BSN from foreign country takingVN/PN Boards

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

How is it that people who have a BSN from other countries come over here to work as an RN end up taking the boards for the LVN/LPN? Why do they do that for if they have their RN in another country? I know several nurses who've done that. They've worked many years as an LVN and then take the RN boards. To me it just doesn't make any sense, just take the RN boards. Obviously they're doing it once they get here to the United States.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Some states allow students from a RN to sit for the LPN program once a certain amount of hours are obtained. In reference to foreign trained nurses I am guessing that their programs were equivilant to a PN program.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Some states allow students from a RN to sit for the LPN program once a certain amount of hours are obtained. In reference to foreign trained nurses I am guessing that their programs were equivilant to a PN program.

But if they have their RN in their home country (BSN) why take the LVN/LPN board when they can just take the RN board? I don't see the reasoning around it, and the ones that I've spoken to about really don't say why they do it that way.

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

I'm guessing that they feel they would be unable to pass the RN NCLEX and feel like the PN would be a sure thing. It doesn't sound like something I would do, but only these nurses know how adequate or inadequate their education is.

[Fiona59]

It's done in my province because the education in the countries in question is not the equivalent of a BScN here. In many countries the first year or so of university is basically the equivalent of our Grade 12, the course content is found to be lacking in some areas (ie, there was no mental health nursing content), the skill set is not equivalent to that of practising nurses in our province.

I guess it is better to make a wage here than being underemployed back home.

[suzanne4, RN]

How is it that people who have a BSN from other countries come over here to work as an RN end up taking the boards for the LVN/LPN? Why do they do that for if they have their RN in another country? I know several nurses who've done that. They've worked many years as an LVN and then take the RN boards. To me it just doesn't make any sense, just take the RN boards. Obviously they're doing it once they get here to the United States.

In order for them to get a visa to come to the US, they were required to pass the CGFNS exam or the NCLEX-RN exam. Since the NCLEX has been offered out of the US for less than five years or so, many of them took and passed the CGFNS exam before coming to the US. But then they were unable to pass the State Boards that were offered when many of them came to the US, this was before the NCLEX exams were even offered. And if after they were offered, they were unable to pass the NCLEX-RN and then tried for the PN exam so that they could work.

In the US, if they passed the CGFNS exam and were even given permission to sit for that exam; they were considered having enough training to sit for the RN boards to begin with or they never would have been granted a visa for the US.

For those that have gone to Canada and as the LPN, that is completely different and is also based on those that have graduated fairly recently as well. The government there cannot give anyone access for working as an RN without testing either.