Newly qualifed UK nurse wanting to emigrate to US

[Midgetgems]

Hey there, I was wondering if any of you could help me or know of anyone who i could contact who can.

I am currently studying for an Advanced Diploma in Adult Nursing leading to RN registration in the UK, I am nearing the end of the second year. My partner is an American citizen and his visa runs out the month I qualify and he has asked me to return to California with him.

I am aware I have to sit the NCLEX exam but do I require any experience to work in the states or can i obtain a newly qualified RN position over there? Is there a course I would have to or could complete instead of having experience?

I do not want to have wasted three years and give up a job I love but I also do not want to stay in the UK when my partner will be going back to the States. I would be grateful for any help or advice you have on this matter.

Thanks

Midgetgems!

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Well, that's all pretty interesting... I've been reading student comments here over the last many months and thinking they all sounded pretty stressed out and high powered, and wondered whether they were just taking things pretty seriously or whether the course work was a lot harder and more specific. I had suspected it was the latter and from your reports, that's right.

I had been hoping part of it was just cultural. Brits, my husband's always reminding me, like to pretend that things come easily, and do tend to be less cathartic, and I was hoping that there wasn't much difference between what we were being taught here, and a US training programme....

I mean, how many UK nurses do you know carry palm pilots around to check drug calculations or normal values??? I used to have a palm, because I used to work in business, and most other nursing students had never even seen one before...

I've also noticed that so many of our textbooks are US based, and the quality levels and expectations seem much higher there. This has worried me, because I feared that I might not be being trained adquately to cope over there.

I have a pda which I carry and it is becoming more and more popular in Uk for nurses to have one.

As far as the training goes I wouldnt worry myself uneccesarily at this stage, the Uk produces some of the best nurses in the world- just be proud and have faith in yourself.