IENs who are now working as RNs?

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Specializes in Emergency.

Hi All! I am a BSN grad from the Philippines and I arrived in California about a month ago. I worked as an ER nurse in a JCI-accredited hospital for 4 years (2009-2013) but spent the past year (2013) in a telecommunications company before coming here. I have a lot of college classmates who went here and applied as new grads but not one who has prior experience. I am to take the NCLEX in Illinois this August because of the concurrency issue in California (I didn't want to risk waiting too long to be licensed) and I have no problem relocating to another state. My question is, does my 4 years of experience count or would I have better chances of being hired if I apply for new grad positions, considering I've been out of practice for more than a year? Will hospitals consider hiring me at all or do I need to start as a caregiver/CNA/LVN first?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

You cannot start as an LPN unless licensed as such. Unlicensed Caregiver experience does not count towards nursing experience. You cannot work as a CNA unless certified. You can take a NA job however very few facilities will hire licensed nurses in UAP roles due to liability issues.

The market is tough for those without recent specialty experience.

You are not a new grad and therefore would not qualify for new grad programs. Those are intended for nurses who graduated in the past 6 months, passed the NCLEX and have never worked as a licensed RN before.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Thank you for the reply, this has been the most helpful so far. My CNA application is underway. I just chose it over applying as an LVN for now because it is relatively cheaper and faster, and we're prioritizing the NCLEX-RN. I was just wondering, what other steps could I take to update my credentials (aside from obtaining BLS/ACLS/PALS)? Do I take a refresher course or is that just for NLCEX eligibility? I really don't want to go the LVN-RN route. I am willing to, if need be, but is it more advisable to do that?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

California may give you a hard time applying for RN due to lack of concurrency of theory and clinical. Check out the multiple threads in the nurse registration forum in the world nursing section

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Thank you for the reply, this has been the most helpful so far. My CNA application is underway. I just chose it over applying as an LVN for now because it is relatively cheaper and faster, and we're prioritizing the NCLEX-RN. I was just wondering, what other steps could I take to update my credentials (aside from obtaining BLS/ACLS/PALS)? Do I take a refresher course or is that just for NLCEX eligibility? I really don't want to go the LVN-RN route. I am willing to, if need be, but is it more advisable to do that?

Going the CNA route is a step backwards if your priority is to become an RN as opposed to the going the LVN-RN path that you feel is cheaper and faster to become a CNA, if you plan to come back to CA.

While getting the RN license in IL, will most likely not qualify to be endorsed into CA, due to the same concurrency problem, so therefore, if CA is your primary job state, you should try to meet the CA BRN requirements if that means re-taking the deficient courses as years of paid hospital experience, no matter in a foreign or even in the US will count towards meeting any of the deficient courses.

I'm seeing whereby many kababayans are now thinking this is the "route" to take to eventually come back into CA, but they will be deeply disappointed and frustrated when they find out (in shock and disbelief and angry) with the CA BRN and themselves, this "short-cut" did not work at all and completely back-fired on them.

They will start to blame the CA BRN, but in reality, they only have themselves to blame to waste money and years (in a job and or trying to take the NCLEX-RN out of state). The CA BRN rules and regulations will still be there and are not bendable no matter who they are.

They will come to find out, they made a fatal career decision as the CA BRN will simply not accept any substitute for the educational requirements, never have, never will, probably in the last 25-35 years of existence and why would there be an exception now? Even if there's a nursing shortage (even for experienced nurses), CA BRN knows better now to not overlook the situation.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Thank you for taking the time! I was really confused, I didn't know where to begin. I wasn't aware of the concurrency issue before I left the Philippines. My husband and I agreed that we'd relocate to whichever state I get an RN job first so we're not really bent on staying in or coming back to California. But I still submitted an application for CA-LVN (instead of CNA as I was initially planning to...you were right, pointless to be a CNA if I could be an LVN), just for back up. Won't hurt, right? I also emailed several of out-of-state hospitals and two replied that as long as my experience was within the last 5 years, then I could apply for the experienced positions and be called in for an interview. Still waiting for the others' replies, wish me luck! :)

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