Any Australian trained RNs working in the US?

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Hello, I hope someone can help :). I completed my University degree last year and have been working as an RN since January in Australia. I've been studying for the NCLEX-RN test in hope of moving over soon, unfortunately I didn't pass the test last month, it was so hard! :(. The content we studied at Uni is different and the medications also have different names. Any tips or advice from an Australian who passed the test?? I'm using Kaplan and Saunders as study guides... any help would be greatly appreciated!! Cheers :).

I just got my go ahead from the BON to sit.....so i am going to apply for ATT next week. I just dont know when to book the actual exam.........i feel like there is so much i dont know!

Were you at Royal Childrens in Sydney? I worked at Royal Childrens in Brisbane for the last 2 years!

Well whenever you decide to sit........good luck!!!!! I hope us Aussies all do well!!!

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Westmead Children's..... I miss that place and I miss working, crazy but true.

Definitely keep intouch!

I hope we do well!!

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sure, the best e-mail is [email protected]

any questions i'm happy to help I know the area well and alot of the hospitals having been here 6 years :)

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I just got my go ahead from the BON to sit.....so i am going to apply for ATT next week. I just dont know when to book the actual exam.........i feel like there is so much i dont know!

Were you at Royal Childrens in Sydney? I worked at Royal Childrens in Brisbane for the last 2 years!

Well whenever you decide to sit........good luck!!!!! I hope us Aussies all do well!!!

Have you booked for your NCLEX yet? If so, when do you plan on taking it? I just applied for my ATT.

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Hey Crystelle!!

Yes i have booked Nclex....its on the 10th of September. I am freaking out!!!!!

I keep doing practice exams and keep getting 75% or higher so i am just hoping that it will be the same for the actual test!

Have you gotten your ATT yet?? How are you going with the studying?? When are you planning to test??? LOL so many questions i know!!!!

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Hey tabitha

I applied for my ATT last week. I still have not heard from them. How long does it usualy take until I get my number?

I'm gettin a little frustrated with my studies. I just bought the new Davis' book and I find the Qs really hard. I'm scoring 50-60%. I'm planning on taking the test end of Sept. I will have to see how I progress.

What are you using for review Qs? I can't afford Kaplan for now.

I try to do 100-150 Qs a day and then review where I went wrong. Those numbers seems less but at the end of reviewing the rationales and going back to content, my head is spinning. What's your study habits? (I too have a lot of Q's... just nerves I guess).

75% is promising. I wish I could get to that point soon.

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You will!!!!

I am not kidding when i say that i have done around 8 000 Q's. I never tackled content i just went straight into Q's and then brushed up on content as i went.

I am sure that your content is fresher than mine??? When did you finish uni? I was finished in 2004.

I went to Barnes and Noble the other day and did the 2 practice exams out of the back......its a great book!

Seriously though i really subscribe to the whole test taking tips thing.

I have learnt reading into the question and knowing what they want to hear....ie Maslow, ABC, etc.

And the La Charity book is a must! Have you got it?

And i am sure that you know this from here.....but learn the infection control mnemonics......i made a poster and stuck it to my bathroom mirror and now i think i will go to my grave knowing them!!!!

Pm me your email addy if you want to study together for the next few weeks. We have to stick together!!!! :-)

Maybe shoot Q's back and forth with rationales????

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Hey Crystelle

I copied and pasted this for you........i registered with this site and have done the 3 800 Q's. Its free and i think really good...... its supposed to be higher order questions.

Give it a go and let me know what you think!

go to the ExamMaster website for UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch - Nursing), click "First Time Registration", pick a username, and it'll mail you your login info. You don't have to be a student (so far). I've been using the new system for two weeks. The questions are basically the same but there's a cool new interface and ways to create custom exams and choose real time answers for study or test format for practice. It also saves all your practice tests for later review.

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I actually just found this website today as I was browising here. I did 50 Qs and did badly at 52%. I think I'm moving a lilttle slow with my practice Qs. I've only reviewed my obstetrics so far and need to move on to med/surg (the biggest part). I'm getting really nervous and a little dumb. I graduated 2005 by the way. I cant pm you yet.

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I just saw that i posted on here i finished uni 10 years ago Its actually 7 (finished Dec 2003.....graduated April 2004).........must have been without coffee that morning!!

So we are around the same time out of uni. Its hard to try and remember everything we learnt!

I got my ATT emailed to me within 10 minutes of calling to register........freakishly fast!

Did you use Silny and Associates for your review??? They were horrible to deal with.....they messed mine up so badly that the BON actually wanted me to attend a board meeting to "please explain" my educational background.

Lucky i flipped out and they fixed it......but they say i am just under BSN so i have a ADN....weird huh? A bachelors degree that is not a degree!

Did you get put at the same level?

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Wow, yo're ATT came fast. When I read that, I rang Pearson vue and asked them as to the status of my application because I already have my approval. I was told that the usual wait is 4 weeks. And if I hear nothing, I will have to call BON.

OMG. I went to the same people, Silny & Assoc and encountered the same problem. That is why it took so long for my approval to come because I was told I was deficient in Paeds and Maternity clinical as well as classroom hours. But before this happened, Josef and Silny had to re-review my creditials because there was some confusion with my educational hours. Unfortunately, I ended up having "to explain" why they should let me sit NCLEX. The FL BON has 3monthly (I think its 3monthly) review panel meetings where the members of the board of education will review your education background. At that time, i was really scared that the board will say that I would need to go back to uni to make-up for deficient hours I'm told I was missing. From their calculation I was missing like a total of no 19 HOURS (can you believe it!). Before the meeting, a letter was sent to me, to send materials or documentations to basically help my case. So I sent them all my continuing education certifications I did while working in Paeds as well as my statement of services showing them that I have thousands of hours paediatric nursing behind me. As well as a nice letter explaining my case. I didn't have to be present on the meeting. It was too far and I would have to fly up there and stay in a hotel. I just don't have the funds for that right now.

I was ****** and was losing hope at that time; that this will further delay me from going back to work as an RN. Luckily, BON gave me my eligibility. So here I am, on to the next hurdle.... NCLEX.

I am not sure whether I'm an ADN. Maybe I am, because on the letter of my eligibilty it says "you do not meet the requirements for graduate nurse status". Sux, if so. I really just want to become an "RN" soon, that's my main focus right now.

Glad I found you, having to go through the same stuff.

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Oh my god!!!! That company sucks bigtime!!!

I feel for you i really do........they had me in a mess by the time that i was done with them! We should give other Aussie nurses the heads up so that they don't have the same drama that we did (i have since heard so any bad things about them)

I think i got my ATT so quickly because i had already received the letter of approval from the BON to sit the exam, maybe thats why????

I had to do the extra hours in maternity only (thank god!!) and i had actually completed it before we came. I only had to do the theory as i had enough clinical hours from uni.

We organised this move over the course of a year (we have 3 kids so it required military planning) so i had plenty of time to make sure that everything was up to scratch. In saying that with all the trouble i have had with Silny and co its been nearly a year since i arrived and still no license!

But still its down to me now......with the test looming! Feel sick just thinking about it!!!!

I am sure that you are an ADN too..........i looked into the grad nurse status and it just means that if you are a recent grad from an American program you can work as a grad until your Nclex is sat. So thats why we don't qualify! We have to prove that our backwards country is as awesome at training nurses as the USA :-)

I have found that there are lots of places of employment that will pay your tuition to go back to uni and upgrade!

I start a job this week that does the same thing.......so i may get to do my masters after all!!

Glad i found you too!!!! I don't feel so alone now (especially with the nclex exam right around the corner! only you can understand what i am feeling......not like hubby!!!)

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