This is my second time posting about my thoughts on going back to the Philippines to study but it has been a few years and I think a lot of things have changed since I the last time I asked.
Anyway, a bit of a background on where I am as far as my path to nursing goes:
I'm a 20 year old pre-nursing student in California and am applying to several BSN programs in my area. These programs are extremely competitive (80 spots for 400+ applicants) but with my grades and TEAS scores, I am fairly certain that I will get in to at least one. My only issue is that it is going to cost me about $25k per year (the program takes two years to complete, for a total of about $50k) to get my BSN. With scholarships, loans, etc. I am able to afford this but at the cost of being in debt after graduation and the risk of taking forever to find a job as a new grad. The average yearly income for nurses here is about $50-60k a year, which will allow me to pay off my student loan debts easily because I'm really frugal... but the job market is something I'm very worried about.
Now my question is, if you were in my shoes, would you rather study in the US or in the Philippines? How would you rate your experience studying in the Philippines to save money? If you guys don't mind me asking, what school did you end up studying in? I know that it's getting tougher for foreign grads to qualify for the NCLEX so that's something I'd like to know about as well.
Ultimately, my goal is to find a job here in California. But I know that the job market is very saturated with new grads.
P.S. Before anyone asks, I'm fluent in Tagalog so I wouldn't have a problem fitting in :)
It has gotten harder to endorse because the California BRN is no longer accepting other nursing curriculums as a whole. Merely having a nursing degree or a license from another state will not satisfy their requirements because they are now looking at coursework on an individual basis. They have gotten so strict that they didn't even accept my LVN license and bridge coursework without having me submit copies of VN transcripts directly to them to demonstrate completion of OB and peds.
In my ADN program, those classes are completed in the first year of their two year program. Because I bridged, I didn't take those classes as part of my ADN curriculum. However, they were required to obtain my LVN license so they were included in my VN coursework. But it didn't matter that I had an LVN license in their state even though those classes are required to be issued a VN license, they needed to see it for themselves. If they don't even trust the VN board of their own state to issue a license without having completed appropriate coursework, they're certainly not just going to accept curriculums from other states or countries wholesale.
Wow, I knew they were strict when they denied my PH-grad cousin from taking the NCLEX (he's now scheduled to take it in Vermont) but against people who were licensed from their own state?
I guess it would be wiser for me to stay here then, if that's the case. Getting my BSN in a California state university would probably allow be a safer route for me to take the NCLEX and later endorse my license to another state/be flexible about relocating if I really can't find a job here. It might put me in debt as a new grad but at least I would be saved the trouble of having to satisfy the concurrency requirements.
Wow, I knew they were strict when they denied my PH-grad cousin from taking the NCLEX (he's now scheduled to take it in Vermont) but against people who were licensed from their own state?
I guess it would be wiser for me to stay here then, if that's the case. Getting my BSN in a California state university would probably allow be a safer route for me to take the NCLEX and later endorse my license to another state/be flexible about relocating if I really can't find a job here. It might put me in debt as a new grad but at least I would be saved the trouble of having to satisfy the concurrency requirements.
Again, thanks for the responses :)
Yes, you hit the nail in the right spot. But it's NOT only the concurrency issues, it's more than that.
Other issues to consider, while it's very difficult for even a CA new grads to find a hospital job in CA, it's even tougher for a PH or the foreign nurses today to get their resumes looked at, there's simply little to no demand for the PH nurses, the previous article I linked to says it all.
I mean take a pencil and paper and make a scratch mark on how many from Phils "new grads" have been hired in a CA hospital as an RN, granted none have been an RN since Nov. 2011 from these forums.
Don't forget while there's a 50% unemployment rate for just the CA new grads alone, there's probably a 99.9% unemployment of PH "new grads", looking into the desired hospital jobs recently. I say hospitals as opposed to being a personal care giver etc (and nothing wrong with those that want to work in those jobs), but highly suspect, you'll want to be working in a medium to larger hospital.
Don't forget that the majority if not all PH new grads still consider themselves "new grads", after waiting almost a year to get their ATT and hopefully pass the NCLEX-RN the first time. However, in the eyes of the HR manager and nurse managers and the hospital's hiring policies are that in order to be considered a "new grad", you must apply within the first year of your graduation date, NOT the months or year after you pass the NCLEX. The vast majority of PH students will all miss the application deadline.
With regards to the passing rate of the NCLEX-RN for the first time, it's posted yearly on the stats of those that took their nursing education in the States has over 80-85% passing versus the PH low and dismal 30-35% with many having to take it more than 2-3 times. We're not taught how to "critical think" in the Phils.
Don't forget that in CA and other states, you're with an experienced nurse all day or night and being asked questions all the time from the time you come to the time you leave. In the Phils, we have 20-30 students all hammering down patients, it's not one-on one.
Don't forget that many hospitals prefer to hire those that did their clinicals in their hospitals, not a guarantee, of course, as we see many that many didn't get the job in the hospital they even worked at for years and knew the nurses and manager there, I think partly due to personality and whatever, so imagine how hard it is for an international student can even get in, even if one has a family member or friend inside.
Yes, it will much easier to endorse your CA license with the CA education behind you into any other state. You can read of the many PH nurses that can't get their CA license even tho they passed the NCLEX in another state, only to find they are now stuck with that undesired state's license and trying to get into CA or other concurrent enforcing states, all due to the PH curriculum doesn't meet the minimum requirements, of which they are not new rules but rather at least 20 plus years old.
Yes, it's much cheaper to attend the schools in the Phils but at what cost to you?
I don't have much to offer but I know it's cheaper to study in the Philippines.The problem is to get licensed in California.There's been a lot of changes in the their regulations especially foreign grads.I have friends who are new grads here who found jobs in Nevada area.Their plan is to gain enough nursing experience and get back to CA.Before you make a decision,check out the Board of Registered Nursing website.It's difficult to contact them over the phone.Heres the link.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I don't have much to offer but I know it's cheaper to study in the Philippines.The problem is to get licensed in California.There's been a lot of changes in the their regulations especially foreign grads.I have friends who are new grads here who found jobs in Nevada area.Their plan is to gain enough nursing experience and get back to CA.Before you make a decision,check out the Board of Registered Nursing website.It's difficult to contact them over the phone.Heres the link.
Hope this little piece of information helps and things will work out for you.Good luck...:)
Have your friends met CA requirements? Gaining experience doesn't mean that they will automatically get the OK for a license in CA. CA will still do their own assessment and if they do not meet concurrency now they will not meet it later
I don't have much to offer but I know it's cheaper to study in the Philippines.The problem is to get licensed in California.There's been a lot of changes in the their regulations especially foreign grads.I have friends who are new grads here who found jobs in Nevada area.Their plan is to gain enough nursing experience and get back to CA.Before you make a decision,check out the Board of Registered Nursing website.It's difficult to contact them over the phone.Heres the link.
Hope this little piece of information helps and things will work out for you.Good luck...:)
This may have worked a couple of years ago, but that's no longer the case especially with regards to CA, as this is where the OP (and many others wish to end up) to work and practice in.
Times have changed and a much harder and colder environment for the PH nursing world for those wishing to come to the US, not impossible just a lot more harder than before and even more difficult if one is of PH citizenship as the SS# that's work authorized and or with a working visa is required for any first-time or renewal applicant.
In CA, there's a 8 year limitation to obtain the SS# or else they will have to re-take NCLEX-RN again.
Georgettes
61 Posts
Wow, I knew they were strict when they denied my PH-grad cousin from taking the NCLEX (he's now scheduled to take it in Vermont) but against people who were licensed from their own state?
I guess it would be wiser for me to stay here then, if that's the case. Getting my BSN in a California state university would probably allow be a safer route for me to take the NCLEX and later endorse my license to another state/be flexible about relocating if I really can't find a job here. It might put me in debt as a new grad but at least I would be saved the trouble of having to satisfy the concurrency requirements.
Again, thanks for the responses :)