Hi, im kind of new to this whole posting, forums, and etc., but since i have so many questions arising about my nursing situation, i figured it'd be best to ask those who may know. =)
so as a U.S citizen who is taking up nursing in the Philippines, I am really worried about what will happen after I graduate. I've heard so many stories about how Philippine nursing graduates move to the U.S and become something other than nurses due to various complications with credits not being accredited, qualifications, more additional years of nursing, and worse THEYRE SCHOOL NOT BEING ACKNOWLEDGED in the states which means, 4 years of hard work, for nothing! =(
Im going into my 2nd year of BSN course here in the Philippines and i really wanna know what to expect after i graduate and move back to U.S. I want to know if i should transfer back to the states and continue my nursing there or if itll be alright if i finish my nursing course over here. From what i heard, if i do graduate over here in the philippines, i might have to do like 6months to 2 years of additional schooling. Im up for like 2 years of additional learning, or making up for hours and all of that, but to start ALL OVER or to be disqualified from certain things such as taking tests or exams, i dont think ill be able to handle that as good.
Im kind of alone on this too, since my parents have no idea about how the nursing thing goes. Theyre more on the "graduate as a nurse then work in the states", but we all know its not that easy. They're actually the reason why im attending a nursing school here in the philippines rather than in the states, to save money, cause most of you know how expensive nursing schools are getting in the states. which i think was actually a good idea...................................................at first.
I just really dont wanna waste time & money. I am 100% interested in becoming a nurse, its been a life long dream&goal, but i dont want to find out that i cant become one AFTER IVE GRADUATED nursing school here in the philippines. ya know? i want to know about the things i should look out for, the things i should do, basically any info that will help me in this situation. PLSSSS PLSS PLLSS! and thank you.
Redranger is plumber and I wonder if his kid wanted to be a plumber if he would send them to the PI for plumbing school. His advice is based on his wife's experience and N=1. Does he employ international trained plumbers over US educated plumbers?
Nursing is about taking care of patients. One should not be bargain shopping for education. I bet your parents looked for good schools in the US and didn't send you to the cheapest school here in the USA. Why should nursing be different? Why look for a bargain program when the information you are studying could effect a patient's outcome ? I personally choose a nursing school that would prepare me to be the best nurse for my patient.
Redranger's wife now has a position but she graduated in March 2008 a whole year of lost employment - for a US student that is a loss of $50K in salary. She also has not worked yet so we won't know how successful she will be as a nurse for months. I hope she posts her experiences, not her husband. If my husband posts here, I would be Florence Nightgale, no let me stand correct.... he would say I am the best nurse ever. Every thing my husband posts would be through his rose colored glasses since I am the love of his life.
My daughter was educated in a US public university that cost $60k for 4 years. My son is in ASU and their tuition is about 1/2 of my home state. Public education at affordable rates are out there. I teach in an ADN evening program so students work full time and go to school full time, most do not take out loans and are self supporting. I don't buy the story it is cheaper since I see many ways to go to school in the USA.
IEN don't pass the NCLEX at the same rate as US educated nurses. Their rate is about 40% and each time you take it goes down. This is a fact - not one person's story.
The advice I gave my own daughter who thought of going to med school out of the country since it was cheaper and easier to get into- DON'T. When an American chooses to be educated outside of the country people always question why....
could they not finish they program in the US?
Could they not get accepted in the USA?
Employers and educators will not buy the fact US school were too expensive.
If you are poor grants are available.
Nurses need the best quality education they can get it is not a bargain shopping.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I really would recommend if you are going to train in another country that you take their local exam if you are allowed to. In PI you can only sit local exam if you have PI citizenship. A lot will depend on the state you want to work in to whether you need local license or not and if they do require it and you can't sit it you have to get something officially stating you can not sit it.
You are the only one that can decide on whether to train in the US or not but remember if trained outside the US it is harder to sit and pass NCLEX (all facts are on the NSCBN website) and you will always be classed as a International trained nurse and have to meet state requirements usually even when moving states.
I personally agree with Alex and that it usually is better to train in the country you plan on working especially as a student you will be networking and as we are seeing in many posts a lot of new grads in many states are struggling to find work and the ones that do usually post it is because they worked there as a student
I am a foreign grad too (Philippines). and it was easy for me to find a job here in USA after passing NCLEX. It does not mean we are foreign trained we cant compete with your training here. :smiley_ab
We have best quality education in Philippines too. and... we all know, Filipino nurses have reputable name as RN here in USA.
I found some post here offensive and belittling for us foreign trained nurses, and I highly disagree with it.:angthts:
=) thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate the help!
redranger, congrats to your wife! =) stories like those make me hopeful!
redranger, Philippines is not as bad as everyone said it was going to be. So im actually alright with going to school here, just as long as i know its not gonna disqualify me or put me into a BIG disadvantage upon becoming a nurse in the san francisco where i intend to live in. i hope you enjoy your vacation in the summer!
Salamat
You will probably find it to be an Big advatage getting your BSN in PI, Your clinical training will be in far excess of what US Student do, in terms of hours and actual nursing.
I personally love the Philippines and would be living full time there right now if I could.
But in USA, There is so much money to be made so easily , but I do have PI in my plans for retirement.
Where else but PI can I go where everything is in English, I can hire a full time live in helper/Maid for $30 per month, Friendly people everywhere, and the cost of living will enable me to live like a King.
And once my wife gets established as a Nurse in USA, It will be Winter Time in PI, and Spring Summer and Fall in USA until Retirement.
is it alright if i dont take the boards or the NCLEX here in the philippines since i plan to go back to the states and work there? And i heard that clicnical hours arent transferrable, so would that mean i shouldnt even get into that over here, since i plan to move back anyways?
and last, since i can manage the waiting part.......what should i prepare in advance for a more smoother chance at working in the states. I mean ive experienced how hard it was to have to get paperworks mailed and faxed, signed and sealed, and all that formal/offical stuff needed by both schools, from SF to PI during my first enrollment, and mannn must i say, that was the biggest pain in the gulteus maximus. haa i want to try and stray away from that. hehe. i know i still have 3 years of nursing school, i just want to be prepared. =)
thanks again for all the feedback!
Clinical Hours are transferable in order to sit for NCLEX regarding Pearson Vue and BON in USA.
You can sit for NCLEX in PI, But it will probably me easier to do it in USA since they have testing centers all over the country. Don't worry about local boards, I don't think you can sit anyways since you are not a PI Citizen
PaperWork to bring:
Bring about 4 Letter of References & Recommendations from your Clinical Instructors, Dean, Etc.
Bring Multiple copies of your Original Transcripts
Of course bring all your certificate from training you did in PI, and Diploma:bugeyes:
A few months before you graduate, Check the BON and find out what they require as a Foriegn Trained Student and get all that paperwork together.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I am a foreign grad too (Philippines). and it was easy for me to find a job here in USA after passing NCLEX. It does not mean we are foreign trained we cant compete with your training here. :smiley_ab
We have best quality education in Philippines too. and... we all know, Filipino nurses have reputable name as RN here in USA.
I found some post here offensive and belittling for us foreign trained nurses, and I highly disagree with it.:angthts:
We are not belittling foreign trained nurses. I am one and as long as you meet BON/BRN requirements then you will not have a problem. We are however seeing that some are having problems and we are even seeing some countries evaluation PI training and being evaluated lower than what the country accepts. I am sure there are good training schools in the Philippines in the same way there are good schools in the US, Canada and UK but there are also bad schools and when we see people post that they haven't had great clinical experience in school because there are many students to few patients then the question will arise on training and experience.
Redranger's wife now has a position but she graduated in March 2008 a whole year of lost employment - for a US student that is a loss of $50K in salary.
I didn't even petition her until March 2008. She arrived her late 2008, and initial plan was for her to not work for a year.
But her friends she went to school with started passing NLE and getting jobs and she wanted to work, So she wanted to get a job.
If we had decided for her to go to work as soon as she arrived her, We could of had her EAD and NCLEX passed within 2 months after her sitting foot in Texas.
As a nurse of 32 years and nursing educator, all new nurses regardless where they go to school have issues as a new grad.
It is my professional experience that a nurse is best educated for the country they work in by attending school in that country.
English nurse= goes to school in England= best nurse for England.
Canadian nurse = goes to school in Canada= best nurse for Canada.
American nurse = goes to school in USA = best nurse for USA.
If I choose to practice in any other country, even with my years of experience I would need a transition to whatever country I choose to practice.
The initial post was a US citizen choosing to go to school other than US due to cost. I know that is a mistake.
Heavensent88 keep in touch, you can not say your education prepared you until you are practicing independently in the hospital. You pass the NCLEX which is an accomplishment but it is only the basic nursing standard.
=) thanks for all the replies. I really appreciate the help!
redranger, congrats to your wife! =) stories like those make me hopeful!
Alexk49, i also agree with you that it is much easier to go to school in the same place you plan to work at but being in my case, since i know for a fact my parents wont be able to support me all the way financially, even if i get a job too, i thought it'd actually best for me to agree with my parents to take up nursing in the philippines, save both of us trouble FINANCIALLY...hehe. =D
I teach in an evening program, no one counts on parents to support them. School is designed for students to work and go to school. Graduate - pass NCLEX in less then 6 weeks and get a job. Plus you can go to any state an not worry about being a IEN.
We are not belittling foreign trained nurses. I am one and as long as you meet BON/BRN requirements then you will not have a problem. We are however seeing that some are having problems and we are even seeing some countries evaluation PI training and being evaluated lower than what the country accepts. I am sure there are good training schools in the Philippines in the same way there are good schools in the US, Canada and UK but there are also bad schools and when we see people post that they haven't had great clinical experience in school because there are many students to few patients then the question will arise on training and experience.
In the US when a school is a poor performer the school is closed to admissions. The state limits student to instructor ratio which is 1:10 ( which I feel is way too much) and my school limits 1:8. We voluntarily are accredited by the NLN which has higher standards. I don't know if other countries have these standards.
You will probably find it to be an Big advatage getting your BSN in PI, Your clinical training will be in far excess of what US Student do, in terms of hours and actual nursing.
Where do you get your information???
Are you a nursing instructor ? What are your qualifications to evaluate nursing programs?
US nursing students give medications, treatments, catheters, ng tubes, complex wound care, trach care. My understanding in the PI, nurses can't do IVs, NG tubes are handled by MDs, and many complex nursing procedures don't exist in the PI such as wound vacs, TPN, PICC lines, alines, telemetry just to name a few.
We also teach delegation and expose the students to many different settings such as LTC which the PI doesn't have. Each student has one patient and often 2 or more patients that they are accountable for. ( Medications, IV, and treatments).
My students have participated in flu clinics and participate in Code situations. The chart on electronic medical systems.
In what possible way do nursing students in the PI have more hours and more clinical experience?
Also many students work as CNAs which enhance their nursing experience.
My qualification is I am a Mastered Prepared RN with 30+ years of experience, 3 years as clinical instructor, I am also presently certified as Medical Surgical Nurse and Case Manager. I have been certified in the past as Hospice Nurse.
FYI: Im a BSN graduate from Philippines. We had IV training on my 4th year and was allowed to insert IV. We are allowed to scrub in Major operations. We are allowed to give medications for patients except IV meds. We do Trach care, catheter, wound care. We are even given the chance to handle deliveries & cord dressing. Assist minor surgeries.. We are 1:4 patient ratio. 2 years, We are rotated in different areas in the hospital, that includes CCU's, ER, Ophtha, ENT, Ortho, OB, GYN, MED SURG, etc...
Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN
3,181 Posts
I am a firm believer you get what you pay for.
Redranger is plumber and I wonder if his kid wanted to be a plumber if he would send them to the PI for plumbing school. His advice is based on his wife's experience and N=1. Does he employ international trained plumbers over US educated plumbers?
Nursing is about taking care of patients. One should not be bargain shopping for education. I bet your parents looked for good schools in the US and didn't send you to the cheapest school here in the USA. Why should nursing be different? Why look for a bargain program when the information you are studying could effect a patient's outcome ? I personally choose a nursing school that would prepare me to be the best nurse for my patient.
Redranger's wife now has a position but she graduated in March 2008 a whole year of lost employment - for a US student that is a loss of $50K in salary. She also has not worked yet so we won't know how successful she will be as a nurse for months. I hope she posts her experiences, not her husband. If my husband posts here, I would be Florence Nightgale, no let me stand correct.... he would say I am the best nurse ever. Every thing my husband posts would be through his rose colored glasses since I am the love of his life.
My daughter was educated in a US public university that cost $60k for 4 years. My son is in ASU and their tuition is about 1/2 of my home state. Public education at affordable rates are out there. I teach in an ADN evening program so students work full time and go to school full time, most do not take out loans and are self supporting. I don't buy the story it is cheaper since I see many ways to go to school in the USA.
IEN don't pass the NCLEX at the same rate as US educated nurses. Their rate is about 40% and each time you take it goes down. This is a fact - not one person's story.
The advice I gave my own daughter who thought of going to med school out of the country since it was cheaper and easier to get into- DON'T. When an American chooses to be educated outside of the country people always question why....
could they not finish they program in the US?
Could they not get accepted in the USA?
Employers and educators will not buy the fact US school were too expensive.
If you are poor grants are available.
Nurses need the best quality education they can get it is not a bargain shopping.