LVN from South Africa seeks licensing

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I am LVN nurse from South Africa who just immigrated and waiting for my green card I am living in Fresno California where in Fresno can I test to be certified and what documentation would I need to produce for the test.

Dear LVN,

Welcome to the States:)

The steps for international registered nurses are fairly well prescribed, and include verifying English proficiency and curriculum through a federally- approved credentialing organization, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).

But-unfortunately, the CGFNS does not evaluate LVN applications.

Contact the California Board of Vocational Nursing to see if you are eligible to apply for the vocational nurse licensure exam. At the very least you will need to provide your secondary and nursing school transcripts. Jumping to the worst-case scenario- you may have to repeat all or part of your studies.

I work with a couple of nurses from South Africa and they tell me there is a facebook group for South Africans in the States. This can be a great support for you.

You can also connect with other international nurses at this forum: allnurses/international/immigration

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Start your job search today!