UK to USA.Agency or alone?

suzanne4, RN · Sep 19, 2005

Read some of the other posts here. My suggestion is not to use them, they will not guarantee you a state or location until the very end, so you could be placed anywhere. It is quite easy to do it yourself and actually get things done much quicker.

Read some of the stickies at the top of the International Forum for many suggestions as to what to do next.:)

Silverdragon102, BSN · Sep 19, 2005

I have also got 19 yrs experience and the hospital petitioning me is paying me $30 hour and I am going where I want to go. I initally yrs ago was with OGP and although they said they needed me to say where I wanted to go they couldn't guarentee which I thought was a bit bad. Why ask!!!!!

suehp · Sep 19, 2005

Personally I would go alone. When I contacted OGP they told me to leave my current job as Nurse Manager in a Nursing Home to go back to acute (besides the fact I would have to drop my money I didnt want to do that) So anyway I went with another agency who no longer exist so to speak and got myself a job,in fact I found a job all by myself up in Deland in Florida.

I have a hospital sponsoring me in Vero Beach Florida - and although the orientation isnt very long (2 weeks) they do have a lot of support and wont let me loose on the floor until I am happy...

My advise is to find yourself a sponsor and that way you will live where YOU want to live not where OGP want you to live. Btw I have been offered $23.50 an hour (plus enhancments for nights or lates etc) and that was based 2 yrs ago when I got offered that - I am hoping when I get over there in the next few weeks that it will be a bit higher than that!!! :rolleyes:

misswoosie · Sep 19, 2005

Read some of the other posts here. My suggestion is not to use them, they will not guarantee you a state or location until the very end, so you could be placed anywhere. It is quite easy to do it yourself and actually get things done much quicker.
Read some of the stickies at the top of the International Forum for many suggestions as to what to do next.:)

Thanks Suzanne

nice to find so much help and advice!

At what pointis it best to approach a hospital? I emailed carolinas healthcare in NC and a recruiter told me(and this may not beword for word as dont have email available at moment) that they only ask for a 2 year degree for their RNs and most nurse visas require a 3 or 4 yr degree.I thought all RNs had3 year training and was very confused by this.Any explaination?

Can you conf I have steps right?

misswoosie · Sep 19, 2005

Personally I would go alone. When I contacted OGP they told me to leave my current job as Nurse Manager in a Nursing Home to go back to acute (besides the fact I would have to drop my money I didnt want to do that) So anyway I went with another agency who no longer exist so to speak and got myself a job,in fact I found a job all by myself up in Deland in Florida.
I have a hospital sponsoring me in Vero Beach Florida - and although the orientation isnt very long (2 weeks) they do have a lot of support and wont let me loose on the floor until I am happy...
My advise is to find yourself a sponsor and that way you will live where YOU want to live not where OGP want you to live. Btw I have been offered $23.50 an hour (plus enhancments for nights or lates etc) and that was based 2 yrs ago when I got offered that - I am hoping when I get over there in the next few weeks that it will be a bit higher than that!!!

Thanks so much

So assume you did all the headache stuff ie NCLEX and visa screen years ago?

Did you approach hosp direct? Were they keen to have you because of your experience

What job are you going into there.?

Sound great-is Vero beach on the Atlantic(east ) coast?

suehp · Sep 19, 2005

Thanks so much
So assume you did all the headache stuff ie NCLEX and visa screen years ago?
Did you approach hosp direct? Were they keen to have you because of your experience
What job are you going into there.?
Sound great-is Vero beach on the Atlantic(east ) coast?

Hi, Yes I did it years ago (no kidding - it has been 3 yrs exactly since I started this looonnng journey!) mind you every obstacle i could have had i have had!!!

Yes I did approach the hospitals direct and spoke to people in HR and also DON (Director of Nursing) They were keen to have me even though the lack of hospital experience becasue I have been qualified since 1989.

I am going to a Rehab Hosp in Vero Beach Florida which suits me fine as it is sub-acute and will lead me gently into things!!!

suzanne4, RN · Sep 19, 2005

Thanks Suzanne
nice to find so much help and advice!
At what pointis it best to approach a hospital? I emailed carolinas healthcare in NC and a recruiter told me(and this may not beword for word as dont have email available at moment) that they only ask for a 2 year degree for their RNs and most nurse visas require a 3 or 4 yr degree.I thought all RNs had3 year training and was very confused by this.Any explaination?
Can you conf I have steps right?

Apply for visa screen inc CES report
Assume need CES completed before approaching bon to get ATT for NCLEX (which board is best -understand you can go through main NCSBN to sit NCLEX for visa screen or individ board for NCLEX for licensure but unsure which is best option)
?At this point approach hospitals

Do not approach a hospital util you have taken and passed NCLEX exam, there is absolutely nothing that can be done until that point.

Not sure that you understand NCLEX, it is a national licensing exam to work as RN, simple as that. You must apply first to a state Board of Nursing for licensure, once they have accepted everything, then they will send you a letter stating that you meet the requirements, except for the NCLEX-RN exam. Once you have passed NCLEX, you will be eligible for the Visa Screen Certificate, you must apply for this and send them the payment. NCLEX can only be done for a state, NCSBN is just the national board that creates the exam.

Scalene · Sep 20, 2005

I did my application with Stateside Nursing. and i have a been assigned to Sacramento California, the latest pay that ill get is $40 +night differential and weekend enhancements. I think the thing with OGrady is that they shoulder all the expenses for you and when you get there, they are the ones paying you not the actual hospital, i think they act like a bank agency, but im not 100% sure about that, while on my Agency, we shoulder all the expenses they just do all the assistance, and when we get there we are directly employed by the hospital, meaning the hospital actually pay salary to us. the downfall of it its that i got a contract to stay for at least 2 years. The problem i guess with doing it in your own is that you dont know where to start and there are things that might be confusing and you have to follow it up on your own, unlike if you have agency, they just feed the item to you for you to sign and fill up. But its all entirely up to you on which you prefer. Good Luck to you.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2005

I think there are good and bad things for both ways of going to the US.

For me I am with OGP and it is true what Suzanne says you dont know where you are going til near the time you going to go, for me that has been the only problem during the whole process/. I now know where I am going and that has been a great relief, I wasnt bothered where I went so that is an advantage. I filled in the paperwork and OGP have done the rest. I am tied to them for 18-20 months, the pay is poorer but if you get recruited by a hospital then you may be tied to them for 3 years. I do get a bonus at the end of my contract. I know some nurses on here have had to do a lot of chasing recruiters and lawyers to speed things up and it has taken years, I have not had any of that to do. The main advantage from what I can see is you get to go where you want to go in US, I could go on forever with the pro's and con's.

I started to go it alone but nobody ever phoned or emailed me back and as I have a very busy job and home life i didnt have the time to chase around after people.

I started the immigration process in feb this year and I am waiting for the US embassy interview.

My main aim was to get to the US. Is there a right or wrong way as long as we get there in the end.

cariad · Sep 26, 2005

hi, for me the agency was best, I too led a busy life back home in britain and OGP did everything for me. the biggest drawback is if you are particular about where they send you. I didnt know until 4 weeks before I left the uk where we were going, but it didnt really bother me either, so long as it wasnt cold!

its an 18 month contract if you work 40 hours a week, it only gets longer if your hours are less, as the contract is based on hours not weeks.

time flies once you are over here, OGP are renowned for paying their nurses less money to recoup the money that they have spent on you.

if you come here to directly work for a hospital then you get all the benefits to go with it, with OGP you only get basic money with no extras. once you have your contract finished and have the experience of the american way of nursing then you can either sign with a hospital or do travel nursing. thats a whole new ball game which is where theres lots of money to be earned.

christine

suzanne4, RN · Sep 26, 2005

Again, the biggest issue is that you will not know where you are going.....

They do not inform you until the last moment. Just becuuse you pick a state, doesn't mean that you will get the type of weather that you want.

Arizona has Flagstaff which is at 7,000 feet plus and extremely cold in the winter. California has mountain ranges all over, and that means snow, not beach weather in the winter. Same thing with many other states.

My personal belief is that you should pick where you are going to work. Not the agency telling you.