Foreign student looking into working in the States.

[tatianasaba]

I am foreign BSN student who is soon to graduate and become an RN. I was looking into different work oppurtunities abroad and was considering the US for multiple reasons. (Mainly, I want to work in a hospital that is affiliated with a university so that I would have been accustomed to the environment by the time I applied for a master's degree - my focus is neurology) I was hoping anyone could tell me a little about what their hospitals and universities are like and what you guys think the best option is for someone who's looking into neurology and neurosurgery. (I don't want to have only depended on online sources) I'd also be highly appreciative if you could tell me what the lifestyle is in whichever area you work/live in. Are there any nurses who have ever worked in a country foreign to theirs?

I'm worried I won't get accepted (especially because the priority is given to residents - something I completely understand) but I'm also scared I won't know how to manage there especially because I've never been to the states.

Hope you're all surviving your shifts and doing your best. Don't forget to return your borrowed doctor's stethoscopes. (I really hope people in the states aren't the way The View portrays them lol) Thank you in advance!

P.S: Does anyone know anything about whether or not it's difficult to find a job as a foreigner? Are my chances low? I'm also applying for the NCLEX in the coming semester. Any information would be of great help.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

US Nursing education produces generalists. Specialization only occurs at the graduate (post licensure) level. I understand that the process of obtaining a US license is very complex for most foreign graduates. If you post your inquiry in the "World Nursing" forum (under 'Nurses'), you may receive more expert responses.

Since the US scope of nursing practice is different, most employers categorize foreign graduate nurses as "New Graduate", no matter how much experience they have prior to coming to the US. Currently, there is a surplus of new graduates in most areas of the nation. If you will require sponsorship, your opportunities are even more limited. I do, however, believe that you could attend graduate school without too many problems, as there are not so many restrictions on student visas.