General Discussion about Filipino RNs currently working in the U.S.

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for filipino rns currently in the us whether still undergoing the proper documentations or already working please kindly share your experiences on this thread.

topics maybe from experiences at the workplace, impact of the new culture to you and your family, general do's and dont's, and others.

this thread would serve, hopefully, as a general resource thread for would-be u.s. nurses in the near future and to dispel myths and rumors and of course general advice coming from those already in the u.s.

Specializes in Medical Surgical-current.

Which is much stressing hospital work in the Philippines or hospital duty in the US?..Setting aside the salary issue we all know that US or any other first world countries pay their nurses a much higher salary than here in the Philippines, what I want to know is the working condition of Filipino nurses abroad especially in the US..

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

If you ask my opinion, I'd say the stress is higher for RN's here than there in the Philippines. Patients in the US are well-informed about their medical condition. They ask more questions, require more health teaching, and demand more from their healthcare providers. You also have to be a "thinking" nurse because you are held accountable for making sure your nursing knowledge is up to date. For instance, you don't just pass your meds without knowing the indication, side-effects, and lab tests you need to monitor with these meds. I know we do the same in the Philippines but you have to be more conscious of those things here because patients here are more aware of their rights and are more likely to pursue legal channels if something goes wrong.

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Specializes in med-surg.

just took and luckily passed my nclex-rn exam for the first time...now i dont know which area to choose..what areas could you suggest taht is not that stressful?i love psyche but they only have 8 hour shifts ..i need 12 hr shifts so taht i could apply for 2 full time jobs...i am thinkin of ER and NICU but im not that confident yet if i can handle it well?

any advice ???

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.
just took and luckily passed my nclex-rn exam for the first time...now i dont know which area to choose..what areas could you suggest taht is not that stressful?i love psyche but they only have 8 hour shifts ..i need 12 hr shifts so taht i could apply for 2 full time jobs...i am thinkin of er and nicu but im not that confident yet if i can handle it well?

any advice ???

hi! congratulations for passing the exam! so you want two full time jobs that are not stressful....hmmmm, may i suggest get into medical-surgical unit first? since it will be your first time of working as an rn, i think it's best to stay in one area which will give you an idea of what it is like to be a working nurse. medical-surgical dept. have a variety of patients you can be expose to, i came from a medical surgical floor before we have a lot of psychiatric patients too. also i suggest sticking with one job for now instead of working two full time rn jobs, there are a lot of things to learn in first year, in fact, i wont even work two jobs until i feel that i am comfortable with not only my skills, but also the routine in the hospital or facility. also, in any dept. of the nursing, it is always stressful. there are no days at work that is the same, there is always something new to learn, and there is always changes that makes it stressful..but having enough experience, plus depending on your coping and time managing skills will really help you survive this profession. goodluck to you!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
just took and luckily passed my nclex-rn exam for the first time...now i dont know which area to choose..what areas could you suggest taht is not that stressful?i love psyche but they only have 8 hour shifts ..i need 12 hr shifts so taht i could apply for 2 full time jobs...i am thinkin of ER and NICU but im not that confident yet if i can handle it well?

any advice ???

Nursing is stressful whether you are in sub acute, LTC or in acute settings. It is how we deal with it that makes the difference.

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just took and luckily passed my nclex-rn exam for the first time...now i dont know which area to choose..what areas could you suggest taht is not that stressful?i love psyche but they only have 8 hour shifts ..i need 12 hr shifts so taht i could apply for 2 full time jobs...i am thinkin of ER and NICU but im not that confident yet if i can handle it well?

any advice ???

congrats!!!! considering that its your first, i would go for med-surg. it has everything...psyche included. :uhoh3: im on a respiratory/med surg floor. respiratory is our main area which could be tough too. anyways, when i first got here, i was thinking right away of getting a second job once i passed my nclex but eventually changed my mind as soon as i started working as RN. why? yep, the stress....even if i worked 12 hr shifts (and getting 4 days off at that), i dont think i can handle the extra stress on top of the regular stress at my first hospital..so i was thinking to get as much rest and relaxation as i can during my off days, otherwise, i would get burned out quick! but if you really wanna go for a second job, maybe you would think working in a non hospital setting (hopefully, there's lesser stress).

good luck!

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I came in the US 3 yrs ago. I started to work in a Med-Sug floor. T'was really busy as in BUSY. In the Phils, I used to work in a District Hosp wherein there was 1 MD, 1-2 RN, 1 aid and the security guard for the entire 50-bed hospital. I thought that was tough coz we were incharged for all the wards including ER,DR,etc. But I tell you, nothing compares than the stress here in the US. Patients are legally conscious - believe it or not, there are patients that are waiting for you to make mistakes so that they can make money. Med-surg is truly a tough floor but it is the best training ground especially for foreign grad nurses like us. I already moved out to a specialty floor but I can say that I had a strong nursing foundation bec of that med-surg experience. My first evaluation from my new floor is "exceptional" and I always receive commendation from my manager.Barely 3 years here, I think I accomplished alot - I got my car exactly 2 months since I arrived,bought my own house as soon as I turned 1 year, had another baby, my children who are in elementary had won several chess competions not only from our city but statewide and had been invited several times in other states but we refused-it is not our priority. I used to work as a PRN in another hospital. I worked there at least once a week, the extra money I got from there were the money I sent back home to my family in the Phils. It was difficult at first bec primarily is the language barrier and they use a different computer system but nursing care is the same, just ask other staffs for their policies if in case you have doubts. I was able to do that for 1 year. i already quit coz I just satisfied my curiousity of how it is to work w/ a second job and in another hospital. But I really gained a lot from that, not to mention I was able to buy some properties for my parents,etc. I also had tried to go to school in a big university (again, for curiousity's sake). This one was kinda tougher because t'was a traditional class that meets twice a week for 3 hours per session. I took the "American Film" class just to see how is it to be a student in the US. My classmates were really young, single, college students, full of life, most were full-time students. I was able to pass the class but my conclusion was that it was a misadventure. Now, that I am 3 years, my goal this time is to be able to take the NP or the Advance Nursing Practice Exam because I had my MSN in the Phils but I think I still need to take a couple more subjects to qualify me to sit for the certification. To be honest, since I arrived here until this point in time, my mentality is to take advantage of whatever america can offer me because I plan not to stay here for good instead I am preparing myself in all aspects specially financially for an early retirement then go back home to share what I had gained here in the US to the Filipino nurses and future nurses that wants to work here in the US.

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Thanks for sharing. Pls. feel free to share some more of your experiences here at anytime.

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Hello Guys!! im Also an RN here in the philippines and will be coming soon in the US after this retrogression i'll be working in OR..just want to ask if experience is a big factor before going to US?....or its okey if you have limited experience will they train you when your already in their facility?

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.
hello guys!! im also an rn here in the philippines and will be coming soon in the us after this retrogression i'll be working in or..just want to ask if experience is a big factor before going to us?....or its okey if you have limited experience will they train you when your already in their facility?

it is always okay to have an experience, but if you want to work in the u.s., it is not really required to have one because even if you are already well experienced in the philippines, your future employer will orient you to your choosen dept. in the philippines, we call it training,( which most rns there now have to pay for that training...) however, in the u.s., they will "orient" you for a long period of time, and you are getting paid, and also your license is on the line, including the person who is orienting you. in most places, they will let you work in a medical-department first for maybe a year or two, then you can transfer in different department, such as in o.r. goodluck to you!!

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Wow that's good news for me..thanks for your reply have a nice day....

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Hi seeandwhy! what an awesome success story! I wish you more success professionally and happines with your family and personal life. I noticed you indicated a desire to become an advanced practice nurse and you specifically mentioned NP. I am a nurse practitioner myself and have been for the last 2 1/2 years. I studied for my MSN here in the US with acute care nurse practitioner specialization. If you already have an MSN (which I assume you obtained from the Philippines), I would ask around college of nursing campuses around your area and see if you can qualify for a post-master's certificate NP program. The MSN obtained in the Philippines does not meet clinical practice requirements to sit for the NP certification exam here in the US. That is the reason for having to take a post-master's NP program. These programs can run 1-2 years depending on the school. By the way, what NP specilaty are you interested in?

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