Aspiring RN, help please.....

[rabbit75]

Hi this site is sooooo very useful.:) i had a vacation in us this summer, i was convinced by my sister who is an RN, to pursue a nursing career:nurse: , since my marriage has gone bad, and i wish to move to u.s. eventually. I tried to land a job in the US, but work sponsorship is quite scarce especially with my (business) course. I know its quite a turn, but I am looking forward to being a nurse. I have decided to take up nursing here in the Phils since its cheaper, hopefully I could start this summer.

I just have few questions:

1. I underwent evaluation in one of the nursing schools particular World Citi Colleges (prev QC Medical Center), they told me I could finish in 3 years... my tourist visa expires in April 2011... If I'd be lucky to finish in exactly 3 years, what are the tests I need to qualify for a job in California? New York? do i need to take the Phil Nursing Board? CGFNS, TOEFL, IELTS, NCLEX? I intend to be *direct-hired* instead of applying tru a recruitment agency, that is why I wish to finish before my tourist visa expires.

2. After finishing BS Nursing, can I just take the tests (and what are those) directly in U.S?

3. Can I stay indefinitely in the US until I finish the test and wait for the results?

4. Can I apply directly in US eventhough my visa is tourist?I initially would like to stay in California where my sister is.

Hope to hear thoughts from you. I really appreciate it. God Bless.

P.S. the list of schools gemini posted was such a great help, im working on evaluation within this month to finalize which school i should go to. I live in Marikina, that is why World Citi Colleges, Dr Lanting, Capitol Med and Southeast Asian College are my choices.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Welcome

Check out the Phillipine forum, bet there is plenty of info for you

[suzanne4, RN]

Forget about the tourist visa route, it is actually against US immigration law to come to the US for the purpose of finding a job and staying. You are much further ahead to complete your program and pass the necessry exams and then get petitioned from the Philippines.

Exams may change by the time that you finish your program, you are speaking of more than three years. Concentrate on getting thru your program first, then go onto the next step. You must have a completed set of transcripts before you can even begin the process.

And just to throw in, CA currently is minimum of four to six months wait to even get permission to sit for the exam, and that is after they receive your transcripts and then another few weeks to get results, so that puts you over the six month stay on your visa, and you never want to do that.