by babyish03

Hello everyone... 'just wondering if anyone can enlighten me 'bout my situation. I have graduated/completed my BSN degree in 1996 in the philippines. I moved to the US right after graduation and I never had a chance to take/write the local nursing exam. I was never licensed and had never practiced nursing since then. And now, I am thinking about pursuing my nursing career... I have contacted a couple of Universities /Nursing program (hoping that my nursing education will be accredited)and I found out that I would have to start all over! I wanna go back to nursing school but i don't want to start right back from step 1 again! I don't know what to do... Can I just go back to the philippines and attend a review program and write/take the test? Is that possible? Anyone please I need some inputs here...greatly appreciate your help!

Re: wants to pursue nursing

Why would you have to start a nursing program all over again when you already have your nursing degree? You have many options at this point. Check with your state's BON and ask about their requirements for RN licensure. You may not have to take the NLE in the Philippines nor the CGFNS examination depending on where you are at. It would be hard to recall all the nursing knowledge you learned back when you were in school by now so it would be prudent to invest in a few good review books and materials and take your time to study everything all over again. If you're the type who does well in a classroom situation, a review class would be highly beneficial. Once you pass the licensure exam, you will gain from seeking an RN refresher course program offered in some hospitals so that you can get help in becoming acquainted with nursing skills before you actually start working since you have no recent exposure to the clinical setting.

Re: wants to pursue nursing

If you still have a couple of semesters left and haven’t finished your BSN yet, then the schools here most probably will ask you to repeat almost everything. But if you already obtained your BSN degree in the Philippines and you want to apply to sit for the NCLEX (for example in CA), what you have to do is accomplish the forms that can be found on their website and ask your Registrar to fill out the necessary forms and have them mail your official transcripts and other needed documents to the CA BON. A Philippine license is not a requirement for you to be allowed to take the NCLEX. The CA BON will be the one to evaluate your documents then and when they determine that everything is complete, then you will be declared eligible to sit for the test. I'm assuming that you have an SSN, so once you pass the NCLEX they can already issue you your actual license. Good luck!

Originally Posted by babyish03

Hello everyone... 'just wondering if anyone can enlighten me 'bout my situation. I have graduated/completed my BSN degree in 1996 in the philippines. I moved to the US right after graduation and I never had a chance to take/write the local nursing exam. I was never licensed and had never practiced nursing since then. And now, I am thinking about pursuing my nursing career... I have contacted a couple of Universities /Nursing program (hoping that my nursing education will be accredited)and I found out that I would have to start all over! I wanna go back to nursing school but i don't want to start right back from step 1 again! I don't know what to do... Can I just go back to the philippines and attend a review program and write/take the test? Is that possible? Anyone please I need some inputs here...greatly appreciate your help!

Re: wants to pursue nursing

Thanks for the infos. I have contacted the Hawaii BON and I was told that I don't have to be a license holder from the country where I have acquired my BSN degreee to be eligible for the NCLEX. I do need to have my credentials evaluated through CGFNS though... I was a little concern though about my transcript from the philippines , since its been about ten years they might not be to be used for my degree here in the states . I guess I'll just have to wait and hope for the best ! As for the review, what would you recommend for reading material? I wanna go ahead and start reviewing while waiting for the verdict as should say... nways, thanks y'all for the all infos shared!!! more power to you all!!!

Originally Posted by pinoyNP

Why would you have to start a nursing program all over again when you already have your nursing degree? You have many options at this point. Check with your state's BON and ask about their requirements for RN licensure. You may not have to take the NLE in the Philippines nor the CGFNS examination depending on where you are at. It would be hard to recall all the nursing knowledge you learned back when you were in school by now so it would be prudent to invest in a few good review books and materials and take your time to study everything all over again. If you're the type who does well in a classroom situation, a review class would be highly beneficial. Once you pass the licensure exam, you will gain from seeking an RN refresher course program offered in some hospitals so that you can get help in becoming acquainted with nursing skills before you actually start working since you have no recent exposure to the clinical setting.

Re: wants to pursue nursing

Originally Posted by babyish03

Thanks for the infos. I have contacted the Hawaii BON and I was told that I don't have to be a license holder from the country where I have acquired my BSN degreee to be eligible for the NCLEX. I do need to have my credentials evaluated through CGFNS though... I was a little concern though about my transcript from the philippines , since its been about ten years they might not be to be used for my degree here in the states . I guess I'll just have to wait and hope for the best ! As for the review, what would you recommend for reading material? I wanna go ahead and start reviewing while waiting for the verdict as should say... nways, thanks y'all for the all infos shared!!! more power to you all!!!

Perhaps others who have just recently taken the NCLEX can help you out on this. I took my test in 1995 and passed with 75 questions. I used NSNA and Mosby and read both from cover to cover. I did not attend a review class. From what I've been reading around here, Suzanne4 has a plan for passing the NCLEX. Maybe search that thread out in the NCLEX forum.

Re: wants to pursue nursing

Originally Posted by pinoyNP

Perhaps others who have just recently taken the NCLEX can help you out on this. I took my test in 1995 and passed with 75 questions. I used NSNA and Mosby and read both from cover to cover. I did not attend a review class. From what I've been reading around here, Suzanne4 has a plan for passing the NCLEX. Maybe search that thread out in the NCLEX forum.

I graduated in 1991 and only worked for a year as volunteer staff nurse. So it was a long time before I started working again as a nurse here last year. I used Mosby when I reviewed and passed the CGFNS in 1992. I used Saunders and did self review while working on an Interim Permit as a nurse. Took and passed my LVN and RN the first time.

Re: wants to pursue nursing

Go! Go! Go! Go ahead! pursue nursing....... Am I on the right track?

Re: wants to pursue nursing

All she needs is to apply for licensure here in the United States..she is already a graduate nurse. I think she is in the process of doing just that.