RN immigrating to the US, needs advice on study programs please .. :)

[Elleann]

Hi

I'm a South African RN about to take the NCLEX. Once I pass that, I'm hoping to arrive the US sometime within the next 18 months - once all the INS, VisaScreen, Green Card etc paperwork is done - it takes an age.

I qualified in SA when I was 21 (now 47). I have an RN diploma (3 yr course), with post-grad diplomas in Midwifery (1yr) and Psychiatric Nursing (also 1yr) and quite a lot of broad-based clinical and management experience although at present I'm only working part time.

So my questions are these: would it benefit me to work towards a BSN degree while I wait? Would this improve my job prospects / promotion prospects / anything else? Does one have to have a BSN to go on to an MSN or is there a way to go direct to MSN? Btw, forgive me if I am asking dumb questions, but our whole nursing ed system here in Africa is very different to yours, so sorry if I sound goofy!!

Last question: just about every online college I looked at needs the student to be a US citizen to enroll ... which doesn't help me too much. (The fees are also astronomical when translated into rands, which is also not helpful as well as being scary ...) So, does anyone know of any online colleges that enrol foreign nurses in nursing programs? And don't cost an arm and a leg ...?

Thanks in anticipation

Blessings

Elleann

[suzanne4, RN]

I would not even think about any further degrees at this point. Just preparing for the NCLEX-RN is going to take some time for you to get thru.

Are you going thru an agency, or direct hire by a hospital? Depending on how fast that things get done and the visa bill gets paid, you may find it much faster than the 18 months. Just depends on how you do things.

Your prices will also be cheaper when you are in the US. The only program that I know of that offers a discount for nurses out of the country is University of Phoenix. But their prices are still going to be high, in terms of your current salary. You are much better off of completing that when you get to the US and your employer will pay for it.

There are RN to MSN programs available that take about three years. But first, I would have a credentials eval done on your coursework, and find out what exactly that you need to make it equivalent to the BSN. You may only need to take a few classes, and then can save yourself quite a bit of time.

[Elleann]

Hi Suzanne

Thanks for your input! I'll be taking my NCLEX in six weeks time, so am into the last stretch in terms of preparing. Feel like I'm doing questions in my sleep at this stage! :) But having now got fully into study-mode (after nearly 20 years of being out of it!), I was thinking of possibly taking one or two courses now, just to get a jump on things. But the costs from here are prohibitive, apart from anything else. Thanks for your suggestions.

At present, I'm linked but not contracted to a small agency that has successfully placed SA nurses in hospitals in California. They are having some difficulties right now, so I'm thinking I need to keep all options open. Any suggestions (or pre-existing threads elsewhere on the forum) on hospitals or hospital groups that are open to direct hire of foreign nurses?

I'd also be interested in info on exactly what the visa costs ARE for incoming nurses? There are so many different elements involved in this process, which the agency usually takes care of and the sponsoring hospital covers the bills for, that I have never actually acquired the precise costings involved. (This query probably doesn't belong in this thread, however, not sure where else to place it - could you redirect it, maybe?)

Thanks

Elleann