Wanting to work in Caribbean as a Registered Nurse

I currently work in the Caribbean, in the Netherlands Antilles to be specific, and different islands have different regulations as far as the practice of nursing is concerned. Each island or territory usually adapt the system or recognizes the nursing license of nurses registered in their mother country or former occupying country.

For example, if you are licensed in the UK, you can freely practice nursing in Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, Barbados, Grenada and British Virgin Islands. If not, they do, for example in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, recognise a passer of CGFNS or better yet NCLEX-RN for an RN to be registered in the roll of RNs there.

Identically, RNs registered in the Netherlands can openly practice in St. Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Saba. RN's registered in France are eligible to work in St. Martin, Martinique, Guadeloupe etc.

The catch, however is, these islands have a common regulation as far as granting of working permits are concerned. Before a foreigner is hired by a hospital or healthcare institution, they have to prove first that no local resident is available or applying for that same position as the foreigner, otherwise they will hire the locals first.

The edge of foreign nurses in this case will be the length of work experience and the area of specialization. On several cases referrals from relatives/former colleagues already based there are very effective too.

In which Island are you currently working. Im interested in Bonaire. But my license is in the US (RN). Any advice?

Hi rachel. I'm based in Sint Maarten.

If you're interested in Bonaire I suggest you start taking Dutch language lessons. Of the Dutch Caribbean islands it's only in Sint Maarten that English is widely used.