UK Student Nurse Looking for U.S Placement

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Hi, I'm a UK citizen studying a full time adult nursing degree in the UK. I'm looking for any information regarding a placement in the U.S. preferably New York. I have yet to find anything which accommodates this sort of request and would be grateful for any help. As part of the course I'm on, we are allocated a 4 weeks international placement of our choice and I would love to work in the U.S. as it is something I wish to do in the future. I have been emailing universities in the U.S. but most have replied stating they don't offer services to this request. I start my 4 weeks placement in Spring 2015 and wonder if anyone has any information on this and the process involved?

Kind regards,

Kyle

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If one understands the nature of your request you are seeking four weeks clinical placement in a United States hospital, preferably in New York. Should this prove so then yes, finding a program to accommodate your request may prove difficult.

What you want is something like this but in reverse? International Education | NYU College of Nursing

Clinical placement for nursing students in the United States come via their nursing programs. Agreements are made between nursing schools and clinical locations to allow student nurses the required educational experiences. Because student nurses only have limited permits to practice all their work on such assignments is under the license of either their instructor and or the RN to whom the patient is charged. Only students formally admitted to nursing programs are allowed clinical experience.

The other complicating matter is you are not a USA citizen nor legal resident. Without an educational or otherwise proper visa by law hospitals here are unable to offer you clinical experience.

The only way round this for someone in your situation is to find a nursing school, college, or university with some sort of international exchange

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

I have seen queries of this nature on here previously but I don't think anyone had been successful.Does your school have any advice as how to go about this?

US nurses are generalist trained so in order to work there you would need theory and clinical hours in adult, peds, OB/GYN and mental health to get a nursing license.

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Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.

You should have an international department in your university that can provide further information on this. For you to attend a placement in a different country the university needs to have checked that it meets all the uk programme requirements as stated by nmc.

I don't think this is something you can arrange yourself. But I could be wrong.

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I have emailed a woman at my school who I was told knew about international placements, however she's on holiday at the minute so I'm waiting for a reply. I haven't heard of anyone from my university going to the US for a placement but this is something I feel passionate about and going to try to pursue. The deadline for applications is 20 December 2013 and we must have arranged a sort of international placement with a university in the US by December 2014. I know it's a bit premature to arrange but I understand there is a lot to sort out with visa etc. I'm hoping someone knows of any university in America that offers international students a placement there. I'm studying nursing based on Adults and the older person, I'm not sure how much experience in mental Health, gyn, peds etc I need but I have had 2 weeks placement in peds and 2 weeks in mental health so far and 14 weeks in general nursing. I'm currently in my second year.

Thanks,

Kyle

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

US nurses are generalist trained not specialist trained so this may be a barrier to a US school/facility accepting you for placement as a visiting nursing clinical student.

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Specializes in Critical Care/NICU.

If it is just a placement that you would like what about contacting hospitals for placement. If you are really passionate about going to America for placement I would extend where you would like to go beyond New York.

As everyone else said they are generalist trained and you require hours in obs, gynae ,child ,mental health. You can find the hours that are required on the Internet I have also posted the hours required for Vermont in a previous post if you look for mine. But that is Vermont every state have different criteria so it may not be the same.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

As an addendum, as each nursing school implements their curriculum differently (while requirements for graduation & qualification for licensing may be uniform, each school schedule their coursework and clinical as they see fit with board of nursing approval--for example school A may have a separate class/clinical for geriatrics but school B may incorporate the learning in the medical-surgical curriculum). Therefore US nursing students have difficulty transferring between nursing programs or completing a clinical rotation as a visiting student in another school.

Student nurses require oversight by a qualified RN in a clinical rotation, externship or preceptorship. This is generally a school staff instructor.

Also, generally students are required to carry professional whether purchased directly or the school purchases as part of tuition and fees. You might want to inquire if you would be eligible for coverage as an international visiting/ exchange student. Two of the major carriers are NSO and ProLiability. Both companies have websites that you can submit online inquiries as to your unique situation.

Since you seem very determined, consider looking for nurse externships (preceptorships are usually part of a nursing school curriculum and for current enrolled students) at hospitals. These programs are very competitive but the main requirement is that you are entering/ in your final year of a nursing program (usually BSN program but some externships accept ASN & diploma students). This way the required licensed, qualified RN supervision is from the hospital education staff as opposed to having to make arrangements with both a school and a facility.

Again the barrier may be your educational program as US, like Canada, nurses are general trained in adult, mental health, maternity/OB GYB, child, geriatrics and must have theory & clinical in all areas to be eligible for licensing.

You also would have to speak with an immigration professional to determine which visa you might qualify for to complete such training.

Here is an old AllNurses thread that discusses some NY externships: (not sure if links valid as it's a 4 year old thread ) https://allnurses.com/new-york-nursing/nyc-hospital-nursing-388945.html

One more edit. Here is a NY Hospital that specifically mentions international candidates : http://www.lenoxhillhospital.org/education.aspx?id=294

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Thank you all for contributing to this topic, I'm going to await a reply from a tutor at the university about international placements, in the meantime I'll check out Lennox Hill hospital, it looks promising. I can imagine this is going to be difficult to arrange but I'll keep trying, thanks.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Two weeks in the other areas will not meet be enough to be considered yourself generally trained.Plus there needs to be the required amount of theory as well as placement on your transcript..

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Hi, I’m a nursing student and am now in this same situation, I was just wondering if you managed to find a placement in New York? And if so how did you go about it? Thanks ?

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