American seeks post-baccalaureate nursing program

[sarailyse]

Greetings. I would like to attend nursing school in Australia or New Zealand. I have completed an undergraduate degree, so I am looking for a post-bac program. I would prefer an accelerated option. Any suggestions for schools and programs would be greatly appreciated!

[talaxandra]

The University of Melbourne offers a Masters of Nursing Science for students with an undergraduate degree in another discipline. I'm sure there are other options, I just couldn't find any when I had a quick search online. A colleague qualified through the Melbourne Uni program and was very happy with his experience.

[dohzenOFF]

Sydney Uni also has the same program. It's a Master of Science in Nursing for ppl who already hold a Bachelor's in another field. It's a 2 year program and leads to qualification as an RN.

[elkpark]

Before you make a decision to study nursing abroad, please be aware that, if you intend to return and practice in the US, you will always (for the rest of your career/life) be considered a "foreign graduate" by all the state BONs and will have additional hoops to jump through for licensure. Also, all foreign programs may not be accepted as adequate for licensure by all states -- each US state gets to make that determination individually (not even all US programs are accepted by all US states ...). If you do intend to return to practice, you may want to check with the BON of whatever state you anticipate returning to, at least initially, and see what their position is on whatever school you would plan attend in Oz or NZ (whether you would have problems getting licensed).

I'm not suggesting you shouldn't study abroad (what an exciting idea!), just that you be aware of some considerations you may not have thought of if you're new to nursing. Best wishes!