How to find out if my PN education is valid in America?

suzanne4, RN · Jul 8, 2005

Sorry but you can't get a visa to work with as an LPN in the US. The US government reuqires that you have an RN from your country and are considered first level to be able to get working documents for here. That is why you are not finding anything.

Actually the reason that test center is in the London is because of its local and safety issues. UK education is different than the US and the nurses that are currently graduating have to take make-up classes to meet thre requirements for licensure in Canada, as well as the US.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 8, 2005

sorry but you can't get a visa to work with as an lpn in the us. the us government reuqires that you have an rn from your country and are considered first level to be able to get working documents for here. that is why you are not finding anything.

actually the reason that test center is in the london is because of its locale and safety issues. uk education is different than the us and the nurses that are currently graduating have to take make-up classes to meet thre requirements for licensure in canada, as well as the us.

i know that this is not what you wanted to hear, but these are the immigration rules, not mine..........

and welcome to allnurses.com.......... :melody:

Izola · Jul 8, 2005

sorry but you can't get a visa to work with as an lpn in the us. the us government reuqires that you have an rn from your country and are considered first level to be able to get working documents for here. that is why you are not finding anything.
actually the reason that test center is in the london is because of its locale and safety issues. uk education is different than the us and the nurses that are currently graduating have to take make-up classes to meet thre requirements for licensure in canada, as well as the us.
i know that this is not what you wanted to hear, but these are the immigration rules, not mine..........
and welcome to allnurses.com.......... :melody:

i'm actually not worrying about visas at all i'm not intending to apply for a greencard through work so to speak. my husband is american currently living with me here and i'd be moving there for his sake on a spousal visa.

accourding to what i read this morning about nclex institute in london, gonna try to find it again...easier said than done when you can't remember where you found it...i will try to find it when i come back.

anyway my concern has nothing to do with migrations, i just want to know how to find out if my education will be seen as equivalent or not, so any suggestions as to where to ask are greately appreciated.

Izola · Jul 8, 2005

Ah now I found it, doesn't really "speak clear language" though. Can be interpreted in many ways I guess... anyway the quote:

"Similarity to U.S nursing educational systems

The examination committee considered locations with educational systems that have similarities in preparation of candidates parallel to US educational systems."

Found on page 2 of this http://www.ncsbn.org/pdfs/Intnl_FAQ_Sept_04.pdf

suzanne4, RN · Jul 9, 2005

You have to apply to the state where you wish to get licensed, and see if they will accept your credentials. You must do that before you can sit for the NCLEX-PN exam. You need permission from a state BON to be able to sit for the exam. Be aware that LPNs are not be used as much in some states.

There are severla nurses here that were LPNs in Canada, married an American, and have had quite a few peoblems with getting licensed in the US. Canada's system is quite colse to that of the US, but not all states recognize training from there.

What I would recommend to make it the easiest for you is to do a bridge program after you get your PN, and get lciensed as an RN. It will make things much, much easier for you.

Pearson-Vue offers a testing center in London for the NCLEX exam, but they have nothing to so whatsoever with who can sit for the exam, etc. They only administer the exam for the Boards of Nursing.

Hope that this helps clesar up some things for you..............

Izola · Jul 9, 2005

Ok then I've done pretty much all I can allready. I've been trying to get a hold of the nursing board and union in the state in question (union is mostly cus I know that's the place I'd turn to here if I had questions) and I've contacted a community college to see if they would do a transcript evaluation of my courses.

I know the test institute has nothing to do with the actual thing, it was just as a reply to what I wrote in my first post that you questioned. =)

I have absolutely no wish to become a registered nurse otherwise I would have considered doing that and doing it here before the move. I love the line of work I'm in and intend to do my best to stay in it even if my husband wants to move home =)

Thank you for your answers =)

suzanne4, RN · Jul 9, 2005

The union still has no say in what will be accepted by the nursing board, only they do. Same thing with a community college. Best suggestion is to submit your documents to the BON and get the direct answer from them. It is going to be the only way that you are actually going to offivially find out anything.

Roles of LPNs also differ here depending on the state, so what you are doing now, or not doing now, may be different.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 9, 2005

I've been trying to figure this question out for weeks but none of the places I've emailed to try to get additional information has answered me.
I'm currently doing the Practical nurse education in Sweden, I've worked with developement disabled for the last 5 years, and I'm trying to figure out if America would see this education as a valid one.
One of the NCLEX test centers are in London for the reason that the US sees the English education as equivalent to the American one. A Swedish practical nurse has no problems working in England, as in we don't have to take any additional classes or anything - they view our education as an equivalent one to their own. So through that thought process I *should* be in the clear.
But how the heck do I find out for sure? Where do I turn to to find this out? Any help is greately appreciated since I'm going bonkers from trying to figure this whole thing out :uhoh21:
A link for my education, written in english - http://www3.skolverket.se/ki03/front.aspx?sprak=EN&ar=0405&infotyp=15&skolform=21&id=15&extraId=0

Try to type in a search for the board of nursing in the state in which you plan to practice. Here is one excerpt from a state in the U.S.:

"Foreign educated nurses licensed in another jurisdiction who can validate that their foreign nursing education program was "substantially similar" to (state in question) nursing programs via an official transcript from their nursing education program and who have passed NCLEX, provided they are otherwise qualified. . ."

This particular state does accept LPN. (I am unsure if just RN's are allowed to practice and not LPN's in the US). I would think both since this state has this information in their regulations. Good luck!!!

Izola · Jul 9, 2005

The union still has no say in what will be accepted by the nursing board, only they do. Same thing with a community college. Best suggestion is to submit your documents to the BON and get the direct answer from them. It is going to be the only way that you are actually going to offivially find out anything.
Roles of LPNs also differ here depending on the state, so what you are doing now, or not doing now, may be different.

I know the union doesn't have a say but they might have a clue, for instance if they have a member that is educated in Sweden, since all educations in this country follows the same rules that are set by the state. A clue is what I'm looking for really

I have been advised to get a transcript evaluation of my courses to make it easier with the transition when I do get there. Therefor I tried to make contact to see to that now.

I am eagerly awaiting a response from the BON, but since the state in question is Minnesota and they are having their budget issues atm, getting an answer is as good as impossible.

I understand that I'm being difficult here, but I'm looking at every aspect of it because I want to have an idea of what's going to happen. If I will have to do it all all over again, I want to be prepared to do it even if it is almost a year from now.

Thank you for your answer yet again, and I'll try to just sit back and wait for the MN BON to start working again... a very difficult task for me, heh

Izola · Jul 9, 2005

Try to type in a search for the board of nursing in the state in which you plan to practice. Here is one excerpt from a state in the U.S.:
"Foreign educated nurses licensed in another jurisdiction who can validate that their foreign nursing education program was "substantially similar" to (state in question) nursing programs via an official transcript from their nursing education program and who have passed NCLEX, provided they are otherwise qualified. . ."
This particular state does accept LPN. (I am unsure if just RN's are allowed to practice and not LPN's in the US). I would think both since this state has this information in their regulations. Good luck!!!

Thank you for the tip and I've done so ahead of time, I think I've read every little piece of information on their website by now =) Unfortunately practical nurses do not carry a license in Sweden, therefor I'm thinking that might limit my abilities.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 9, 2005

Thank you for the tip and I've done so ahead of time, I think I've read every little piece of information on their website by now =) Unfortunately practical nurses do not carry a license in Sweden, therefor I'm thinking that might limit my abilities.

Liscensure by the actual country is not the question, I do no think. If your education is similar and you have passed the NCLEX, then, if MN BON accepts and/or recognizes this, you should be o.k. I tried to get some things on the MN BON website as well, some of their applications are down at this time, and no regulations outlining foreign nurses like I told you for which the one state had provisions.

So, again, good luck.