New Requirement For Vsc?

tebs · Dec 8, 2008

The purpose of a nursing license is for public safety. The harder the process the better in my opinion ( and this applies to all nurses). You scare me when you state you learned wrong practices, I hope you don't try and learn the new practice on me or my family.
Also if you are serious about nursing why not a local license, how are you going to get professional experience?

If you are really concerned about public safety, then you should be more interested with uplifting the standards in Nursing Practice including Examinations and Licensing. When you say that you want a harder process, it seems to me that you want to limit the entry of new nurses, especially foreign graduates for YOUR security and NOT public safety.

I don't know where you got it, but I never mentioned that I learned the wrong practices.. that's exactly what I am trying to avoid.

Like Ive said before, If needed, I would take the Local boards...Thats the reason that I posted here, to ask if it is really a requirement for the VSC, but the answers I got here is different from CGFNS.

tebs · Dec 8, 2008

Not sure why you think it is OK for the US not to look at people having a local license. Most countries require a local license before they will process your application so why should the US be different? We are already seeing some states make this mandatory and expect more to follow if not the government may make it mandatory. Plus only a few years ago most states required CGFNS exam which again requires a local license.

I'm just saying that there should be a better reason than "most countries require it why should the US be different". I believe that there are also other countries that only requires the local license to practice in their country without us taking their local exams. If we follow your line of thinking.. then if we should be allowed to practice in the US without taking the NCLEX. Now I go back to my question.. Is the Local Boards a requirement for a VSC? If not, then why is the CGFNS asking for it? If yes, then I would take the Local Boards! :bugeyes:

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Dec 8, 2008

I agree with you nursing standards should be elevated, One issue with foreign trained nurses, if your school doesn't cover an important concept like the NPSG an employer will call the school and ask for it to be covered in the theory portion of the class, Believe me this happens all the time, When someone is foreign trained this option does not apply.

I have to say, if I was applying to another country, I would try to comply with every reasonable request, How would you feel if I came to your country, without a local license?

Having a local license, will give the employer another way to verify credentials. It is another safety check to verify that the person is a safe practitioner. When a local applies, one can call personal references which is not an option for a foreign grad. Most employers ask that the nurse has graduated from an accredited program, which is what a foreign program is not. What safety measures should an employer put in place? Or just passing the NCLEX alone without any other checks be ok for foreign nurses while native nurses have to provide 3 personal references, graduate from an approved program, and sometimes have their credit checked?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 8, 2008

I don't get it. Why do you say that my sitting for the NCLEX was an accident, I know for a fact that when I applied, that the local boards was not a requirement then.
With all due respect ,In think that your hoping that the Government make it a requirement just because other countries are doing it is incorrect and unfair, why look for a license that you would not honor in your country?
I get your point having the experience, but sometimes, we have a different way of doing things here and it is more difficult to unlearn wrong practices than to learn new and correct ways.
I just don't understand why the CGFNS is asking for it eventhough it is not a requirement. I was just hoping that I can submit all the requirements for the VSC and have it ready, just in case some good news happens with the current visa retrogression and while waiting maybe I could take the local boards like most of you had recommended.

You did not state when you applied to sit for the NCLEX exam as a start. We have seen a few that have applied after the deadline went into effect fall thru the cracks as was put, and they were permitted to sit for the NCLEX exam, but we have not seen one of them get issued a license as of yet. That was the point that I was trying to make in the first place.

And as to other countries requiring a local license, every single one of them does before they will permit a foreign nurse to get licensed in their country, even if they do not have their own licensing exam. The US currently is the only one that does not require this.

The CGFNS exam started as a weeding out exam back 25 years ago plus to give an idea of who would have the best chance of passing the local board exam back then as nurses were brought over to the US and then they tested once they got here for the actual state boards, this was before NCLEX came into being.

If you look at your country right now, there are 500,000 unemployed nurses and this does not take into account the ones that will pass the exam that was written last weekend. Without one having written the local license to get experience someplace, how are they going to be able to get hired when many have been out of work for several years. Even in the US, if a nurse has been away from the bedside for just two years and they trained here, it makes it hard for them to get hired again.

CGFNS has had a requirement in place of the local license before one would be granted permission to sit for the CGFNS exam, so in the past this was essentially required for all until just a couple of years ago when the NCLEX exam started to be offered all over the world. Until that time, all had to have a local license to be able to even write the CGFNS exam, and this was required of almost every state in the country before they would permit one to sit for the NCLEX exam. So it is really not something new, just something that has not been enforced over the past couple of years because of the CGFNS exam not being required. CGFNS also requires the local license for the CES when the state requires the local license. They will not issue the CES without the local license being submitted to them.

CGFNS can change their requirements at any time, and if the state where you got licensed is now requiring the local license, then CGFNS can require it as well. They are the ones that make the final determination, not anyone else here. And if they are requesting it, you have to meet their requirements.

My point about the local license being needed or hoping that the US puts it in place as a federal requirement and not just state is that it would make it easier for all that were applying in the first place to have the same set of rules to follow. It would also put a stop to someone getting on the plane to come here the day after they graduate and expect to be able to remain here and work; most doing it illegally. That is one reason why CA has also become so strict now in their requirement of the local license. It has actually been on their website for being required, it is just that they accepted a letter in the past as to why one did not sit for it, but they are no longer accepting it.

I know for a fact that the retrogression has been ongoing for more than two years and it is expected that no one that is just starting the process will get a visa for more than five years from your country because of the number of applicants that are already waiting in the pipeline. So this means that 5 years plus of no experience, how can one expect to be hired by an employer? You cannot get experience in your country, so how are you going to go to any other country without the local license and actually work as an RN and get RN experience? That is going to be the only way to really have a chance at getting hired here, having at least two years of paid work experience as an RN, just like the majority of other nurses from other countries have thay you are essentially competing against for a job here.

If you are needing the VSC, it tells me that you are going to need to be petitioned by an employer, and not having a local license is not going to fair well for anyone. This has been discussed at many of the HR meetings that I have attended and have contacts with in several of the major states.

This is the reason why I have posted what I have, and why I still stand by it. Your issue is that you may have been granted permission to test before the deadline, but CGFNS is still in the driver's seat when it comes to setting requirements and you need to comply with them. They are also under contract with the Federal government here to provide the services for the VSC. Any of their requirements if there are new ones being put into place are coming from our government and not just them setting new policy as well.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 8, 2008

You can consider the local license as a weeding out exam or process that sets one above the others. Why should a country wish to hire a nurse from another country that was unable to pass their local license exam as a start? Since you asked, I am going to be more specific than I normally would be here. It is a well known fact that only about 42% of those that even write the NLE pass it the first time. That means that there are issues with quite a few of the training programs over there and that is also well documented on the Philippine Forum as well as with all of the anecdotal notes that I have received and continue to receive from there.

If one cannot pass the local license there, then why should any other country wish to issue a license to them?

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, etc. all require the local license be taken and passed before they will consider a nurse for licensure in their country. And they want to see experience as well or a bridge program completed in lieu of that.

Why should the US be the last to follow? And the economy here has gotten quite bad, there were as many Americans laid off last month as there are unemployed RNs in the Philippines currently. So this does not help your cause either. As well as the fact that we are producing more new grads in some areas here that are unable to even find a new grad job and this goes for much of CA as a start as well.

States can change their requirements at any given time, as well as CGFNS can change theirs as well.

What does it actually state on their website, have you checked that out? That is what should be followed since it is what is in writing from them.

I do know for a fact that they do not require the local license for all of their services, if a state does not require it, then it is not a requirement for the CES as well. But that does not mean that it cannot change in the next few days.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 8, 2008

The final outcome is if they are requesting it, then you need to submit it to them. They are not going to issue the VSC without it if that is what they have asked you for.

tebs · Dec 9, 2008

Masterfully explained Suzzane. :yeah: You point is well taken and appreciated. As Ive already said before... If needed then I will take it.

tebs · Dec 9, 2008

I agree with you nursing standards should be elevated, One issue with foreign trained nurses, if your school doesn't cover an important concept like the NPSG an employer will call the school and ask for it to be covered in the theory portion of the class, Believe me this happens all the time, When someone is foreign trained this option does not apply.
I have to say, if I was applying to another country, I would try to comply with every reasonable request, How would you feel if I came to your country, without a local license?
Having a local license, will give the employer another way to verify credentials. It is another safety check to verify that the person is a safe practitioner. When a local applies, one can call personal references which is not an option for a foreign grad. Most employers ask that the nurse has graduated from an accredited program, which is what a foreign program is not. What safety measures should an employer put in place? Or just passing the NCLEX alone without any other checks be ok for foreign nurses while native nurses have to provide 3 personal references, graduate from an approved program, and sometimes have their credit checked?

I totally agree with you about complying with reasonable request. But if it is not requirement and they ask for it, would you call that reasonable? Honestly, I wouldn't mind you coming over without your local license, if it is not a requirement.

I just hope that someday, when I do get to work there, my co-workers wouldn't hold it against me that my employer didn't get my credit checked.