HELPPPP!

kmmasas27 · Apr 18, 2009

I am a firm believer you get what you pay for.
Nursing is about taking care of patients. One should not be bargain shopping for education. I bet your parents looked for good schools in the US and didn't send you to the cheapest school here in the USA. Why should nursing be different? Why look for a bargain program when the information you are studying could effect a patient's outcome ? I personally choose a nursing school that would prepare me to be the best nurse for my patient...............
Employers and educators will not buy the fact US school were too expensive.
If you are poor grants are available.
Nurses need the best quality education they can get it is not a bargain shopping.

...i understand what youre saying, and thanks for your honest input, they were indeed very helpful and on point.

I guess i should say, obviously, no one bust their butts in highschool to graduate with HONORS to only be shipped away to a foreign country where those honors dont even count. I actually got accepted to a few colleges in California during my last year of highschool, unfortunately i wasnt at the right age where i can just make my own decisions without my parents, and to add to the situation, my parents didnt know too much about how college stuff goes in America and nor did they approve of me working at that age. They were already having a hard time paying for my older sister's college expenses, and may i add, there is 9 of us in the family, and with only my father as the working parent....putting 3 of us simutaneously through college...well thats easier said than done. I think if i were just at a legal age that time or if my parents understood the whole idea of college in the US, i wouldnt be in this predicament. Id probably be attending UCSF or SJSU by now and going about this whole nursing THE WAY I PLANNED for it to go. =/ but obstacles come and the paths change...........im a strong believer in "family comes first", and so anything that can help my family, i will do, and in this case it was going to school over here to save them money and the trouble. I dont mean any offense in saying all this k? =)

even if my UCSF plans didnt go through, i wouldnt say agreeing to go to school in the philippines was a "MISTAKE", we all have our own ways to achieve what we want. like i said, although i do agree that it is much more of an advantage to go to the school in the same place you plan to work, not everyone has it that easily set out for them. At least im learning basics, im getting exposed to the idea of nursing rather than being stuck at point one, trying to figure out my next plan in paying my way through nursing. Since Im really up for the extra months or years of learning and i already expect the long waits, i dont think thats my problem anymore. i already know that US nursing grads have more of an advantage than International nursing grads, but im pretty sure there are some international nursing grads who have become very successfull despite the competition.....but dont get me wrong, never did i say that i shot down the whole idea of US colleges. =) so thanks alexk49, ill put all of what you have said into consideration.

5cats, redranger, silverdragon102, heavensent88, thank you also for your replies. my preperations are looking good.

QUESTION: is it true that international nursing students who transfer, usually have to redo a 1 or 2 or even all their years of nursing school over? .......i mean i know it depends on the state they go to, but has anyone heard of such cases?

and also, if i do volunteer work here for a good amount of hours or attend seminars or programs, will it be accounted for in the US?...ive heard a lot of nurses who have applied to certain programs and seminars only realizing that they were all in the end, fake and worthlessly bogus. yikes! i really dont want that to happen to me.

thankkkkkkkssssss soooo much for the feedback! my mind is wide open and my ears are all in =)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" reality bites! truth hurts! but they're all part of a learning process. " :lol2:

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 18, 2009

We are 1:4 patient ratio. 2 years,
:yeahthat: :nmbrn:

Sounds like you have been lucky cos we have had members post especially in the Philippine forum of many students to less patients and falling over themselves trying to get clinical experience

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 18, 2009

QUESTION: is it true that international nursing students who transfer, usually have to redo a 1 or 2 or even all their years of nursing school over? .......i mean i know it depends on the state they go to, but has anyone heard of such cases?
and also, if i do volunteer work here for a good amount of hours or attend seminars or programs, will it be accounted for in the US?...ive heard a lot of nurses who have applied to certain programs and seminars only realizing that they were all in the end, fake and worthlessly bogus. yikes! i really dont want that to happen to me.

It usually is very hard to transfer credits from another country but a lot will depend on schools and what you have done. I know it can be hard to transfer credits from within the US or even within state so expect it to be much harder if coming from another country.

Volunteer work for most hasn't been counted towards anything with US employers and many have found it to be a waste. Just check out the Philippine forum

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2009

FYI: Im a BSN graduate from Philippines. We had IV training on my 4th year and was allowed to insert IV. We are allowed to scrub in Major operations. We are allowed to give medications for patients except IV meds. We do Trach care, catheter, wound care. We are even given the chance to handle deliveries & cord dressing. Assist minor surgeries.. We are 1:4 patient ratio. 2 years, We are rotated in different areas in the hospital, that includes CCU's, ER, Ophtha, ENT, Ortho, OB, GYN, MED SURG, etc...
:yeahthat: :nmbrn:

Nurses in the US do not scrub, not a nursing function that is the role of a scrub tech, a person who attends school for less than one year. RNS are the circulators.. Most medications are given IV in the US - pain medication, Abx, Steriods, etd. I would say about 90% of medications are IV in the hospital . Your training seems more like the PN program I use to teach where emphasis is on trach and wound care and medications given by mouth.

Assisting in minor surgery is delegated here to a medical assistant also a person who attends school for one year, not the role of a RN. This is not a good learning experience for a RN or PN student since nurses practice at a higher function in the USA.

All students including PN students rotate to every area except critical care. All student saw and assisted in deliveries, the RNs often got to see C Section and high risk births and observe in level 1 and 2 nurseries.

As an instructor, it is difficult to find great patients where the acuity and learning experience meets the students need. It takes skill to get proper assignment for my students.

As an instructor I could never be responsible for 32 patients ( 8 students x 4 patients) that is unsafe nursing practice in the USA in a hospital then BON would remove me as an instructor . When I do a med pass with the PN students I am only assigned two or three students for 30 patients ( non acute).

It sounds like you spent lots of time in the hospital but not at the acuity of a RN Student, but mostly as a medical assistant, scrub tech, or PN. It will be interesting to see once you start to practice as you will observe the difference.

This discussion really should be in the education area not the international area.....

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2009

You mentioned that you want to practice in California, I would check with the CA BON, they require a local license which you can't get as American Citizen ( Philippine rule).

redranger · Apr 18, 2009

5cats, redranger, silverdragon102, heavensent88, thank you also for your replies. my preperations are looking good.
QUESTION: is it true that international nursing students who transfer, usually have to redo a 1 or 2 or even all their years of nursing school over? .......i mean i know it depends on the state they go to, but has anyone heard of such cases?

IF you are talking about transfering during the course of your study. Like complete 2 years in PI and try to transfer your clasees to USA college, I think that would be an uphill battle and probably most if not all or your credits would not transfer

My friend just got engaged to Philippine nursing student starting her 3rd year, I advised him to let her finish school in PI, he was going to petition to USA asap.

If you only have a couple of years left, then time will pass. I courted my fiance almost 2 years before she came to USA, and she was in school the whole time. I almost petitioned her to come her and try to go to school in USA, but she was halfway done in PI and comfortable with the setting over there.

heavensent88_RN · Apr 18, 2009

:up: :up: two thumbs up redranger...

*wine

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Apr 18, 2009

The best nursing education one can have is in the country they plan to practice, your wife's post about her clinical experience is a perfect example. This sounds like great experience for clinical practice in the Philippines but is not good clinical experience for a nursing student in the USA as an instructor I would be spoken to if that is what I allowed my students to do this this is not current nursing practice. Sounds like excellent experience for the Philippine Nursing does not meet the objectives of an American Nursing Program which requires the student to have opportunities for critical thinking.

Open Letter to Mr and Mrs kmmasas27

It sounds like you have done a wonderful job with your child, graduating with honors and getting accepted into Colleges in California. I bet you ensured kmmasas27 went to the best schools you could afford and had access to. My guess is that you did not bargain shop for elementary and high school. Why send your child to a school that is not on par with American Colleges.

The US educational college system has money available to large families like yours, there are grants and loans so kmmasas27 can get an excellent education in the USA if s/he plans to practice in the USA. It is my professional experience as a Masters prepared registered nurse is best to attend school in the country you wish to practice. A good advisor can help direction, this ....if you go to the http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ they will give a ball park idea of what your contribution should be.

Internationally trained Nurses have many hurtles that the need to over come when moving to the USA. There is no standard for IEN to move from state to state. The passing rate for IEN on the NCLEX is much lower than Americans Nurses. The One Canadian Province's Nursing College has determined that many BSN student from the Philippines is similar to a Practical Nurse in their country where as most US BSN prepared RNs don't have issues moving to Canada as a Professional Nurse. And many other provinces require further assessment before allowing IEN's to sit CRNE.

Living in California kmmasas27 may not be able to practice nursing since the state requires a local license and since kmmasas27 is a US citizen this maybe a road block to practice. I would suggest kmmasas27 contact the California BON before attending any foreign program and if a local license is needed to practice in CA or may require in most cases official confirmation that you can't sit the local exam, if dual citizen then Ca will expect a pass with the local exam .

If you don't find with governmental support kmmasas27 , there are many different routes to become a BSN. Many students work full time and attend PN or RN programs. Their success rate passing the NCLEX is near 90% . Once they are employed as nurse they have opportunity to progress to get their BSN or MSN and many times the employer pays the whole fee. The military also has programs for students to obtain their BSN, many of these programs pay 100% of the cost. Employers also value nurses who have risen the nursing ranks the hard way and often offer them competitive positions since they have insight to nursing few other nurses have.

In closing, kmmasas27 wants to practice as nurse in the USA, that is a noble goal. As a professional nurse I would suggest kmmasas27 attend college in the country kmmasas27 plans to practice, Sounds like you did a wonderful job raising kmmasas27 instilling a value to help others, why not encourage kmmasas27 to obtain the

education that is geared for practice in the USA.

Sincerely,

alexk49

The purpose of this open letter is not to offend anyone, but inform that the best education one can get is in the country one wishes to practice. Nursing schools in the USA have frequent contact with their BON and can adjust education accordingly Foreign schools by the fact they are foreign don't have this link.

kmmasas27 · Apr 19, 2009

well put Alexk49, thank you for the letter. I will be showing this to my parents in hope that they will understand my situation. Thank very much for your time and consideration in doing this. =)