Published Jan 10, 2009
pollymurro
5 Posts
Hello
I am a mental health nurse hoping to work in the USA. I know that i need hours in theory and practice hours in all med, surg, children, psyc, and midwifery. However, I'm not sure how many hours are required in theory and practice for each field before i am permitted to sit the NCLEX.
Appartently I also need hours in microbiology and A + P, once again though not sure how many hours.
If anyone could help, I would be really grateful. Or if anyone is a mental health registered nurse trained in the UK and has moved and undertaken the NCLEX, it would be good to hear from you to see how you found the process.
Many thanks
ghillbert, MSN, NP
3,796 Posts
They don't really release that information.
suzanne4, RN
26,410 Posts
Each state has their own requirements for licensure in terms of hours that are needed as well as CGFNS has their own specific set of minimum hours that are needed for the Visa Screen Certificate. If you take the time to do a search here, you will find some threads that list specifics for quite a few states. That should give you some idea.
The courses in the US are usually six weeks in length and contain both clinical and theory hours to meet the requirements in most states. Clinical as well as theory hours needs to be completed at the same time as well as in an approved school of nursing.
You are actually going to be applying for licensure as an RN, the NCLEX exam is just the final step in the process.
Depending on how long ago that you completed your program, you may find that you in fact do not need any hours to be made up. Quite a few of the mental health nurses had enough hours by what was completed during their first 18 months of their program.
Best of luck to you.
Silverdragon102, BSN
1 Article; 39,477 Posts
I did OK for 2 states and I was a EN converted to RN and here are the hours I had and give you a rough idea
Mental health and mother and child had 150 hours practical and paeds 337 all had approx 75-90 hours theory, was already general trained so other hours clinical and theory was OK.
total hours practical 4882 hours and theory 800 hours and I had no problems
Nurse2BMonique21
76 Posts
yes but your training was better then, we dont qualify with all those hours now...the requirement for the nmc is 2300 practical.
We have had mental health nurses have no problems and they expected problems. Each state is different and I only did CES 4 years ago but at least the hours can give an idea
5cats
613 Posts
When the info I got is right, you will need 20 hours in each area for theory and 60 clinical, an older info said 30 theory hours and 70 clinical.
hope that helps