Need help please...

Let me move this to the International Nurses forum where you will get more answers.

Hello to everyone. I hope someone who knows will be able to help me out. I wanted to shift career. I graduated BSN 1995 but did not get to take the local board in my country. I am presently here in the US, teaching HS science.Will I be qualified to take CGFNS after 15 years of not practicing my bachelor course?please help.thank you.

There's no such thing as "taking CGFNS". The NCLEX-RN is the nursing board exam for licensure in the US.

Let me ask you - do YOU think someone who studied 15 years ago and never practised as a nurse is qualified to get a nursing license? Would you even want to get one? I would be so terrified to start work having no experience AND 15yo education.

Most states require you to have recent experience, some don't. I am not sure about the time since your degree. You'd have to pick a state nursing board and call someone to ask. I suspect some type of refresher course would be required (and would be wise!).

thank you so much for your reply.to be honest with you, i would not be terrified to work full time back in the hospital for a simple reason that I am doing the same job as part time in 2 a caregiving centers, so I am pretty much prepared to be back in a hospital setting...and besides that, I've also been doing a lot of volunteer work in the hospital...

You're not doing "the same job" as a licensed nurse in two caregiving centers (whatever those are -- not a term I'm familiar with) unless you're doing something illegal, since you already said you're not licensed.

Frankly, I find the idea of someone who graduated 15 years ago and has never practiced not being terrified of working as an RN in a hospital setting very scary ...

I agree that your best choice at this point is to contact your state Board of Nursing and see what they say about your eligibility for licensure and what would be required.

thank you so much for your reply.to be honest with you, i would not be terrified to work full time back in the hospital for a simple reason that I am doing the same job as part time in 2 a caregiving centers, so I am pretty much prepared to be back in a hospital setting...and besides that, I've also been doing a lot of volunteer work in the hospital...

With all due respect, working as a volunteer or unlicensed caregiver is NOT the "same job" as working as a registered nurse under your own license. The fact that you even think that tells me that you should NOT start work as an RN without further education.

I hardly think it's "mean" to state this. As nurses, our responsibility is the patient's welfare, not yours. Setting loose someone who trained in ANY field 15 years ago and never gained any experience, does not sound wise. I certainly would not take my family to any medical/nursing professional like that if I could help it. It's nothing personal, but you would be responsible for peoples' lives.