Florida Board Punishing Foreign Nurses!!

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 29, 2008

If the BON is making that determination they must have reason, not good enough saying work in another state for 2 years. There must have been some issues with your transcripts is all I can think of. If you are already in the US and have a GC then you have a choice of working where ever you want. The BON can make their own rules up and unfortunately we have to abide by them. There is no reason to say that people are posting and trying to gain attention. The terms of service allows debate and this is what you have.

BIGBRO71 · Jul 29, 2008

Thanks Silverdragon102. You may send me PM whenever you want. I feel bad vibe to hispanics from this other people. I understand they feel threat by more qualified professionals. Bye.

Trauma Columnist · Jul 29, 2008

I'm sorry you are getting "bad vibes." Though the NCLEX is the US national standard test for nurses, the individual state boards of nursing have the final say. This is just the way it is - if you wish to be licensed in FL, you may have to work for two years in another state. I'm sorry for your frustration.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 29, 2008

Sorry but I haven't seen anything to indicate bad vibes to you. Going back to your first post I get the impression that it is how your training was done. We have had a few nurses on here also go through similar due to their nurse training done at a different level and not recognised by BON and I don't think they applied to Florida. Some where from China

kempo · Jul 29, 2008

Getting a license is a privledge not a right.The BON is charged in protecting the public right to having a competent nurse, not protecting the rights of a nurse.
What protections are in your home country? Do they allow anyone to call themselves a RN? What is their system of assuring the public, that a nurse is safe?

Posts like this is makes me feel bad! Offensive comments like this are not healthy.

You may be a very good nurse from avery good nursing school and country but you should consider other people,for sure others are better than you and there are also many at par or sub par of your abilities. There's no sense on making comments like this.

:bow: Now what can you say about the thread starter's resume???

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 29, 2008

Getting a license in the US is a privileged. The member was asking what goes on in the OP's country regarding nursing.

In the US you can not call yourself a nurse until you have passed NCLEX, same goes for a lot of other countries. In the Philippines you do not have to take local boards for a few states in the US before you sit NCLEX and we are already seeing some BON/BRN changing this to they do require local license . Each BON will make their own requirements and us as foreign nurses wanting to work in the US have to meet their requirements they will not meet ours.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 29, 2008

We also recommend that only CGFNS be used for the credential evaluation to begin with. And we have not seen one poster have issues lately with endorsing if they did this.

It can be a change in the way that the programs are being evaluated from your country, but to come here and make a blanket statement like this is not the correct thing to do.

CGFNS is under contract to the US government and that is why they are always recommended as well as the fact their CES is accepted by every state that requires an evaluation in the US as well as all universities or programs of higher learning.

The issue comes down to the fact that each state can set their own requirements, and for a very long time they would not even consider a foreign nurse that did not have two years of work experience in their country.

And Florida happens to be easier than others to endorse to in many cases, they are not more difficult by any means. Suspect that it has something to do with the way that your program may be recording things as well.

But again, each state can set their own requirements, and they are doing so. And this is not a slap against all Hispanices at all. You are from one country and we are not seeing it with those from other latin countries.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Jul 29, 2008

Funny, I visit Florida 3-4 times a year, my feeling is that Hispanic nurses would be in demand in Florida since Miami has a very large Cuban population. Therefore I think FL would welcome qualified Cuban Nurses.

As far as my comment about my home country and it's laws.

My understanding is if I, as an American would not be able to sit for their local licensing exams. I see post after post being critical of the USA,

while the plosters would not welcome US nurses.

It seems like only two places would value my US education, Canada and UK (which has a hiring freeze). But my country is suppose to welcome any person who graduates from any nursing program?

Most professions don't share licensing agreements, I have friends who are vets, they have to take a different test for each state, I believe the same

holds true for dentists.

Nursing is way ahead in this trend of sharing an exam, I don't know what

anyone finds it offensive for each state to protect their citizens.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 29, 2008

I know quite a few foreign nurses that have just endorsed to Florida in the past few months and they did not have any issues doing so, so suspect that it may be specfic to issues with something that is being done in your country, but it most definitely is not happening to all.

The other colleagues of yours, are they from the same country as well? And did they use the same credentials eval? The ones that have been posting here and recently all have used CGFNS and have not had any problems at all with their CES.

But we are seeing rules changing all of the time with states here in the US. Any state is free to make the changes that they do, but when there are changes, they do post them.

You came here and posted that the FL BON was making it difficult for all, and we are stating that we are not seeing that. That is why you may not be getting the sympathy that you are looking for and sympathy is not useful in something like this, it does not change anything or help in any way. Perhaps a few from your country are having issues, but this is not what has been going on there routinely.

And why I like only the CES done thru CGFNS, have never seen a problem if they tell you that your requirements meet their standards.

Best of luck to you.

Djuna · Jul 29, 2008

Working in any foreign country is difficult. Every country has its own legalities in terms of laws, immigration, nursing regulations etc.

Just because we don't agree with how a country treats us as foreign nurses doesn't give us carte blanche to moan and complain that we are being treated 'unfairly'.

Why do people think immigration is such a right and not a privilege? Everyone who works in the US as a foreign nurse has to go through the process which is long, arduous and expensive.

I have had to go through two country's processes so I understand completely how difficult it can be but I certainly never expected either Australia or the US to change their rules to suit me.

dave787 · Jul 29, 2008

LICENSURE BY ENDORSEMENT

Q: What is endorsement, is it the same as reciprocity?

A: Endorsement is the endorsing of your active license in another state to a license in Florida. It is not the same as reciprocity. Reciprocity indicates Florida honors other state licenses and you would be allowed to work in Florida without obtaining a Florida License. Currently Florida law precludes any health care worker from working in Florida without a Florida license.

Q: Can I endorse into Florida if I have an active license in another state but have never taken the NCLEX or State Board Test Pool exam

A: If you can prove you have been working in another state, jurisdiction or U.S. territory for 2 of the last 3 years you may apply by endorsement.

Q: Who gets the license verification form? Do they mail it in or do I?

A: The license verification form is sent to the state(s) you are licensed in they will return the form to the Florida Board office.

Q: How long does it take to process my application?

A: The Board office is allowed 30 days to process your application.

i copy and paste this from the florida board of nursing endorsement, BUT i am confuse Question 2, what does it mean? does it mean you have to work first on the state you were licensed first? for example in ou passed in california, do you have to work there first?

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/nur_faq.html#Endorsement

chimbo · Jul 29, 2008

what bigbro said is all true and the problem is not only with him. i'm in the same situation and i know more people with it. since early this year fl bon is asking people who actually have pass the nclex test and has an active license in another state but graduated in a foreign country to work in this state for two years to get a license by endorsement in fl. they change the credentials from our colleges to a low standard. i have colleagues graduated with me (same school) that applied to the fl bon a year ago and received the license without any problem, now they are not accepting the same credentials and start asking you to work for two years in another state. is this fair? :banghead: