Australian Trained RN

[LauB]

Hey Guys, I'm hoping someone can help me. I am British but did my bachelor of Nursing degree in Australia.

I would like to be able to work in Florida, so I have started to look at how to gain my nurse license (My husband has a visa which entitles me to work in the states - via work authorisation and I have an SSN, therefore visas are not an issue for me).

However, after all of my research on here I now realise I will have a big issue with having no clinical experience in Obstetrics (nor theory actually). I do have a lot of hours in Mental health (approx 320hrs) oh and I did do Paediatric clinical hours (72hrs) which coincided with my child & Family course, so hopefully they shouldn't be a problem...cross fingers.

I realise I have to get my education evaluated, but would like to get the maternity course & placement completed before sending off all of my paperwork. We are currently in Australia (Gold Coast QLD) and I was hoping to get the course done via Deakin university, but their PDU's are currently under review (presumably due to California no longer accepting them).

So, has anyone (or anybody you know) done the maternity requirements anywhere else in Australia by any chance? As i seem to be going around in circles.

I will be eternally grateful to anyone with any advise.

Laura :)

[EternalFeather]

Since you're still in Australia, you should apply for the Nclex if you haven't taken it yet. You can take Nclex outside of USA now.

You would have to go to the Florida (or other state) board of nursing website, since you're going to Florida so you can work right away, and apply for an RN license. See what items you need to send to them, since you're an international applicant.

They will ask you to send them many paperwork, one of them is nursing school transcript sent directly by your school and the Bon will evaluate and then they'll tell you what you need to apply for Nclex of you haven't taken it yet.

Basically, you need to have passed the Nclex, but to be eligible to take the nclex, you'd have to have your transcript evaluated by the Bon and they'll tell you what credits you are missing. And if those classes are available in a school your town right now, you could contact the Bon if they'd accept the credit from that school. Or you could wait till you get to Florida and start applying. But if you need to take classes, some schools don't offer a specialty class separately, you'd have to take the whole nursing program. And that's too much work time and money

But I don't know. Maybe you could do online classes separately. Maybe online is a better choice.

I don't know if I answered your question correctly but I hope I helped you in some way.

[LauB]

Thank you EternalFeather for your reply.

I understand the process that I have to go through, but due to the fact I have zero hours in Obstetrics (and from what I've read is needed in every state of America) I really want to get my required hours first before applying to CGFNS etc. The Nclex is obviously one of the last steps in the process.

So what i really would like help with is whether anyone else has been successful in obtaining the required clinical hours in maternity in a course anywhere in Australia other than Deakin University? :)

[RNsydneygirl]

Hi,

i recently have looked for the same thing. Deakin told me about a month ago they have no interest in offering those units again as A) not enough people interested to be financially viable and B) it was becoming very difficult to source placements.

i have been unsuccessful in finding another option in Australia. Some people have suggested doing the 1-2 year Graduate Diploma in Midwifery but I am unsure if that would be accepted by a BON.

Washington BON suggested I contact schools in the US directly to take the required classes.

Best of luck.

[LauB]

Thanks RNsydneygirl. It doesn't sound good does it? I have an American friend (completed her degree in Australia too) who has the same problem, she was due to do the Deakin courses this trimester. They didn't tell her that they were not continuing on with them, just that they are under review.

I would rather work asap, rather than do 1-2 years of midwifery study. I have asked the FL BON but they haven't really come back and answered the question. They have just said to get my education evaluated and then go from there.

I wish you the best of luck also, please let me know if you find an alternative and I'll do the same too.