help with steps to practice nursing in US.

loriangel14, RN · Apr 24, 2011

Contact the BON in the state in which you wish to be licensed(or go to the website) and they will tell you how to apply.Basically they will assess your education and decide if you are eligible to write the NCLEX and if you pass that you will be granted a nursing license.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Apr 24, 2011

The bigger issue is whether you can practice in the US - you have citizenship here, a green card, or an immigration status that permits to work here.

Often that is the bigger impediment to working here.

lizbetty · Apr 24, 2011

thanks for the response.

I'm hoping to use dependent visa on my husbands H1b. i hope with this i can write the NCLEX, and then practice.

Do u know if i can start the NCLEX from my country, or i have to wait till i get to the US. i also hope it will be easy to secure job in the same hospital where my husband will be doing his residency.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Apr 24, 2011

You can not work if your husband has a H1b, you get a H4 and working is not allowed.

You will have to get a work visa of your own and with the current US climate and many US nurses struggling to find work will find this will be hard.

You can start the process of application for licensure now and links to the various state BON's can be found at the bottom of the page

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Apr 24, 2011

As per Silverdragon, who is very well informed on these issues, it will be very difficult to get a visa with status to permit you to work as a nurse in the US. Licensure is going to be an easier hurdle, but even with licensure, you cannot work without the appropriate green card/visa status that permits you to work.

Green card waits are topping waits of 5 years or more currently from some nations. H1b status for nurses are few and far between, currently, with large numbers of immigrants vying for very few spots. H1b also requires that the applicant be a specialist in a field with extensive extra training/experience, and that no US nurses can be found in that area, with that experience/training. With large amounts of US nurses unemployed, very few positions would qualify.

Do contact the state board of nursing where you will be going for licensure requirements so you may start them. But I fear that you may have quite a while to prepare them and for the NCLEX as getting permit to work after licensure may be a while.

lizbetty · Apr 24, 2011

thanks for these insights.

i am getting discouraged when i have not even started.

is it a dead end? any hope at all,

i love nursing, its my passion.

Is there anyway i can boost my chances??

Trauma Columnist · Apr 24, 2011

To be blunt, there are many US citizens, born, and educated here who have no jobs. Unemployment remains at an all time high in our country. There are no jobs.

Is your husband planning to remain in the US after his residency? If so, you might want to pursue a visa in the anticipation that our economy will improve.

lizbetty · Apr 25, 2011

thanks.

from what i have gathered so far, my decision is to pursue licensure for now, and do NCLEX.

i'll still be on my husbands H1b dependent visa for the main time.

He plans to remain in the US after his residency.

I hope that in the years to come after my licensure and exams, i will find an employer willing to sponsor a working visa.

thanks y'all.

chiandre · Apr 30, 2011

lizbetty:

as a fellow nigerian, trained in the usa, my main advice is: do not get discouraged! you are in the right profession!

my suggestion is to take the nclex. you may not get a job immediately but at least you will have the license to practice nursing.

depending on how passionate you are about nursing, go back to school and get advanced degree in nursing. look for opportunities to practice, do not turn down any nursing job!

in nursing, any experience is better than no experience. as long as you have the passion, faith, and desire to be a nurse, you will be okay!

so, do not worry. pack your bags! you are on the right track!