Foreign based nurse needs help finding a hospital job

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear medic admin in Qatar,

Have you graduated yet? Are you an RN? I don't know about RN training or exam qualifications in Qatar.

In the United States, there is only one licensing exam, the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX). You register with Pearson VUE to take the test. But first there are a couple of steps.

Apply for ATT

You'll need an Authorization To Test (ATT) to register with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX. You receive an ATT from an individual state Board of Nursing or Board of Registered Nursing (BON/BRN). Every state has a BON/BRN.

So for example, if you wish to be licensed in the state of California (CA), you would contact the CA Registered Board of Nursing for eligibility and your ATT.

ATT Requirements

The BON/BRN will review/verify your coursework for:

• General preliminary education requirements,
  
• Successful completion of nursing coursework in a school of nursing which meets the minimum requirements of the board for licensure established for an accredited program,
  
• Verification of licensure
  

They will also ascertain that you do not meet any reasons for denial of licensure.

But each state board may have slightly different requirements to verify education and eligibility of nurses educated outside of the United States.

Many state boards require a verification service that can be provided by Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) International prior to issuing an ATT.

Depending on the state, you may be required to pass the CGFNS certificate exam, and/or have the CGFNS or other agency verify your coursework, license and English proficiency, and VisaScreen.

note: In CA, you are required to provide a valid Social Security number and meet concurrency of curriculum and practicum requirements.

You may be asked to submit evidence of English comprehension, such as passing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Some states may require you to complete a Foreign Educated Nurses (FEN) refresher course. The course consists of 120 hours in the classroom and 120 hours of clinical practice under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.

Testing Sites

For convenience, there are international testing centers in other countries that include Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Taiwan.

Resources

You can contact Pearson Vue at:

NCLEX Examination Program

Pearson Professional Testing

5601 Green Valley Drive Bloomington, MN 55437-1099

Candidates in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa can call NCLEX Candidate Services, at:

+44.161.855.7445, or email: [email protected]

Summary

To summarize, if you are a foreign-based RN:

• Apply to the (CGFNS) for your Credentials Evaluation Services Report (they will send results to the BON)
  
• Apply for licensure/registration to the state BON/BRN of your choice (includes fingerprinting)
  
• Apply to Pearson Vue
  
• Receive ATT
  
• Register for the NCLEX with Pearson Vue
  

Good luck, I hope this helps you. Once you have your RN license, you are qualified to work as an RN in a psychiatric setting or setting of your choice.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[Corey Narry, MSN, RN, NP]

There are 2 separate issues that will affect your ability to work in the US if you are neither a US citizen nor a permanent US resident.

1. Are you eligible to receive one of the various forms of employment-based visas? This depends on your degree, your specialty, and whether you could get an offer of employment from a US health care facility that could sponsor your visa.

In general, many types of RN's are eligible for an employment based visa but there is a long wait for the immigration service to approve applications due to the sheer number of back-logged applicants from as far as 10 years back. Many institutions are not interested in waiting for approval for an applicant that would take that long to be approved.

Some specialist nurses may be able to process faster through a different visa route but supporting documentation may be lacking in the OP's situation since he/she is not even practicing in his/her specialty.

2. Are you eligible to be licensed as an RN in the US? the current US and Canadian entry to professional nursing degrees prepares "generalist" nurses who learned all areas of nursing practice in the curriculum (Med-Surg, OB, Peds, and not just Psychiatric Nursing).

Many foreign degrees do not match this "generalist" education that is offered in the US and Canada, so you would not meet educational criteria to sit for the licensing exam (NCLEX-RN) if you don't have an equivalent form of nursing education.

[vonnietoots]

Hi Juan. I hope you are doing fine. I was gathering more information regarding the NCLEX. i am planning to take it next year but I am not a local board passer. I am from Philippines. Its possible to take the exam right? But I am confuse on what to do first. If you know about this issue please respond to my comment. I need help on this matter. thanks in advance.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Hi Juan. I hope you are doing fine. I was gathering more information regarding the NCLEX. i am planning to take it next year but I am not a local board passer. I am from Philippines. Its possible to take the exam right? But I am confuse on what to do first. If you know about this issue please respond to my comment. I need help on this matter. thanks in advance.

Depends on which state you plan on applying to as to whether you need to take local exam and pass before you apply to the state

[aykife]

Hi Juan, If you are able to earn the CGFNS certificate, you will be able to get agencies and recruiters that can file employment papers for you. To earn the CGFNS certificate, It is either you write the CGFNS exam and a English test exam or you write the NCLEX exam as well as the English Test exam. IF you write the CGFNS exam, you will still need to write and pass the NCLEX exam for you to be able to practice in the US as a RN. It is only the BON that has the authority to review and present you for the NCLEX exam. The issue is that most of the state BONs will not present anybody without a social security number to sit for the NCLEX exam and that is why I would advise that you go through the CGFNS path. It is lengthy and time consuming.