Australian Nurse wants to work in USA

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Hi allnurses community!

I have some questions if anyone with experience can help. E3 visa.

I have a Bachelors degree in nursing- Bachelor of Nursing Science.

I have RN and advance EEN (LPN) experience in Nephrology and dialysis and emergency.

I chose the Child Client- as my elective, as in Australia we don't do paeds or OB as part of the usual curriculum. I'm hoping that my 6 month elective will suffice for the paeds part. The OB part i have no idea how to gain as you would have to do the midwifery degree here in Australia. (any help help would be greatly appreciated!)

I would prefer not to go with nursing agencies- such as Avant and conexus- i think its because i think they are all fake.

Questions:

1. Confused on NCLEX, you have to apply to BON in the state you would like to work, but when i go on their websites, it seems like some require you to already have passed the NCLEX, which is rather confusing.

2. Do you have to go through the CGFNS before you can sit NCLEX so they can determine if your degree is good enough?

3. Is it a back and forth thing between applying to your BON and sitting for NCLEX, like half the application is filled then you can sit NCLEX and then the rest is processed after NCLEX is passed?

4. Has anyone from Australia been successful in getting hired in the US without an agency? I would like to work in the south either Arkansas, Ohio or Kentucky. Would you say the process was nearly impossible to trying to apply by yourself?

I get asked this all the time: "why do you want to work there (USA)?

Ill clarify: I feel the US is my home, i have been going there my whole life, my nana is an american citizen, her mother is also one and her husband (my great grandad) a Native American Indian, my mother was born in the US military in Singapore to an Australian father who had the choice of her having either a Singapore passport american passport or Australian, he chose Australian, so i am unable to petition for any US visa other then working. We have been trying for a family visa for nearly 10 years but due to the year my mum was born the laws have not been grandfathered for women to take citizenship from their mother.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! TYIA

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Which state are you applying to? They will not ask for NCLEX unless you either endorse your license or sat NCLEX for Canada. You need to be looking at license by examination. Until you get results from the state and meet requirements I wouldn't worry yet about employer. Being Australian you do have advantage of E3 visa and you can still emigrate with it.

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Hey silverdragon, thanks for that info! I would probably like to go to Arkansas the most, I have to ring them tomorrow night to ask them what they will accept for my OB hours, as we don't do that here, so i'm thinking i should do the first semester of Midwifery and get a transcript for that and i might ask them how many hours they actually need.

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I'm aussie too and i'm

keen to get work in NYC. I'm only just looking in tomit now and hope to see some helpful comments come up here.

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Do my replies work?

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Specializes in Gen Surg & Cardiac.

Not sure about the visa side of things but I have been researching the education differences between US and New Zealand, which seems to have a similar Bachelor of Nursing programme curriculum to your country. My understanding is that first you get your transcript evaluated (through an agency like CGFNS--some states say you need that one or something similar), then you find out if you have educational deficiencies in relation to state nursing education standards. Next you make up your deficiencies (like you said, maybe do a midwifery paper or 2) then you are eligible to APPLY to take the NCLEX under whichever BON you choose. Then take the NCLEX and get licensed in that state (and probably get an NCLEX review book beforehand because this test will be different to your Aus test)! Each state is different so you could only get licensed in one state at the time. Once you are licensed in one state it shouldn't be too hard to move to another state.

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hi i just want to ask..im studying nursing right now as an external student(online)..do you think in the future if i get an nclex there would nit be a problem?since im doing my degree through online?thanks

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Specializes in CTICU.

Start with CGFNS. Submit your transcripts there and they will evaluate and tell you what deficiencies you have in theory or clinical. You have to be made eligible to take NCLEX. You do need to decide what state you're going to apply for initial licensure in - the process can be different depending on state. Once you have your CES report from CGFNS done, they will send it to the state BON. You apply for licensure by exam and they will tell you if you're eligible to take the exam.

I came on E3 visa and found my own job. I didn't want to use an agency. It wasn't that hard once I made the employer understand that an E3 is not like an H1B in what it requires for "sponsorship" ie. They don't need to do much or incur legal fees etc to get the visa.

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Specializes in Gen Surg & Cardiac.

Ghillbert, when you applied to sit the NCLEX which state did you choose? Did CGFNS find any educational deficiencies in yoyr transcript and if so how did you make them up (which subjects and what school)? What country did you get your nursing degree in? I see 'NP' as your title...did you come into the US as a NP or RN?

Sorry for all the questions but I have spent a lot of time on here looking for people who have successfully gained licensure in the strictest BON states (CA, NY) or even any state for that matter after their transcripts were evaluated as needing to make up deficiencies

...and have not had much luck yet.

Any advice is much appreciated í ½í¸Š

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Specializes in CTICU.
Ghillbert, when you applied to sit the NCLEX which state did you choose? Did CGFNS find any educational deficiencies in yoyr transcript and if so how did you make them up (which subjects and what school)? What country did you get your nursing degree in? I see 'NP' as your title...did you come into the US as a NP or RN?

-I had a job in PA which at that time required CGFNS exam, so I applied for initial licensure in Vermont and then endorsed my license to PA.

- I fully expected to be deficient in OB and/or pediatrics, so I completed modules at Deakin Uni in preparation but my transcripts were evaluated by CGFNS CES evaluation as consistent with US nursing degree (I went to Deakin in Melbourne in the mid 90s)

- I arrived as an NP with a partially completed MNP from Australia. I then applied and completed MSN in Acute Care Nurse Practitioner while I was working here, and for the past 5 years have worked as ACNP.

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Hey there! Looks like you have a loads of info about NCLEX etc. Just wanted to comment that I've been employed in both New York (Manhattan - where I sat the NCLEX) and Washington (Seattle) without an agency. You don't need an agency at all. A lot of hospitals have open days for employment and I made some HR connections going to those - these were advertised on Indeed.com. In Seattle I simply applied for jobs online as you would in Australia.

Keep in mind that resumes here was usually only one page.

I have recently run into trouble getting my California registration though - this state requires more OB and Peds hours unfortunately. Still working on what I'm going to do there but so far in other states I haven't have any trouble.

Hope this helps!

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Which visa did u apply for when you were looking for a job? With E3 you cannot migrate right?

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