Migrating to US, pursuing nursing in Anchorage

[charmky]

Hi guys, need your help. I've finished Bachelor of Science in Nursing back in 2009 here in the Philippines. However, I didn't take the local board exam and worked as soon as I graduated to help my family because my parents couldn't (and wouldn't) find a job and relied on their own retail business which went bankrupt, but I had four other siblings who need to finish school. Since then, I've been stuck working in BPO, up to now.

Last year, after marrying my husband, who is a US citizen, he advised me to reconsider working as a Nurse. We have contacted the BON of Alaska and was advised that I don't need to take the local board exam here in the Philippines since I'll be migrating there anyway. However, I know that there will be processes and exams to pass like IELTS, CGFNS, and then NCLEX to make that possible.

Considering the fact that it's been more than five years since I graduated, I don't know where to start.

Should I attend a refresher course in a university here? Can self-studying and reading all nursing boos be sufficient? How about my clinical skills, how can I study them again? How can I get access of the latest technologies and practices used right now in nursing/medical field? Is there a GPA required to start working in Alaska as a nurse? Should I enroll in bridging program first when I get there?

Thanks in advance.