Are UK RN's considered LPN's in America?

FLArn · Jan 2, 2012

I don't have an exact answer for you, however, my best guess would be to advise you to contact the Board of Nursing of the state in which you would like to practice. Include a copy of the curriculum of your nursing/university program if possible. This should help them be able to advise you as to what steps you would need to do to become licensed in the U.S. And yes, LPN programs include peds, OB and psych.

HazelLPN, LPN · Jan 4, 2012

The SEN role in the UK is the same as the LPN role here in the USA. I worked with an SEN who trained in England who became an LPN here back in the 1990s when the SEN role was phased out in the UK. If you are an RN in England you would not be an LPN here...but contact the state board of nursing in the state you wish to practice to see what you will have to do to get your credentials to transfer and anything else that is required.

Best to you,

Mrs H.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2012

My understanding is that you will be required to take extra classes, to be eligible for licensure in the US but will indeed be considered for for RN not LPN.

All nurses, LPN and RN, are educated as "generalists" here, and are required courses in most all types of units/disease. My understanding is that in the UK, there are certain educational tracks and one specializes in one of them and gets much of their education in that track/speciality, and may have deficits in some other specialities. You may have to make up those educational deficits to obtain licensure here and take the NCLEX.

Perhaps the bigger issue will be obtaining legal permit to work here. The US like UK, limits work Visas especially in this time of high unemployment. Unless you hold US citizenship, or a valid work Visa, obtaining one will probably pose a greater hurdle than licensure.

loriangel14, RN · Jan 5, 2012

As any kind of nurse in the US you need theory and clinical hours in adult, peds, OB/maternity and mental health nursing. Nurses are generalist trained in the US and you would need to meet the same training requirements to get permission to write the NCLEX.

agldragonRN · Jan 8, 2012

hi,
i am a uk registered nurse. my training only included adult clinical/theory hours. i am wondering if this classes me as a lpn in the us?
i am moving the the states this year and would like to continue my nursing career, i am desperate for some information on how to do this. i have 4 years experience in england and a bachelors degree.
do the lpn course's in the us also include paeds, mental health and obstetric training? as this is my downfall.
please help!!
thank you

where do you want to practice? what state? do you have a u.s. social security numbers (ss#)? each state has their own requirements for foreign trained nurses. let me know and i will give you the link for the website of all the requirements for that particular state. you should apply for the rn since you have a uk rn license.

and yes my lpn program included peds, mental health, and ob.

AZMOMO2 · Jan 8, 2012

My LPN class included Peds, OB, Mental Health & Adult Medicine as well. You could look at the Board of Nursing websites and see what they say about endorsing in with a foreign RN.

From our Board website:

A Certificate or Visa Screen Certificate issued by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign

Nursing Schools (CGFNS), or a report from CGFNS that indicates an applicant's program

is substantially comparable to a U.S. program; or

c. A report from another credential evaluation service (CES) that is accepted by the Board.

The Board shall accept reports from a CES if acceptance is in the best interest of the public

and the CES submits the information required by the Board under R4-19-303.

Given the fact that you lack OB or Peds they probably will require you to take classes to sit for the NCLEX.

mom2102 · Jan 10, 2013

I have an answer for you. I have been here in he USA since 2000 and I have been a RGN since 1983 and an RN here since 2004. Disregard what you have or have not done in your training, if you are a RN you will also be classed as one here. The LPNs have only 10-20 months training only and are no where near RN level. RN's also do a 2 or 3 year course, so yes you are an RN here.

However you cannot just practice, there is quite a road for you. If you do not have an invitation such as your partner's job , as I did, you cannot just come. And although I was here, I went through an advert in the Nursing Times regarding coming to the USA to get all my information. Her name was Althea in Florida I think. You will need an immigration lawyer also, and think about asking for the green card/perminent residency first which allows you to stay for 10 years at a time, rather than just a work visa, unless you use someone like Althea. I did not as we already had one, but she was a great resource.

Firstly you have to go through CGFNS Commission for Foreign Nursing Graduates in Philidelphia. They will have all your nursing school transcripts verified and will determine if you are able to sit the foreign nurses exam, which you must do first before you can even sit a USA exam. Which is 2 papers. As well you have to apply to have yourself checked out by the legal dept, and receive a visa screen certification. But then you have to pass the exam from CGFNS, plus get the visa screening before you may continue. They are slow, allocate at least 6-9 months or you will cry every day!

You must do this before you can apply to take the RN 'NCLEX' exam in the state where you are going to live, the RN license it is not universal, I live in Chicago Illinois but I cannot practice in California or New York. Well I can as I have a license but only for 3 months and only if the institution agrees and I take their exam soon.

And then you cannot register for the RN exam until you are allocated a social security number, this held me up 6 months. And so your lawyer will help speed this up, or if you go through an agency.

I hope tis helps you and does not scare you off.

But everything is private practice here. If you are off sick, it comes out of your annual vacation, yes no one believes me here that in UK you have both. And most places give you 3 weeks AL only including all bank holidays and not until you have been with them for 90 days. Also medical insurance is a must. You should consider $500-2000 per month for a family of 4, and not much less if you are 1 or 2 people. You have to be with a company 90 days before you can have theirs which may be a bit cheaper and they take it out of your wages.

Good luck to you, i will never go home to live now

skylark, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2013

I have an answer for you. I have been here in he USA since 2000 and I have been a RGN since 1983 and an RN here since 2004. Disregard what you have or have not done in your training, if you are a RN you will also be classed as one here.
I question that statement.
you have stated that you trained as a RGN in the 1980s, so your training is vastly different to that of someone trained in the UK this century.
i was also an RGN in the UK and had no problem getting ATT, but my younger colleagues were not eligible because of their post P2K training. Having adult branch does not entitle you to ATT unless you have 'topped up' with the child health, mental health and midwifery branches as well.
Depending on your eligibility and reason for moving to the US, you will need to ensure you are permitted to apply for a SSN and be employed. I don't know your circumstances, but if you are moving as a trailing spouse, that may not be the case.
Please get professional advice regarding your visa and eligibility.

Fiona59 · Jan 31, 2013

I have an answer for you. I have been here in he USA since 2000 and I have been a RGN since 1983 and an RN here since 2004. Disregard what you have or have not done in your training, if you are a RN you will also be classed as one here. The LPNs have only 10-20 months training only and are no where near RN level.

Uhm, you're opinion of LPNs can only be applied to those you have worked with.

Currently, in Canada the PN education is the old diploma RN system. Apart from wages and a few skills the line between an R and an L is very, very fine. In several provinces, IENs who are educationally deficient have been granted permission to write the PN exam to see if they qualify to work as LPNs.

denisemartin27 · Feb 3, 2013

Uhm, you're opinion of LPNs can only be applied to those you have worked with.
Currently, in Canada the PN education is the old diploma RN system. Apart from wages and a few skills the line between an R and an L is very, very fine. In several provinces, IENs who are educationally deficient have been granted permission to write the PN exam to see if they qualify to work as LPNs.

AMEN. I am an LPN, and I orient several RN's. We have more clinical experience than RN'S. Studying to be a RN but will always be proud of my LPN title.

blackcomb · Feb 13, 2013

LPN's which are in Canada as well as the US, are the equivelent of enrolled nurses that no longer exist in the UK who are not full fledged Nurses, unlike RN's in the UK. I work in Canada.

LPN's have 1-2 yrs training, unlike RN degree training of up to 4 yrs, and LPN's can't take unstable patients, aren't trained to management level, research level, nor are they supervisors. The RN's do the IV's ECG's, take unstaible patients and do the LPN's patients IVs, etc. Hope that helps. I've have certainly NEVER been trained by an LPN, I have taught LPN s in training.

Shown me where some paperwork and where things are maybe is as much as an LPN has done with previous workplaces especially long term care facilities and with regard to some of their normal procedures, but other than that it's the Nurse Manager who fully orientates and fully informs the RN of their responsibility of e.g. a long term care home, where you are more like the RN in charge and the LPN's are under you, with less responsiblity but where more of them work there compared to RN's, as one RN is usually in charge of the whole home when on duty. Hope that helps.

Best bet as another said, is to contact the state nursing body where you intend to work, and the one where you trained to find out if you are a full fledged RN first, if not then no you won't be classed as an RN in the US either. Hope that helps.