International Nursing

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Specializes in N/A.

Hi! I'm a senior in high school at the moment, and would like to be a pediatric nurse. More specifically, I'd like to become a peds nurse in England. Can anyone give me some insight as to the process of become an international student, qualifications, how the whole degree system works? I'd like to do my ASN in the US and then carry it with me to a school in the UK but I'm not sure if that's how it works. Any info would be appreciated!

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

Unfortunately with nursing, you typically need to get the education in the country you plan on practicing in as education requirements can vary greatly from country to country. Frequently it is also not enough to just qualify for a student visa for nursing school in a foreign country you need to have permanent residency or work visa status met to even apply for the nursing program as with out meeting the minimum employment qualifications for that country you are essentially wasting an education that could have been given to a citizen or permanent resident.

Is there a particular reason you want to move to the UK? Are you likely to meet residency requirements? Not going to say it is impossible to move there and get the education and permits to be a nurse but it is very likely to be a long and expensive process with few guarantees along the way.

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Specializes in N/A.

I hate to sound unpatriotic, but I don't enjoy America as much as I guess my fellow citizens do. I've wanted to live in Europe since I was 6, I just figured that the UK would be easiest since they speak English as well. I just don't know how to have my cake and eat it too. Are there any career paths that involve being a traveling Peds nurse, traveling to different countries?

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

In order to work in the UK, you must have been employed as an RN in the US for at least a year or 450 hours in the last 3 years. You'll have to pay an application fee to the NMC (Nurse Midwifery Council) and you'll have to complete the OSCE exam, which tests your competence as a UK nurse. You'll still have to meet immigration requirements to be able to move to the UK

Here's a link to the NMC's requirements to become a nurse in the UK if you are not a resident: Trained outside the EU/EEA

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Specializes in N/A.

What about schooling? Or does the schooling not matter, just the experience?

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Specializes in N/A.

Also, would I be allowed to finish my schooling there from the point that I ended? I really want to be pediatric nurse.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

You'd have to look at the FAQ page on the NMC site. That's all I know. Maybe you can send them an e-mail with your questions?

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Be aware that the lifestyle nursing might afford you in the US is very different than that in the UK. I'm sure this varies by location/specialty, but it is my understanding that nursing pay in the UK is quite low. I would love for someone to comment. I have several friends that are from the UK that have told me nursing pay in the UK is low, but they weren't nurses themselves, so take that with a grain of salt.

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What about schooling? Or does the schooling not matter, just the experience?

In order to get the experience required by working in the US, you have to first complete a US education, pass the US national licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN, and then work for a year. Your schooling will need to happen in America, get licensed in America, and then work in America for as long as it takes to meet the UK requirements for immigration.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I moved this to the nursing in the UK forum....I think you will get better answers here.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

At the moment not many universities take international nursing students due to how things are funded at the moment. Due to how UK training is if by any chance you return to the US you will have difficulties registering as the UK training is more specialised where as the US is general.

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Specializes in Critical care.

The way we fund student nurses here in the U.K. is about to change, whether this may mean a change in residency requirements is yet to be seen, as tbh, it feels like no one seems to know what is actually going on. As it seems to be with the majority of political things here at the moment.

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