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Here's my take on this matter: all Filipino RN's coming to work in the US from the Philippines will have to start as an entry-level nurse regardless of advanced education obtained in the Philippines. That does not mean that you can't get a job in a specialty area such as ICU, ER, or OR right away. It's just that you will still be considered as a new nurse, so you are still in the stage where you are building up on your clinical experience.
That master's degree may be recognized by a hospital and you MAY end up getting a higher salary scale because of that but it's not a guarantee as some hospitals may not recognize it. They may also say that entry-level RN positions do not require an MS degree so there is no need to pay you a higher salary just because you have advanced education.
If you plan on advancing your education further to a PhD for instance, that master's degree needs to be evaluated by a credentials evaluation service here in the US to determine if it meets the same standards as an MS degree here. That's what grad schools here will tell you.
If you would like to become an advanced practice nurse here, aside from being required to have your degree evaluated by a credentials evaluation service here, you will also need to enroll in a post-master's certificate program to be eligible to sit for these exams because MS degrees in nursing in the Philippines do not meet the clinical practice requirements for advanced practice nursing boards here in the US. You should also remember that many advanced practice nursing programs in the US (even the post-master's ones) require prior experience as an RN in a US healthcare setting.
ice_orange
22 Posts
i'd like to inquire if you take your master's degree here in the philippines, would it be recognized in the U.S.A or any other foreign country? thanks.!