OzNurse73

Well good news, I passed NCLEX in 75 questions. And I am officially RN licensed in NY. What a journey. Now for the next stage, Visa Screen etc etc etc. This process just goes on and on and on...

Update: After leaving this process on hold in 2019, I reapplied to NY BON late 2021 and after a lengthy wait for CGFNS to review my education I finally got my ATT ? this process took a year ??‍♀️ CGFNS took forever to review my education transcripts. They are almost impossible to contact regarding an update. Anyway, sat the NCLEX exam yesterday after 2 months of solid study so here's hoping I pass ?

So I started my application process well over 2 years ago and I’ve come to a standstill. I do not have the clinical practice hours in paediatrics required by the board to go ahead with my application. They said I require 80 hours of supervised clinicals. My initial bachelors degree did not include a paediatric specific placement and although I’ve worked for several years in paediatric surgical, this is not recognised as sufficient experience. My options now are to complete a Grad Cert in Clinical Nursing (Paediatrics) here in Australia or to pursue a bridging course in the US which will probably cost just about the same as a Grad Cert by the time I allow for all the fees and related expenses. TBH I’ve put the idea on hold for now. Seems like a huge hurdle just to have 80 hours of supervised practice. Good luck to those of you still pursuing!

Thanks tochi, That's great. Keep me posted, I am nearly out of options so any information would be greatly appreciated!

I am in a similar position. I am an Australian university trained RN/RM with 13 years experience, also have a postgrad diploma Midwifery so I am ok for clinical and theory in Maternity nursing. Also have a Masters degree in Bioethics. I am looking to relocate to Texas. My CES report came back with a deficiency in Paediatric clinical hours. I have applied through Texas BON. I am still in Australia and to date have had no luck finding any placement options through Australian universities. I am now looking at options in USA and at this stage, South Dakota State University have a RN refresher that could be adapted to include a paediatric placement, however I would need to find a willing hospital to take me on. It's all getting very messy and complicated, almost feel like throwing in the towel but I have invested so much time and money that I kind of want to see the process through. I don't know about Ohio, but you could find out whether any approved RN refresher courses could be substituted or adapted to accommodate your deficiencies. Best of luck. It's a tricky process!

Thanks for your help. I have contacted Dominican University CA, they are willing to accommodate me in the course if Texas BON approves. I also found South Dakota State University have a RN Refresher course consisting of online theory plus a clinical placement. They are also willing to take international applicants. I will be exploring these two options further and will provide an update with my progress. Thanks again :)

Hi Aussienurse123 I am in the same situation as you. I am an Australian RN/RM, with a Bachelor of Nursing, Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery and a Masters degree in Bioethics, and 15 years clinical experience. I have applied for an RN License with the Texas Board of Nursing, over 12 months ago. I have had my education evaluated (through IERF) and my CES report came back with a deficiency in Paediatrics (Clinical Hours only). The Texas BON will allow me to sit the NCLEX once I complete these hours. I am now in the process of finding somewhere to accommodate my deficiency. I have contacted numerous Australian universities but no luck enrolling in a single undergraduate unit that includes a placement. My options in Australia seem to be completing a Grad Cert in Paediatric Nursing (12 months) at great expense. I am currently exploring options to complete these hours in the USA, in the form of a Refresher Course. I will keep you posted re my progress. My advice to you would be to begin the process as soon as possible. I chose Texas because no Social Security number needed to apply. The process is very lengthy and very complicated, be prepared to wait! Good luck :)

Hi All, Here's hoping someone can help me! I am an Australian RN. I hold a Bachelors degree in Nursing, a Postgraduate Diploma in Midwifery and a Masters degree in Bioethics, all three degrees obtained from Australian Universities. I am currently undertaking the long and arduous process of obtaining my RN licence in Texas. I have applied to the Texas Board of Nursing, I have had my university transcripts evaluated and my CES Report indicates I am lacking Pediatric Clinical Hours (I have the theory hours). The Texas BON will grant me ATT once I have completed these clinical hours. I asked them if they would allow me to sit the NCLEX on the condition I would complete the Pediatric Clinical Hours prior to being issued a RN licence, however they declined and insist I make up the hours before I take the NCLEX. And this is where I am stuck! I have contacted practically every university in Australia but none are willing to enrol me in a Pediatric Placement course as a single unit of study. An alternative would be to enrol in a Graduate Certificate of Pediatric Nursing (taking 12 months to complete and costing thousands... which I would do as a last resort). I wonder if any US Colleges offer single courses in Pediatric Nursing that includes a clinical placement in a hospital? Ideally I would need to complete any theoretical component off-campus (online) and would be willing to travel to the US to complete the in-hospital placement, assuming I could do this on a student visa. If anyone has any advice, suggestions or similar experiences, I would be so grateful to hear from you. Thanks :)