down_under

I've been accepted to the Accelerated BSN program at NYU and am looking at other programs as well. I thought about obtaining my nursing degree in Australia but have read about many potential obstacles I may encounter with trying to work back in the US when I graduate. Accordingly, I was thinking obtaining my BSN here might be the more sound decision, and give me more flexibility with being able to work in both in the US and Australia, with less hoops to jump through. But now I am discovering this may not be the case!!! suzanne4 wrote on a previous thread: Please be aware that many of the accelerated programs in the US do not meet immigration requirements for other countries. Much has been written on this topic, please just do a search. Australia normally requires that you have completed at least two years at the minimum in an approved school of nursing. If you have gone thru one that is of 14 months or so in length, it is not going to meet the requirements for most other countries. I would like to hear from nurses and accelerated BSN graduates who can share their experiences of having tried with OR without success to work in Australia. The last thing I want to do is invest a lot of time in taking the wrong path to a nursing degree that limits me to working in one country. What is the best path to a nursing degree that opens doors to working in different countries? I have an undegrad degree in psychology and an MSW in social work, that is why the accelerated BSN program appeals to me.

An now the dilemma to this plot thickens: Becoming an RN in the states via an Accelerated BSN Program may not be good enough to allow you to work in Australia anyhow!?@#%$*!?? suzanne4 wrote on another thread: Please be aware that many of the accelerated programs in the US do not meet immigration requirements for other countries. Much has been written on this topic, please just do a search. Australia normally requires that you have completed at least two years at the minimum in an approved school of nursing. If you have gone thru one that is of 14 months or so in length, it is not going to meet the requirements for most other countries. At this point in time, I want to go the route that allows me the most flexibility to be able to work in the states and Australia. I could see myself getting my degree in Australia, working their for a few years, and trying to get a job back in the states.... Or obtaining my BSN degree here in the US, working for a few years and trying to get over to Australia.... But based on the info I am discovering, I may be stuck either way... I'll start a separate thread on this as well to try an get more input on the limitations of an Accelerated BSN received in the states - not allowing you to work abroad.

Hi Mrd, I have recently gone through the process of getting ATT (and subsequently passing NCLEX), and did not find it too difficult getting my nursing degree (from New Zealand) recognised in the US. However, you will need to be aware of a few 'hurdles' many do face. Firstly, each BON has different requirements - there are some that will require you to get CGNFS, simply because you would be viewed as a health professional with an international qualification, even though you are a US citizen. Also, you would need to be sure that the nursing degree meets the same educational standards of a nurse trained in the US. Although the universities here in Australia are good (and certainly can be cheaper too!) they don't met the criteria for nursing in the states. i.e - to qualify for with BON you have to show you have a certain amount of theory and practical hours in medical, surgical, pediatrics, mental health and maternity. I know of many Australian trained nurses that did not cover maternity at all in their degree, or only the theory but no practical. They have subsequently had to go on to do extra training to meet the BON criteria. Similarly, in New Zealand, many nursing schools do not offer practical pediatric placements, so again, don't meet the criteria. To be honest - if I had the choice, I believe it would be easier to study where you intend to work, so you learn the health system. Hope this helps with your decision making! Bec Thanks Bec for this insight. This can be a major potential dilemma. I checked out the La Trobe (program in Australia) curriculum and see a few potential problems with meeting theory and practical hour requirements in all the areas you mentioned: medical, surgical, pediatrics, mental health, and maternity. The La Trobe curriculum appears to meet some but not all of those. First Year Teaching period Subject code Subject title Credit points TE-SEM-1 NSG2ACA Acute Care A 30 TE-SEM-1 NSG2MIN Medications in Nursing 15 TE-SEM-1 NSG2CAD Clinical Assessment & Decisions 15 TE-SEM-2 NSG2ACB Acute Care B 30 TE-SEM-2 NSG2MHN Mental Health Nursing 15 TE-SEM-2 NSG2COM Community Nursing 15 Second year Teaching period Subject code Subject title Credit points TE-SEM-1 NSG3CCN Complex Care Nursing 30 TE-SEM-1 NSG3NOP Nursing Older Person 15 TE-SEM-1 NSG3PTN Professional Transitions in Nursing 15 TE-SEM-2 NSG3CPC Clinical Practice Consolidation 30 TE-SEM-2 NSG3MCC Managing Chronic Conditions 15 TE-SEM-2 NSG3CIN Challenging Interactions in Nursing 15

Thanks so much everyone for their input. I've done a few more hours of research on all the different threads and found this concerning: Can anyone tell me if there is a difference between a "Bachelor of Science in Nursing" and a "Bachelor of Nursing" degree? The former includes so called science subjects (i.e. Organic Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics etc) in its curriculum while the latter includes all nursing subjects. Here in Australia, there is no such thing as "Bachelor of Science in Nursing". Universities here only offer "Bachelor of Nursing". The main reason is that advanced science subjects are thought in high school and when you are accepted as a Nursing university student, it is assumed that you already have a knowledge of these subjects. As a result, starting from first year Nursing, you concentrate on ALL nursing subjects (NURS 101, NURS102..etc)-no Chemistry, biology, etc. This is also the reason why "Bachelor of Nursing" is a three year course here in Australia. I believe other countries offer "Bachelor of Science in Nursing" which is a four year course but most of their first year subjects consist of science subjects or some other useless subjects. With a psychology/social background, I need to take science prerequisites here to obtain an accelerated BSN in the US (microbiology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology 1 & 2) are the main ones that nearly all Accelerated BSN programs require. The program I am looking it Australia is at La Trobe and requires an anatomy and physiology but not the others. Will this come back to haunt me later when I try to get my Australian education transferred back to the US? Here is what the La Trobe website states about the 2 year graduate entry nursing program I am considering: Professional recognition Graduates are eligible for registration as a Division 1 Nurse with the Nurses Board of Victoria. After registration, graduates are eligible for registration in other states and countries as well as for membership of the Royal College of Nursing Australia.

Hello everyone, I am in the process of making a decision on nursing school. I am hoping to obtain an Accelerated BSN degree, as I have already have a BA in Psychology and an MSW in social work. I have been working as a social worker for the past 12 years and am excited to make the shift to nursing. I live in the United States, and am giving serious thought to pursuing my degree in Australia. I have been accepted into a highly regarded nursing program here in the states, but I have limited financial aid and would have to take out a lot of private loans to do so. Pursuing a cheaper state school program is also problematic for me b/c I am on my own and would still have to take out private loans to cover my cost of living expenses while I take pre-requisite courses. I have researched a top ranked 2 year graduate entry program in Australia which is half the cost and requires less pre-quisites. I would appreciate any insights on the following concerns: 1) How difficult, on a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the most difficult) is it to work in the US after obtaining a degree in Australia? I have read mixed perspectives on this, including the allnurses.com thread below. American nursing student in Australia? - Nursing for Nurses Regarding transferring my degree back to the US, I spoke with the state boards for Colorado and PA, as I would consider living in Denver and Philadelphia post nursing degree. Both boards referred me to the CGFNS International, an organization that evaluates credentials for the nursing profession. I would feel a lot better about making this decision, if I could hear firsthand from nurses who have successfully gone through the process of obtaining their degree in the Australia and successfully work in the United States. I know it can be difficult to transfer credentials from Australia to the US, I am better trying to assess just HOW difficult it will be, to ensure that it IS possible, to see if the risk/reward is justified. 2) Will employers in the US be less inclined to hire me because I obtained my degree in Australia? Will my being a male nurse (a minority population in the nursing field) help offset this? 3) While obtaining my degree in Australia will provide a tremendous life experience that may prove to be more cost effective, I have also thought about doing things the other way around - obtaining my nursing degree here in the US and then seeking work as nurse in Australia down the road. I would like to hear from folks who have gone this route as well. From my previous research it seems like this could be an easier route to go with less obstacles, but one never knows. 4) At this point in my life, I am open to the idea of obtaining my degree in Australia and working there after I graduate, but would like to know if this is possible? How difficult would it be for me to obtain my work visa and become an Australian citizen? Appreciate any replies on the above to help ease my dazed and confused state!!!