Confused RN and Residency Program

[supportingh]

Hello, I'm a supporting husband that have been helping and guiding my wife through this long process. I'm an returned peace corps volunteer and I met my wife in Peru. My wife got a BSN in her country in 2008. She had 2 years of experience before she moved to the US. While here she went through the process and after 4 years she passed her NCLEX-RN this February and completed a refresher course this August. Recently she has been looking for a job but this is where the confusion starts.

Some HR officers tell her that since she never had experience in the US she must apply to residency program as a "new grad" however other HR officers tells her she can't apply to Residency program because she needs 2 years of clinical experience or have recently graduated from a college/university from the US.

What gives??? It's seems that she in a catch 11.......she is looking for a job especially in a residency program to gain experience but she can't get in because she doesn't have experience.

What would be the next step for her? What she needs to do? Her goal is to work at a hospital. She graduated with a BSN in 2008. Did 2 years of nursing in Peru. CGFNS and Maryland Board of Nursing verified her degree is equivelent to a BSN in the US. in 2014. She passed NCLEX-RN in Feb 2015. Completed her refresher course (Theory, lab, & clinical) in Aug 2014. But no experience in the US. She does have BLS

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Try outside hospital jobs LTACH, LTC, rehab, subacute rehab, urgent care, ambulatory surgical center instead of focusing on hospital where it's often most competitive application process. With no recent experience and if she does not qualify for a residency there is limited incentive to choose her over a recent US grad or a nurse with recent acute care experience/no lapse in employment. Many LTACH are affiliated with acute care facilities so later transfer to acute care is more streamlined.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Residency programs are supposed to be for those with out experience. Now I am confused.

[klone, MSN, RN]

Every hospital's policies will differ. Around here, residency programs are for new BSN nurses, who have graduated less than 12 months ago, and have never held a job as an RN before. Other facilities may have different policies.

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Some facilities offer residencies for nurses changing specialties. Such as an L&D nurse moving to OR or ED. Or LTC nurse transitioning to acute care.

Most residencies are intended for new grads or inexperienced nurses. I've not seen a nurse residency for an overseas nurse to transition to acute care with no recent practice experience.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

It will depend upon the hiring organization's own way of categorizing Foreign Educated Nurses. In my organization, we classify FENs with no US employment history as 'new grads' because US nursing is different than their country of origin. It has worked out very well for us.

[supportingh]

Thank you very much for your feedback. In case that she cannot get in a residency program, where can she go to that will allow her to gradually get her into a hospital position. I would assume a community nurse is not an ideal position that will help you get into a hospital, so what are the options. Unfortunately other positions outside of the hospitals ask for experience and once again she's stuck.