousands and thousands of dollars in our bank account contrary to what our relatives thinks in the Philippines (ha ha ha ha), our car is not BMW's, Mercedz Benz and those expensive european cars and personally, Im still struggling and getting over the thought of being a nurse. My filipino co-workers and I will have discussion in our units whenever we help each other do wound care (stage 4), change bed linens, inserting rectal tubes, etc. Only if our relatives and new and old nurses knows what we are doing here they will be in for a rude awakening. we dont pick US dollars here in the streets and it doesnt fall off the trees. Yes you earn dollars but you spend dollars...and dont believe when you hear that US nurses can afford 2-3 houses and live the life... I wont complain about the salary and I think we earn more than the average, but I believe we are still middle class.

Im grateful, because my family have the much coveted "green card" dont get me wrong, but it's not the "be all and end all".

I'll be going "home" in a month's time and will be staying there for 10 days, I will eat all the street foods, alimango, kare-kare, enjoy the $10 dollar 2 hour massage or who knows might play the 25 peso slot machine. Believe me that 10 days will be one of the best ten days of my life.

To those nurses who are waiting, new and not so new nurses who wants the retrogression to be over, dont rush, carpe diem! For me it took me ten years...and I am looking foward for my 10 days in the Phils. and not the 30 plus years I will be staying here in the US...

Gob bless everybody!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

First of all, Welcome back to this forum, you have been gone for quite a long time. I still remember those days when we were active in this forum while we were affected by the retrogression.

For the benefit of the new comers here and for those waiting for their visas affected by retrogression, my story can be similar to Dhel.

I graduated in 1991 and yes I took up nursing because I wanted to go abroad and help my family. But then in the early 1990's and with the recession, hiring for nurses to the US began to trickle down and the Middle East was also strict when it comes to experience, not like now, so there are no jobs waiting for me a nurse except as on volunteer basis.

I did what most nurses went through that time, went for broke and look for jobs where they can fit in. I went into pharmaceutical sales and worked with a multinational company. Well, as a med rep, I have insurance and medical benefits , a good salary and additional income like commisions and the use of a company car. I have everything if I wanted to stay but then I was thinking of my children's future and we decided to move here. So I applied, I had my CGFNS since 1992, got affected by retrogression and got our immigrant visas in 2005 and came here in 2006.

So for the new ones, don't rush, take your time and eventually your time will come.

I enjoy working as a nurse and started working in a sub acute/LTC facility here and now am working as a Med/Surg/Tele nurse in a good hospital in northern CA. Life is good for me but I agree with Dhel that people back home think that we are doing it easy here. They're terribly wrong.

In a nutshell, coming here is one of my best decisions in my life and it's worth all of the wait, hardships and patience I endured.

Off topic...And yes, I met Suzzane here and she brought us to an Italian restaurant.

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Hi Rep,

Yes it's been a long long while. I know may nurses share our experience. So you're in North Cali... San Fran??? guess we started in on the wrong foot but almost following the yellow brick road.

I'll try to post more often...

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Hi Rep,

I know, it's been a long, long while and im glad to see familiar names still in the forum. North CAL, san fran??? Im here in So Cal but having thoughts to move to another state or become a traveler. Anything to get out of the monotony of being an ICCU nurse in a non trauma hospital. Ha Ha Ha

I commit to post more often... so bring on the questions!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

Well, I used to be in the Silicon Valley area which is an hour drive

from San Francisco.

A couple of months we moved into the valley area of northern CA because of a recent job.

The yellow brick road was easy to follow but it took a while to get there.

Hi Rep,

Yes it's been a long long while. I know may nurses share our experience. So you're in North Cali... San Fran??? guess we started in on the wrong foot but almost following the yellow brick road.

I'll try to post more often...

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

i'll be going "home" in a month's time and will be staying there for 10 days, i will eat all the street foods, alimango, kare-kare, enjoy the $10 dollar 2 hour massage or who knows might play the 25 peso slot machine. believe me that 10 days will be one of the best ten days of my life.

to those nurses who are waiting, new and not so new nurses who wants the retrogression to be over, dont rush, carpe diem! for me it took me ten years...and i am looking foward for my 10 days in the phils. and not the 30 plus years i will be staying here in the us...

gob bless everybody!

yup dhel, you said it right...i am looking forward for that vacation to get approved by my nurse manager...i can't wait to go home and eat balut, bibingka, lechon, etc....i waited 12 years before finishing my bsn, i wish i have done it sooner..but, 12 years of working in a non nursing related job here in the us is a looong time, and made me realize how important it is to have your bachelors....i am glad i did.

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I would have to agree w/ RNHawaii34. Don't be too much on a rush; yes do everything you wish to do on a timely manner and do not delay yourself but no need to rush things as well that may further delay you or doing something you know you may regret in the long run.

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Specializes in ER, Telemetry, Transport Nursing.

Dhel and Rep

You are soooo right. Money does not grow on streets here.

Its funny that our friends and relatives think that for us, nurses working and living in the US, it does. One earns in dollars and one spends in dollars. One should never convert dollars to pesos and make the comparison.

My wife and I are nurses too. And we have young children. If there is no one to take care of the kids while we work, therefore both of us cannot even work full time to help pay the mortgages, car and bills since we both have to take care of our kids. (Forget about daycare or nanny...if both of us work full-time, the daycare or nanny will probably get 1/3 of our salary. That will be a waste of my energy and how am I to be sure that whatever the daycare or nanny teaches my kids or feed my kids is safe?)

See what I mean about living in the US?

and yes both my wife and I graduated in 1990 and have worked in a big government hospital in QC before moving here. She left for here while I stayed longer becoming an asst nurse manager at a company known for patient transport (loved the job but hated the salary). Moved here and got married after.

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Hi Rep,

I know, it's been a long, long while and im glad to see familiar names still in the forum. North CAL, san fran??? Im here in So Cal but having thoughts to move to another state or become a traveler. Anything to get out of the monotony of being an ICCU nurse in a non trauma hospital. Ha Ha Ha

I commit to post more often... so bring on the questions!

Nice to have you back here stranger. You will need to come up for a visit and we can all go out to dinner again.

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Nice to have you back here stranger. You will need to come up for a visit and we can all go out to dinner again.

all of your story are very interesting...:-)

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hi! im a newly grad of bsn (second course) and jus passed my local board. i don't know if ill ever get to US and be able to earn and help my family here. its such a looooong journey. i am still waiting for my eligibility to take nclex. im having doubts if this "american dream" will come true...with retrogression and all the exams to take... but reading your story inspired me to be patient..its not really that easy...i guess it will take me 10 years too to get there... but hopefully i will get there... your story is truly wat nurses are doing in the US - hard work. Its not like dollars are flowing down like rain... thanks and God Bless!

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Nice to have you back here stranger. You will need to come up for a visit and we can all go out to dinner again.

Hi, where do you work now? still up north? I went there a month ago to visit a friend in concord. any plans in going to Las Vegas aND UNWIND????

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