Filipine nurse in Washington

Published

hey all. im new here. I just moved to Seattle. Im expecting my wife in October. shes currently in school for nursing over in Manila. She grads mid-September and will be joining me here in Washington in October. I had a question about certification here in Washington. Ive been to their website:

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps6/Nursing/default.htm

but not everything makes sense to me since im not in the field. i was hoping perhaps there was a filipino registered here who could tell me exactly what my wife will require to practice in Washington? i was told from a friend that to practice here she would have to complete her local board and also the NCLEX, but they never mentioned anything else. i just dont want to have any unreal expectations about her job once she arrives here. i would like to be able to advise her on exactly what shell need beforehand, so were not surprised. as far as I know though, Washington does hire filipino nurses. Just looking for some helpful advice for me and my wife. thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello and welcome home.

There is no reason why a qualified legal nurse should not be employable ( providing positions are available).

Here is the packet for her initial application, I am assuming you will be living in Washington State.

https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/hpqa1/hps6/Nursing/documents/RN_Foreign.pdf

I am not sure if She needs sit for NLE the Phillipine local licensing exam, it looks like she may need it for the State of Washington.

Before applying for NCLEX she must pass CGFNS, which is a program that will qualify your wife for the NCLEX.

There web site is http://www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/cp/

The state of Washington requires an HIV program, this does not seem to be a big deal.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-12-270

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-12-260

I would also look at the NLE result web site and see how students did last time the time was adminstered, this will be a predictor how well she can succeed. There have been many new schools in the Phillipines that have a very low pass rate, if she attended one of these it may make her road over here painful.

Good Luck and have your wife post here, we would love to see her online.

PS Suzanne our Moderator, will have great insight. This will not be a quick process, so if you hope she can work quickly as a RN it won't happen. She may have to take the NLE, and that is only given at certain times in the Phillipine and I believe it takes months for the results, then she will have to wait for the CGFNS, which is only given 3-4 times a year, then files in application with the State of Washington, which will clear her to sit for the NCLEX, this can also take a few months, get a date for the NCLEX which can take a month, then wait for results which will take a few weeks. Then she can apply for a position. Places will not hire you until you have a license.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi,

I am not filipino but i am a foreign nurse from Africa going thru the process on becoming a Nurse in WA state. I currently lives in Seattle.

By the time I started the process November of last year it was more difficult to go thru the process directly in WA and get licensed because you needed to go thru the CGFNS PROGRAM called CGFNS certification and passs the test which is more like the NCLEX-RN. This one is more for immigration purpose for the visa screen. I did not have any visa problem so I did wnt to take a test that would be as hard than the NCLEX.

When I sent some emails back and fourth with the board of nursing, they told me that it seems to be unfair to go thru the process like someone who is starting all the process on getting a visa to be a nurse in WA, that the alternative on taking the CGFNS CERTIFICATION is to apply for licensing in another state where the process might seem to be easier and then you can endorse with WA if you pass the test.

I am going thru the APPLICATION FOR LICENSING IN NY state. It is a long process to bring you transcripts from your home country and also have your license valilated by your ministry of health. This one is also done trhu another program of CGFNS called CREDENTIALS VERIFICATION FOR NEW YORK(CVS). Basically, CGFNS go thru your education and licensing on behalf of NY. When they have all your informations, they then send them to NY for evaluation. They are the one that make a decision whether you can take the test or not. If you can they send you what is called ATT(authorization to test). From there you can register whith PERSON VUE to take the NCLEX. If you happen to pass the test, you can ask for endorsement in WA from NY.

Anyway, your wife might be lucky because a few weeks ago, WA state have a new process. The old process is still accepted but that one is way better because you do not have to deal with the first exam to be elligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN in WA. This process is also done thru CGFNS. It is called CES(credentials evaluation service). This is a little bt like the CVS/NY but the difference is that it is an EVALUATION instead of a VERIFICATION. For the evaluation, CGFNS ask for you transcripts as well as you license validation from your nursing school and your ministry of health. I am not sure but it might be difficult to be accepted if the nurse does not have an experience in his country. I recommend at least 6months-1year of experience. This a link from the CGFNS website where you can find the License process change information:

June 12, 2008

Washington Board of Nursing will require CES Full Education Course-by-Course Report starting today

Effective June 12th, the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (i.e., Board of Nursing) will begin requiring the CES Full Education Course-by-Course Report for RNs and LPNs applying for licensure by exam. Applicants applying for endorsement may have copies of transcripts forwarded to the Board, or a CES Report.

Washington will continue to accept the CP certificate for RNs applying for licensure by exam or endorsement.

This is the link:http://www.cgfns.org/sections/announcements/

I am not sure but for the cgfns you may need to take an English proficiency exam: TOEFL...

This information about the CES is not put on the board of nursing website yet or at least not that I know, I already talked to people from there and they confirmed.

I hope this would help you and your wife. You can send me an email if you want more info; At least I can tell you what I know.

MANOU

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Taking English exam is different from BON to BON and will state on website what their requirements are but if a visa screen certificate is required then you have to do it. If work visa is obtained via another way ie marriage then vsc is not required. Would always recommend CES full course by course and transcripts have to be sent by the school and not by the applicant unless in a sealed envelope with school stamp and no indication has been tampered with, not saying it will happen but if the envelope appears to have been tampered then it will not be accepted and delays will happen. As mentioned the process is not quick so do not expect her to work as a nurse quickly

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the info guys. Manou, if you wouldnt mind PM'ing me, id like to get your contact info for my wife. she would probably have specific questions for you regarding the process itself and i dont want to confuse the information you gave me. it would help out immensely. i look forward to your email. thanks

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hi,

I am not filipino but i am a foreign nurse from Africa going thru the process on becoming a Nurse in WA state. I currently lives in Seattle.

By the time I started the process November of last year it was more difficult to go thru the process directly in WA and get licensed because you needed to go thru the CGFNS PROGRAM called CGFNS certification and passs the test which is more like the NCLEX-RN. This one is more for immigration purpose for the visa screen. I did not have any visa problem so I did wnt to take a test that would be as hard than the NCLEX.

When I sent some emails back and fourth with the board of nursing, they told me that it seems to be unfair to go thru the process like someone who is starting all the process on getting a visa to be a nurse in WA, that the alternative on taking the CGFNS CERTIFICATION is to apply for licensing in another state where the process might seem to be easier and then you l can endorse with WA if you pass the test.

I am going thru the APPLICATION FOR LICENSING IN NY state. It is a long process to bring you transcripts from your home country and also have your license valilated by your ministry of health. This one is also done trhu another program of CGFNS called CREDENTIALS VERIFICATION FOR NEW YORK(CVS). Basically, CGFNS go thru your education and licensing on behalf of NY. When they have all your informations, they then send them to NY for evaluation. They are the one that make a decision whether you can take the test or not. If you can they send you what is called ATT(authorization to test). From there you can register whith PERSON VUE to take the NCLEX. If you happen to pass the test, you can ask for endorsement in WA from NY.

Anyway, your wife might be lucky because a few weeks ago, WA state have a new process. The old process is still accepted but that one is way better because you do not have to deal with the first exam to be elligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN in WA. This process is also done thru CGFNS. It is called CES(credentials evaluation service). This is a little bt like the CVS/NY but the difference is that it is an EVALUATION instead of a VERIFICATION. For the evaluation, CGFNS ask for you transcripts as well as you license validation from your nursing school and your ministry of health. I am not sure but it might be difficult to be accepted if the nurse does not have an experience in his country. I recommend at least 6months-1year of experience. This a link from the CGFNS website where you can find the License process change information:

June 12, 2008

Washington Board of Nursing will require CES Full Education Course-by-Course Report starting today

Effective June 12th, the Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (i.e., Board of Nursing) will begin requiring the CES Full Education Course-by-Course Report for RNs and LPNs applying for licensure by exam. Applicants applying for endorsement may have copies of transcripts forwarded to the Board, or a CES Report.

Washington will continue to accept the CP certificate for RNs applying for licensure by exam or endorsement.

This is the link:http://www.cgfns.org/sections/announcements/

I am not sure but for the cgfns you may need to take an English proficiency exam: TOEFL...

This information about the CES is not put on the board of nursing website yet or at least not that I know, I already talked to people from there and they confirmed.

I hope this would help you and your wife. You can send me an email if you want more info; At least I can tell you what I know.

MANOU

If you are wishing to get licensed in WA, why in the world would you go thru the state that takes the longest in the country to get approval to sit for the NCLEX exam since you have to go thru the CVS process that is not accepted in any other state? And if WA is requiring the CES, you will need to complete that for endorsement as well. The requirements for initial licensure are usually quite similar to those for endorsement.

What you are doing makes no sense at all to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Thanks for the info guys. Manou, if you wouldnt mind PM'ing me, id like to get your contact info for my wife. she would probably have specific questions for you regarding the process itself and i dont want to confuse the information you gave me. it would help out immensely. i look forward to your email. thanks

Licensure for the foreign nurse is the same for all that have trained out of the US; it is not specific as to which country that they are from. The requirements are all the same.

15 posts are required to be able to use the PM system that we have in place here and the poster that you are asking to contact you does not have the 15 posts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi Suzanne I know that you guys have been around long enough but I know what I am speaking about concerning getting licensed in NY and asking for a transfert in WA. I spoke with both BON BEFORE going thru this so I knw what I am doing.

Manou

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My point is that NY takes the longest to get approval from and the CVS that they require is only used for that one state. There are many others that would have been much faster and you would not have had to spend the money for the CVS.

This is what we do not understand. Example: VT issues a hard license and they do not use the CVS, and you could use that license to adjust with. You will still need the CES to be completed as well if they are changing their requirements so you will have to have an additional expense incurred for no reason.

I am just trying to make this point to others so that they do not think that they need to go thru NY to be able to endorse to WA and spend all of that extra time and money.

You also will not be transferring your NY license to WA, you will continue to hold the NY license until it expires if you do not renew it. You will be endorsing your license to WA.

Best of luck to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion