US trained RN with ADN but now back in UK

[Gerry78]

I graduated from nursing school in the United States in May 2010, passed the NCLEX, and then worked for one year. However I wasn't able to get my BSN there due to financial issues. I had to return to the UK in September (leaving my American partner behind). I worked as a carer for several months, but left the job to return to the US for a few months. I'm now back in the UK, and I would like to try and get licensed as a RN here. I know I will have to go back to College, but I don't know how long for. Would a person with an associate degree, and over 2000 hours work experience as a RN, be able to get advance placement at a college/university in the UK? I would hate to have to start nursing school from scratch. I would like to return to the States as soon as my partner can sponsor me, but we will probably have to stay in the UK for a few years, so it's best for us if I get my RN license here. Any advice would be much appreciated. Also, I would like to hear from others in a similar situation. Thanks.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

My suggestion would be contact the NMC and see what they recommend. Your partner can't sponsor you unless you are married and not same sex. They may let you bridge to BSN in the UK but clinical/theory hours may be a problem if you do not have enough

[babyNP., APRN]

Actually, you can sponsor your unmarried partner of the same sex...

UK Border Agency | Can you apply?

Call up the NMC and ask their suggestion, but skip the first person and ask to speak to a decision officer because the first people you talk to are generally clueless and just read off a paper. I was told that I wouldn't be able to get a license period (because I had an American BSN without the required hours), pursued it further and learned that you don't need all the hours that they list on their website, just 1500 and clinical>theory (and this is CRITICAL--you need to have more clinical hours than theory hours, luckily they only count actual nursing theory classes)

Your work history is only relevant insomuch as you need a year of experience. It doesn't count in your favor in any other way, unfortunately.

My recommendation is to get your BSN here in the states and be done with it (you can always apply to the NMC while in the UK). Don't do it online either, as they may not count that. But be careful because it is harder for unmarried partners of the same-sex to meet the requirements if you stay behind in the US and your partner is in the UK...I would consult with UK-Yankee forum and possibly with a lawyer...UK immigration is much more confusing and much more expensive than US immigration, although it is much quicker, with visas issues in a matter of days to weeks whereas US can take months to >year.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

The UK can sponsor for the UK but the US can not sponsor for the US if not married and not same sex and as indicated in their first post as they are back in the UK and trying to sort out how to get their BSN and register with the NMC

[babyNP., APRN]

ohhhh. Okay. Interesting, I haven't heard much call for a UKC getting an American nursing degree and then moving back to the UK when the nursing school is practically free...thanks for the clarification, Silver. OP, your best bet is a work visa, though there is a huge retrogression right now and may be several years before you can come back. How were you able to get to the US in the first place? On a F-1? I would recommend visajourney.com if you are trying to get to the US.