Newbie heading for AZ (hopefully)

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Specializes in ITU, Surg, District & School Nurse.

Hi everyone

After many trips to AZ we have decided that is where we want to be and of course hubby is quite happy that I am the one to have to get the visa! Stupidly thought that I 'just' get through the NCLEX and apply for a green card:nono: realised I was wrong - duh! Anyone else been able to get a green card from working in the community- emailed an agency the other day and they said I need to be working full-time on a med/surg ward so am now frantically job hunting in a zero job availability climate for something! I work part-time and really do not want to work full time if I don't have to- I had planned to do less hours to free up some time while I study and sort out for emigrating:o

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Please......do not believe what this agency is telling you. I was a Community Nurse in the UK and was also told by a certain agency I didn't stand a chance of getting a job in the US unless I went back to an acute hospital job. I had been there, done that, years before, but they (the agency) said I would have to have more recent hospital experience. So I decided not to sign up with them and fast forward.....here I am working as a US RN.

If you enjoy your Community post as much as I did, please don't give it up on the say so of an ill-informed agency. As you say, it would probably be very difficult to get a hospital job now, if what I've been hearing and reading about the NHS is accurate (and I don't doubt it is)

Good luck :)

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have a look at the sticky at the top of the page regarding direct hire in the us by silverdragon.

most agencies will want you to come from an acute care background.

lots of hospitals in az will hopefully be interested enough to sponsor you.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I had no problems getting a hospital to sponcer me in Phoenix and I was a practice nurse. Just be aware at the moment a lot of hospital are holding off with foreign nurses due to retrogression, but no reason why not get NCLEX out of the way and CES with CGFNS

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I have also heard on the grape vine that they are other problems with foreign nurses recruitement via agencies as well, so more hospitals may well be doing their own sponsorship more often in the future.

There has been problems with recruitment from some countries where the nurses from some countries who fit the educational requirements but when they get here they cant actually nurse and hospitals are spending up to a year training nurses on the practical aspects of nursing, which has caused a lot of resentment. It is expected after spending so much money on bringing nurses from overseas that they can actually do the job.

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Specializes in renal,peritoneal dialysis, medicine.

which agency?

pm me if you like

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as madwife says some hospitals are withdrawing their offer of employment to some nurses who come over here as they dont seem to absorb the information that they are being given as to how to work as an american nurse. and needing up to a year's training.

remember that american nurses take whats called an associate's degree which is 2 year's long.

so a lot of hospitals are employing nurse's aides and training them through their own programmes and contracting them once they qualify.

theres a large american nurses union who want more american nurses to be trained and to put a stop to the visas being given to foreign nurses.

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Specializes in ITU, Surg, District & School Nurse.

So much info this is brilliant- I was up till 2am reading it all last night;) Really happy today- I have got an interview in a private hospital for bank on the wards so wish me luck- I can run that alongside my other job as I only work 2 days a week.

My cousin who I want to move near says they are so short of nurses and still building hospitals so that must be a good thing right? A realtor I get properties from is English so has recommended a relocation lawyer- I will have to dig out the name- wasn't sure that I would be able to work my way through the maze of red tape but you all seem to have the lingo down to a tee so already I feel a little bit more confident - Adeiva was the agency that said to get back in touch once I had a full time hospital job-I had emailed them as the others all said acute clinical experience in their ads in the rcn booklet.I was so upset last week, could see it all going down the pan:sniff: husband was :crying2: whilst teenage daughter with crush on local lad was LOL

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
So much info this is brilliant- I was up till 2am reading it all last night;) Really happy today- I have got an interview in a private hospital for bank on the wards so wish me luck- I can run that alongside my other job as I only work 2 days a week.

My cousin who I want to move near says they are so short of nurses and still building hospitals so that must be a good thing right? A realtor I get properties from is English so has recommended a relocation lawyer- I will have to dig out the name- wasn't sure that I would be able to work my way through the maze of red tape but you all seem to have the lingo down to a tee so already I feel a little bit more confident - Adeiva was the agency that said to get back in touch once I had a full time hospital job-I had emailed them as the others all said acute clinical experience in their ads in the rcn booklet.I was so upset last week, could see it all going down the pan:sniff: husband was :crying2: whilst teenage daughter with crush on local lad was LOL

If you can go it alone and get a hospital to sponser you, you will get better working conditions. It will take a lot of work and patience on your part but no more than some of the others.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
If you can go it alone and get a hospital to sponser you, you will get better working conditions. It will take a lot of work and patience on your part but no more than some of the others.

definately need lots of patience. My first employer backed out so had to restart again finding another employer and then refiling immigration. Before looking for an employer would recommend passing NCLEX first much better with employer plus retrogression should be sorted by then so things should move a little faster.Be prepared to looking at a 12 month process as long as retrogression has lifted

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Specializes in ITU, Surg, District & School Nurse.

I am going to do NCLEX asap- I have written down books everyone recommended- anyone done the Kaplan course?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I am going to do NCLEX asap- I have written down books everyone recommended- anyone done the Kaplan course?

I found sauders a good book and also used online website as it gave me good info on how the US system works, before I used sauders I tried a couple of other books but sauders was better, did buy another book but can't remember what it was called either NCLEX for Dummies or made incred easy and that also helped. Cos you need CES for AZ it may take 4-6 months before you can sit the exam so plenty of study time

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