American BSN looking to get an Australian license

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I guess my main quesion is if i will qualify to sit for an Australian license with an American BSN or if I need to do additional coursework. I'm not worried about the visa - my husband is an Australian citizen any my children are dual citizens. We've lived in the States for the last twenty years and are planning on moving to Australia in the next five years or so. I'm considering pursuing a CNM (certified nurse midwife) but honestly, if it isn't recognized, i probably won't. I don't think that the area matters but we would probably be looking at either the Sydney area or Canberra.

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You are a BSN. Are you current a Registered Nurse in the US? Are you an American citizen? Was your nursing school in America and was all your schooling, from high high school on, taught in English?

If you answered yes to all those, they're is complete reciprocity between the two countries. When accepted, you will not even have to take am exam, let alone a course. You will be a Division 1 Registered nurse jeer in Oz.

I believe a CNM would be recognized. Can always double check. Basically, if you have enough time to get certified in a specialty while in America, i would strongly recommend doing so.

Depending of where you'll be moving from, general nursing here is quite different than the states.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Emergency, Cardiology, Respiratory.

Hello,

The surest way to find out if you are eligible for registration in Australia as a nurse is to start your application with the Nursing and Midwifery Board (through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency website).

The Nursing board will assess your qualifications and if you were educated in the U.S. you will most probably be eligible for registration but having said that, some U.S. nurses have been made to go through a bridging program of somewhere between 3 months to a full year (at the cost of the nurse). It has something to do with deficiencies in the theory and practical aspects of your nursing education. The NMB assesses applications on an individual basis and for me, that is the only 100% surefire way to know if you are eligible for registration.

I would suggest getting the application process on the way, if NMB decides you need a bridging program they will tell you and that will hopefully make planning your move a lot easier.

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What area of nursing do you work in? I'm a Canadian trained nurse with a 4 year Bachelor's degree in Nursing Science. I completed a critical care certificate with an Ontario college but it's not recognised here to work in certain hospitals. They require the program to be affiliated with a university. It's actually quite frustrating if you work in any of those areas. I haven't inquired yet if the North American 4 year program's extra year of study makes a difference as the Australian RN training is only 3 but I'm hopeful.

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Yes your degree will most likely be recognised (a US bachelors covers more than an Australian) however make sure you have a copy of your academic transcript, including the theory covered + how many hours of clinical placement you did.

You may find that any additional training however is not recognised, things like advanced life saving etc, unless it was done via a uni as post-graduate studies

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