the american dream: do not lose hope

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there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of posts here pertaining to the current immigration and economic situation of the us. in addition, the situation is also being played out in the media all over the world (i would think). with all of these information out there, i think most, if not all, foreign nurses are already aware of the sad realities of wanting to work in the us.

i got the following lines from the novel the alchemist by paulo coelho:

"... the soul of the world is nourished by people's happiness... to realize one's destiny is a person's only real obligation...

and, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

so, to all my fellow pinoy rns out there who are still dreaming of one day being able to work in the us as a registered nurse, don't lose hope. do not be discouraged. you will meet a lot of people who get pleasure from splashing water over the smallest ember of hope that you may have. but, no one could/should ever tell you that your dreams are beyond your reach.

in my opinion, we are all brothers/sisters in the world of nursing and we should be benevolent enough to welcome and help our colleagues on their way in as we, ourselves, may be on our way out.

ignis fraternum eterna est

(the flames of our brotherhood will burn forever)

But many will not get petitioned for GC unless they have passed NCLEX and for some BON's English exam.

That's horrible that one would have to spend all this time and money for something that there is no guarantee that they're going to be able to get. They're in a catch 22 situation. Just on average what would someone have to pay in fees with all the exams that they must take?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
That's horrible that one would have to spend all this time and money for something that there is no guarantee that they're going to be able to get. They're in a catch 22 situation. Just on average what would someone have to pay in fees with all the exams that they must take?

Each BON/BRN will have their own fees for licensure then Pearsonvue it is $200 USD plus $150 USD( plus VAT if applicable) to schedule NCLEX not sure how much English exams are as I am exempt. CGFNS again will depend on what is required from them and fees can be found on their site.

I know I paid approx $2000 and also paid $800 to the lawyer for my husband otherwise my contract would go up if they paid for him. Now living and staying in Canada and some may say money wasted but Canada only came into play because we was fed up waiting and he had the offer of a job which paid well and that he could work from home. Canada has worked out much better than expected and no regrets changing the dream from the US but the money was well spent

Here is a rough cost on fees as mentioned I don't know English fees so not included

Vermont application $150

CES (full course by course we recommend) $378

Pearsonvue $350

if applied now Visa screen certificate $448

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That's horrible that one would have to spend all this time and money for something that there is no guarantee that they're going to be able to get. They're in a catch 22 situation. Just on average what would someone have to pay in fees with all the exams that they must take?

One cannot get hired by a facility and that is needed to start the petitioning process until they have actually passed the NCLEX-RN or the CGFNS exams. If they are being petitioned by an employer, then they need to be certified as being a nurse to start the process. If they are being petitioned by a family member such as a spouse or fiance, then they are not being petitioned by an employer and are under different rulings.

But for any nurse to start the process of getting hired for the US to work, they must pass the exams first; not after they have received the green card.

This actually is for all countries, you need to meet licensing requirements first, before you can start the immigration part of the process.

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I dont know if this is true to most of the recruited nurses from the Philippines but I know a lot them who were able to reimburse their expenses in the NCLEX review and review books,NCLEX,CGFNS,English language test,visa fee and airfare.

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I just want to say that it's great that the you guys aspire to live the "American Dream" someday, but I think in the hard times that our countrymen are suffering right now, you are going to be hard put to find an American born citizen that thinks it's great that you want to come to America to pursue nursing or any other career. There are thousands and thousands of Americans who are losing that American Dream as I sit here and type. We are losing jobs at unprecedented rates (tens of thousand of jobs per month). I think in these hard times that the government needs to be filling nursing jobs and any other jobs with Americans. After all, a part of our problem now is that we try to help others before we help ourselves. I feel that is one reason why we are suffering so much as a nation right now. I feel that Obama is the first step to getting our country back on track, but if he turns around and creates jobs and employers gives them to non Americans then his work will have been for naught. Please don't take this post wrong. I feel for each and everyone one of you guys plight. AMERICA is my country. I took my first breath in this country as did my ancestors and I want to be looked after first. I pay taxes here in America and I want all the taxes that I have paid all these years to go to hard working Americans. I have a dream too and that dream is to be a nurse. I have been working on this dream for years. I have had to put this dream on hold throughout the years to work and take care of family responsibilities unlike some of you guys who went to school without much care in the world. Things aren't always peachy in the States and no one should tell you otherwise. I want to end this post by saying don't ever give up on your dreams because sometimes it's the only thing that keeps one going but don't be surprised if you do get to come to the US and you are not looked upon kindly. THESE ARE HARD TIMES. YES EVEN IN THE UNITED STATES.

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Specializes in this and that.

ive known a lot of philippine nurses coming to USA after retiring from canada so they can double dip...collect pension in canada and work in usa until they drop dead...:smokin:

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We are losing jobs at unprecedented rates (tens of thousand of jobs per month). I think in these hard times that the government needs to be filling nursing jobs and any other jobs with Americans. After all, a part of our problem now is that we try to help others before we help ourselves.

As an American who has moved to the Philippines I can definitely understand your point of view; that YES it is hard in the USA.

However, you have to also understand that for someone outside the USA, it is hard to see that.

I'm looking at the average lifestyle here in the Philippines and the average livestyle in the USA and my heart aches for these wonderful people.

There are certain things that I feel are human rights and education is among them. Children here in the Philippines are going to school to receive an education from teachers who cannot even express the basic grammar rules of Tagalog, let alone English and whose textbooks are so full of errors that I made my niece give me her books to correct before she went back to school.

I look at the neighborhood that I live in and when I walk to the tricycle and the jeep each morning on my way to work and I am amazed at how absolutely spoiled we as Americans have become.

Here I can pay my rent and basic utilities for only US$200 per month and yet for so many families in the area it is a struggle just to raise that.

So yes, things might be tough in the USA but our government has programs to assist those who are in trouble and if you are in poverty and living in a major city there are dozens upon dozens of places to turn for help.

To be blunt, a Pinoy in the USA would survive better in tough economic times than an American and there is a hell of a lot that Americans can learn from the way Filipinos live and treat each other.

I do not believe that Filipinos coming to the USA as nurses is going to take jobs away from Americans. I know it sounds odd, but the fact is that many nurses that I've encountered in the USA either stop practicing because they don't like the conditions or the work is difficult or they are advancing to a higher position or a more specialized field. Filipino nurses however are more content with the condition and work situation in the USA because it is worlds better than they face every day even here in Metro Manila.

Understand, the situation is so bad that nurses are having to PAY hospitals to work so that they won't loose the education.

Understand that nurses here are holding among the lowest paying positions in the economy and are forced to do more work than they should.

I would never, ever discourage a nurse here from applying to work in the USA because quite frankly the kindest, most effective and gentlest healthcare treatment I have ever recieved has been in the hands of Pinoy nurses and other medical professionals.

My ancestors found America as a refuge from struggle and poverty more than 300 years ago and I want my homeland to still present that hope to the world today.

I hope that Obama can live up to his promises and give America back the strength to fulfil hers.

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Specializes in Acute Psych.

wow! i never thought that there would be so many people here who do not think kindly of philippine nurses.

i guess i was just naive to think that we all considered each other as professional colleagues. i guess i was wrong.

all i can say is, may God bless each and everyone of you and i wish nothing but the best for everyone!

happy holidays!

--------

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

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Specializes in icu nurse.

thanks hushdawg for that message :up: most posts that i've read so far here are belittling us who graduated/nurses here in P.I. Its nice for an american to stand for us Filipinos. As far as nurses who just came in the u.s, give them time to adjust to a new culture, language & technology, try being a nurse here & you'll understand how it feels. In a hospital here, we do everything from meds, nsg procedures to cleaning & changing diapers to changing linens to 8 or more patients for a single RN. I believed we are qualified to work in the u.s because we passed all the exams & while waiting for our visas patiently we are working as nurses here.

I understand why most of the readers here dont like RNs coming from here to work in the u.s- they thought we are taking jobs away from them. But as a Filipino we welcome all not only americans to come & to work here, to share your knowledge & still be grateful.

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I understand why most of the readers here dont like RNs coming from here to work in the u.s- they thought we are taking jobs away from them. But as a Filipino we welcome all not only americans to come & to work here, to share your knowledge & still be grateful.

Are you saying that an American US-educated RN can work as a nurse in the Philippines?

I didn't think your government permitted that.

Maybe I am mistaken.

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

I have been working on this dream for years. I have had to put this dream on hold throughout the years to work and take care of family responsibilities unlike some of you guys who went to school without much care in the world.

so you felt like we didn't care much about anything while we were in nursing schools in the Philippines? I disagree in this one. a typical high school student in the Philippines graduate at the age of 16, goes to college by 17, if everything goes well, they graduate with their BSN by 20, in US standard yes they are very young. normally in the United States, if mom and dad have college funds set up for you, then you go to college right after high school, right? for some, didn't even to go to nursing school until realizing that life is too hard when you don't have an education, theyre 23, 25? a little older for Philippine standard to go college of nursing, I beleive they dont have a age qouta now for admission which is normall below 25. Now, what am I getting into? I think in the Philippines, a new grad would love to go to work right away, but due to nagging circumstances, a lot of them didnt have that chance to work in a hospital, better yet a chance going abroad is like asking for impossible. In the United States nowaday, as a fellow American ( wink wink), yes, we are having an economic meltdown, yes it hard when people are losing their jobs, and it sucks to see your neighbor moved out because their home was on foreclosure. yes, I know the feeling. but I am telling you, being a Philippine born and educated Nurse, I pretty much don't feel the burn of this economic turmoil, because you know why? we Filipino nurses are so used to hardships, we know how it felt like to be poor. thats why our dear parents would bend their backs to work hard and paid our nsg tuition so we can get a better job, get a better life, and get that sense of accomplishment just like anybody else. I know not only Filipinos, but other people from Mexico, latin American countries, Asian countries, would love to move to US for a better chance of living( dont forget the Canadian Nurses coming here to work). I dont to criticize Americans who have never been to other countries but I feel that you guys are much much better off even if this country is in a dump. sorry to say why don't do try to go a third world country like Philippines then you can appreciate your luxury here in the US. everything is not peachy alright, I know that, but you have to understand these people from Philippines didnt have any clue about life in the US, but at the same token, You as a US born person have to imagine what they have to go through everyday. don't forget that America is an immigrant country. Many many people from europe and Asia did came to this country for a better life, and the'yre the ones who made country a place where, when you work hard, you want. I myself is a firm beleiver of that.

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I'm looking at the average lifestyle here in the Philippines and the average livestyle in the USA and my heart aches for these wonderful people.

Please don't get me wrong here. I'm not heartless. If I were, my dream would not be to be a nurse. I also realize that I probably haven't seen or been through what a lot of the Philippines have been through, but in my eyes it still does not make it right to help others before we help ourselves. There are homeless people living in the streets here in the US who are being turned away from shelters at night because many of the homeless shelters are overun. If you have ever visited Washington D.C., you will see what I mean. The streets and steps of our Capitol Building are overrun with them. Some can get jobs. Some can not. Again, I am not heartless. My uncle actually is married to a Philippine lady and she is wonderful but again I stress times are hard right now in our country and I feel it is of the upmost importance that we take care of home first. In the past, I would have never spoken out about letting foreign nurses into our country. But in the past (at least my lifetime) our country has not gone through what it is going through now. All I can say is GOD BLESS AMERICA. GOD BLESS THE WORLD AND ALL THOSE WHO ARE SUFFERING. Sadly our Country has now become one of those countries that is suffering.

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