Experience and training

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I would like to clarify first if there would be a diff. for a foreign nurse of say, 10+ experience and a new grad applying for the US or does everyone starts from the bottom?

Every foreign grad undergo new grad training or orientation in their respective hospital first right? If so, do foreign RNs still need so-called training for the US? There are facilities/hospitals in the Phil. doing these and are charging expensive fees. Some would say there training are accepted by US hospitals while others are honest enough to say that they don't guarantee that they are accepted but may help you prepare if your going to work in US. Although, I doubt it because the facilities here are not the same in US hospitals.

How about doctors who would be coming in as RNs would there be a issue or hold this against them? Would there also be a diff. if the MD-RN was a seasoned specialists for many years and a relatively new grad MD who switch to RN. I'm asking this because I keep hearing that some employers doesn't like to hire "veteran" MDs turned RNs because its tough to "re-train" them. I also keep hearing about some doctors being deported back to the Phil. for some reasons, why is that so?

Thanks. Hope to get everyone's honest opinions. You can PM your replies if you want. :)

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The MDs that became RNs and went back to Manila were because of issues with their agencies and promises that were not fulfilled to them. Such as working as a CNA for the entire year at $7 per hour as the agency was in a rush to get them over here, etc. They submitted them over here on either bogus student visas, or unskilled laborers, not with green cards as they are supposed to do. That is one of the reasons that immigration is looking at everything so closely. And that is why I get very alarmed when I see nurses here that state that their agencies want them to get licensed as LPNs first, or the CNA thing in their contract. That sends up red flags to me.

Training or new orientation in the US is going to be dependent on what area of expertise that the nurse has, as well as the type of experience and in what type of unit. Working in an OR is very similar in all of the countries, however, working gin Med/surg is quite different. The nurse has many more responsibilities than in your country. Over here we are responsible for doing a head to toe assessment on each of our patients minimum of every shift, and can be more frequent depending on the requirements of that specific unit, etc. We are also required to document heart tones and breath sounds on each patient at least every shift. The paperwork is also much more involved on each patient. No block charting, so you can't put 2400-0600: Sleeping. That is not accepted here. So there is much to learn.

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The MDs that became RNs and went back to Manila were because of issues with their agencies and promises that were not fulfilled to them. Such as working as a CNA for the entire year at $7 per hour as the agency was in a rush to get them over here, etc. They submitted them over here on either bogus student visas, or unskilled laborers, not with green cards as they are supposed to do. That is one of the reasons that immigration is looking at everything so closely. And that is why I get very alarmed when I see nurses here that state that their agencies want them to get licensed as LPNs first, or the CNA thing in their contract. That sends up red flags to me.

Training or new orientation in the US is going to be dependent on what area of expertise that the nurse has, as well as the type of experience and in what type of unit. Working in an OR is very similar in all of the countries, however, working gin Med/surg is quite different. The nurse has many more responsibilities than in your country. Over here we are responsible for doing a head to toe assessment on each of our patients minimum of every shift, and can be more frequent depending on the requirements of that specific unit, etc. We are also required to document heart tones and breath sounds on each patient at least every shift. The paperwork is also much more involved on each patient. No block charting, so you can't put 2400-0600: Sleeping. That is not accepted here. So there is much to learn.

Oh I see. The training program is specific to the unit you plan to work.

Say a certain hospital has a 6-8 week training program for acute care, would a foreign nurse who has prior experience in med/surg in his/her home country would the hosptal let the him/her finish earlier than another applicant w/o a prior experience with it or do they both have to finish it.

Do undergoing a New Grad Training program better than just a plain orientation? I understand that not all hospitals have extensive training programs and others just a simple orientation.

If a foreign RN will undergo this training program in a US hospital is it still recommended that applicants undergo some sort of training program in the Phils.? This seems to be the "fad" right now and they are charging extravagant fees.

Thanks, Suzanne.:)

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Oh I see. The training program is specific to the unit you plan to work.

Say a certain hospital has a 6-8 week training program for acute care, would a foreign nurse who has prior experience in med/surg in his/her home country would the hosptal let the him/her finish earlier than another applicant w/o a prior experience with it or do they both have to finish it.

Do undergoing a New Grad Training program better than just a plain orientation? I understand that not all hospitals have extensive training programs and others just a simple orientation.

If a foreign RN will undergo this training program in a US hospital is it still recommended that applicants undergo some sort of training program in the Phils.? This seems to be the "fad" right now and they are charging extravagant fees.

Thanks, Suzanne.:)

The length of orientation should be dependent on the nurse in training. It will depend on how quickly that they pick up something.

And to the training programs that are offered in your country for working in the US, they are a complete waste of time and only there to make money for the trainers. The hospital in the US will do its own training. There is such a difference in training in the two countries, and job requirements.

Orientation time over in the US will depend on the unit as well as the individual nurse. Again, as I have said before, nursing over here is quite different than in your country. You still get paid the same salary while in training, or you should be. Any nurse in orientation in the US gets paid the same salary. And if the agency tells you otherwise, run as fast as you can from them. They are getting paid the same by the hospital.

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The length of orientation should be dependent on the nurse in training. It will depend on how quickly that they pick up something.

And to the training programs that are offered in your country for working in the US, they are a complete waste of time and only there to make money for the trainers. The hospital in the US will do its own training. There is such a difference in training in the two countries, and job requirements.

Orientation time over in the US will depend on the unit as well as the individual nurse. Again, as I have said before, nursing over here is quite different than in your country. You still get paid the same salary while in training, or you should be. Any nurse in orientation in the US gets paid the same salary. And if the agency tells you otherwise, run as fast as you can from them. They are getting paid the same by the hospital.

Thank you very much Suzanne. You're really saving us a great deal of money and most esp. time. :)

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