Just graduated as LPN in the Philippines

elkpark · Apr 6, 2008

Welcome to allnurses! :balloons: We are glad to have you here and hope you will find the site useful and interesting.

There is lots of controversy about LPN programs in the Philippines. I suggest you review this thread discussing that topic, which has been going on for quite a while:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f235/please-read-lpn-programs-philippines-285730.html

Best wishes!

agldragonRN · Apr 7, 2008

yes you can work here as an lpn since you are already a legal resident. i read somewhere in this website that this person from the philippines took the nclex-pn in virginia or west virginia and he was issued a license but he could not work here as an lpn since he did not have a greencard (only tourist visa).

i am not really an expert on this subject but maybe you can call the board of nursing of the state and inquire? but i believe you can be licensed as an lpn even if your lpn program is from the philippines. the state board needs to evaluate your transcripts and all that stuff. you are better off calling your chosen state board and find out the requirements for a foreign lpn.

good luck to you.

angel:d

proudpinoyinUS · May 28, 2008

richielpn , we have the same problem, do u know now what answer to ur question, plss. can u share it. ill be done by the end of this year and im going back to the states.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 28, 2008

Moved to the International forums, where you can receive better service.

suzanne4, RN · May 28, 2008

If one trains in the Philippines for the LPN, they can get a license in the US, provided that they take and pass the NCLEX-PN exam.

But one must have either the US Passport or the green card to be able to work here since the US government will not issue any type of legal visa with that category.

You have other issues to deal with, the first being the programs that are offered there for the LPN. If you take a moment to think about it, why would someone go to another country to train when that training is not even recognized by the government there for licensure? And then how do you know that someone was properly trained in the school if the nurses there and the instructors are not even aware of the scope of practice of the LPN to begin with either?

Glad to hear that you enjoy being a Practical Nurse, since you have not taken your boards yet, you cannot be called the LPN or the LVN.

Please be aware that it is going to be months before you will be able to get a license, no matter which state that you go thru. You trained out of the US, therefore will be considered a foreign grad and need to meet the requirements for that in addition to just applying for licensure. Average wait time will be four months until you get approval to even sit for the exam.

Please just take the time to do some reading on this forum. And true, there are many RNs in PI that do not have jobs, but there are also quite a few LPNs that do not either as they do not recognize the training there and one who does not hold a visa for here to work is unable to do anything with it. It is also not accepted by any other country for immigration purposes either.

But I do have to ask, if you are a green card holder, why go to there to attend school when you could have done it here in one year?

Daly City RN · May 29, 2008

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There must be a compelling reason for any Filipino-American to go back to the Philippines and go to an LPN school over there, but it is hard for me to understand though why anyone would go to such trouble when the government of the Philippines itself doesn't even recognize the program. It is unfortunate that these people did not realize that they could have gone to an LPN/LVN program right here in the United States and would have had the advantage of a U.S. nursing degree under their belts.

I do hope that their LPN/LVN education is only a stepping-stone to an RN degree once they are back here in the U.S. If the rest of the U.S. follows California's example, the LPN/LVN's will no longer be employed in most acute care hospitals and will be relegated to nursing homes or SNF. With all due respect to my fellow nurses in the SNF's, many new grad nurses would rather work in acute care hospitals where they would garner much needed experience, learn to use many high tech equipments, use the latest computers and receive a lucrative salary that lets them enjoy an American middle class standard of living.

I attended an all-day charge nurses class a few days ago and one of the topics discussed was the hiring of unlicensed staff about ten years ago to take care of the patients in acute care hospitals here in the States. This measure was to help alleviate the nursing shortage but this turned out to be an unwise financial decision by the hospitals as many studies have suggested. This resulted in more bed sores, infections and many patients returning back to the hospitals after they are discharged because they did not get the complete professional care and patient education that only competent registered nurses are trained and qualified to give.

Many hospital executives have finally realized that the employment of professional registered nurses, although they are paid more, is really cost-effective in these day and age of high-tech health care delivery system and high patient acuities.

The LPN/LVN's, who were once ubiquitous in many acute care hospitals here in the San Francisco Bay Area, are fast disappearing.

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brichielpn08, BSN, RN · May 29, 2008

Hi proudpinoy...

All I can say is ...You hold a green card and you are legal to work in the US when you comeback thats all that matters. When you get here, ask the people you know here who are nurses and call the State Board of Nursing you want to be license in. They know better than anyone in this forum. The only thing you can find out things is tru doing it yourself . If it takes you forever to become license because of the requirements for a foreign graduates ..do it . Who cares how long will it takes you, the important things is your here and you can always find other job while your waiting since you are a green card holder. Dont be afraid. Finish it. then comeback. If you listen to this people you will just stress yourself for nothing and you'll go crazy. Take one step at a time. Dont get discourage, as long as you follow the rules and not do:typing anything illegal and do searching on your own ..You'll be fine...I graduated and i am done in Manila. I am here now. I am doing my TOEFL in Kaplan and i found a review center for LPN in my state and they are ready to help me with things.

Good luck with you..

proudpinoyinUS · May 29, 2008

Hi proudpinoy...
All I can say is ...You hold a green card and you are legal to work in the US when you comeback thats all that matters. When you get here, ask the people you know here who are nurses and call the State Board of Nursing you want to be license in. They know better than anyone in this forum. The only thing you can find out things is tru doing it yourself . If it takes you forever to become license because of the requirements for a foreign graduates ..do it . Who cares how long will it takes you, the important things is your here and you can always find other job while your waiting since you are a green card holder. Dont be afraid. Finish it. then comeback. If you listen to this people you will just stress yourself for nothing and you'll go crazy. Take one step at a time. Dont get discourage, as long as you follow the rules and not do:typing anything illegal and do searching on your own ..You'll be fine...I graduated and i am done in Manila. I am here now. I am doing my TOEFL in Kaplan and i found a review center for LPN in my state and they are ready to help me with things.
Good luck with you..

richielpn,

whats state is best to get the license for PN, what are the procedures,and how long it takes you to process everything. e mail me plss. I cannot concentrate my studies here in manila,I fell like wanna go back home now ever since i read a lot of negative comment here in the forum. or Please any body there willing to help me:bluecry1:

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · May 29, 2008

Since you have a green card, I would apply to whatever state you wish to practice. Suzanne is right you can not call yourself a LPN or LPN until you have been issued a license.

Good luck, you are aware most LPNs in the US work in long term care.

suzanne4, RN · May 29, 2008

If one holds a green card for the US and is not having to go thru immigration, then there is no reason for even taking the TOEFL exam. So not sure where you are getting your information from as well.

If you do not hold the green card, or US passport, then it does not matter what you do, you will not be able to get a visa to work here with that training and that is the point that we are trying to make.

suzanne4, RN · May 29, 2008

And licensure has nothing to do with being able to legally work here. Nor one state easier than another, the fact remains that it is going to be hard to get a job in a hospital no matter where you are.