help!! question on validity of international RN license in US

[nvillama]

hi all, i am currently studying nursing in hunter college, ny but i was playing with the idea of doing the actual program out of the country... i want to study in Ecuador but i will think twice about it if i find out i have to start from scratch once i come back... i tried asking the cgfns people but they cant really help me with my question because they need an actual degree to be able to see how valid it is in any US state..

so my question is, for those of you who came to the US with your RN license already and wanted to start working here, what is the deal with the validation? did you have to start from zero, did you have to take a couple of classes, did they laugh at your degree? at this point i am aware that there is a possibility i may have to take a couple of classes thats fine, what i am concerned about is having to start the whole thing over!! i really would like to have a nice experience in another country but i would not like to waste my time either....

so please any insight or advice from anyone who has info would be VERY HELPFUL AND APPRECIATED!

[caliotter3]

Why don't you avoid the inconvenience and finish at Hunter College? If you go to a school outside of the country, you will have to meet the same criteria and jump through the same hoops as any other foreign grad. Is it worth all that? Why would you be doing it?

[nvillama]

that is actually very good insight but i was not planning on finishing at hunter anyway since it is nearly impossible to get into their program.... so since i was planning on transferring to a different school anyway i started to consider doing it outside the country..

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Absolutely not worth it if you plan to work most of your career in the US. Too much of a pain.

[elkpark]

Each country's schools of nursing are oriented to the practice of nursing in that country -- nurses educated in other countries have a much harder time passing the NCLEX to get licensed here (~43% pass rate on first try, as opposed to ~88% for US-educated grads). Also, even as a US citizen, you will be considered a "foreign grad," not just for initial licensure but by every state for the rest of your career -- you will have extra paperwork and hoops to jump through any time you want to get licensed in a new state.

If you plan on practicing most or all of your career in the US, I would definitely advise going to school here. Having an "nice experience" in another country is not, IMHO, worth the extra hassle it would add to your nursing career.

[loriangel14, RN]

Do you speak fluent Spanish? A nursing program in Ecuador would be in the official language.Also you would have to pay international student tuition fees which can sometimes be double the regular tuition.