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If you get a decent offer, go for it. Los Angeles is an exciting place to live. Don't believe all the nay Sayers here and see for yourself. This forum, like pretty much any forum or social platform is a magnet for the angry, sad and worried, who look for a place to validate their anger, sadness and worries...an echo-chamber...like so many places, creating a skewed view.

Remember your key nursing school lesson: " If it is not documented, it never happened...." Same here, if there is no documentation regarding your abuse, then it never happened. Shut up and stop creating proplems that don't exist.

Depends if the state in which she lives has a nurse title protection act. California does and you can't call yourself a nurse if you are not but some other states might not.

Go into research, you don't need 2 years of bedside experience, that is just a myth... I got into research right after I finished nursing school and most of my co-workers did not even have any nursing/medical experience. You need to be lucky to get into research and once you get in and have 4-5 years experience, you take the next step to become a CRA. End-of-story, home-based, no more patient/co-worker contact ever, get to travel around the country and with great potential. Don't do MD, PA, or NP, waste of time, money, and sucks the joy out of your life.

You could look into clinical research. Maybe start as a clinical research coordinator, they hire nurses, even with little or no bedside experience.

You should be able to apply for F1-OPT after you finished your ADN. This gives you the opportunity to work for 1 year in nursing after you graduate. It is virtually impossible right now to get sponsorship and a working permit with a ADN only. You need to apply to other colleges and get at least a BSN and even then you need to be lucky. You can have all the education and qualification you want but it is even more important to be lucky. If nursing is your calling, don't despair, keep an open mind and keep looking. Good Luck

It's bad being a F1 student but it's worse not having a SSN. One way to get a SSN is to enroll into a college (e.g. community college) and after being enrolled for one academic year (2 semester = 9 months) you can apply for on-campus work. You need a SSN for any type of work, even on-campus F1-student work and that is your opportunity to apply for and get a SSN. Good Luck

It is not advisable to go from F1 to greencard because of non-immigration intent status of F1. One of the the best ways is H1B to greencard. To get into H1B you have to find a niche. Either find a hospital that is not-for-profit or educational (H1B cap exempt) and/or find a health care job that is not typical nursing. I also was an international student and I graduated from an ADN program back in 2010 (but I had a bachelor in a different field as well). I applied for OPT and since I had no choice I grabbed whatever I could get. I found ALL of my jobs on Craigslist. I was a flu-shot nurse, I worked in Home Health for a month and finally I found a job at a big hospital (yes, through Craigslist). The job at the hospital is not a typical nursing job, I work in Clinical Research, but as a foreign student you need to find a niche. I got my H1B through this niche. Clinical Research hires BSN nurses and if you find a clinical research job at a not-for-profit organisation you are H1B cap exempt and need not to worry about April 1st deadlines, H1B lottery, etc. This is not an easy way, but possible. If you want to stay, work, and get sponsored, think about non-traditional nursing jobs. Good Luck

I also was an international student and I graduated from an ADN program back in 2010. I applied for OPT and since I had no choice I grabbed whatever I could get. I found ALL of my jobs on Craigslist. I was a flu-shot nurse, I worked in Home Health for a month and finally I found a job at a big hospital (yes, through Craigslist). The job at the hospital is not a typical nursing job, I work in Clinical Research, but as a foreign student you need to find a niche. I got my H1B through this niche. Good Luck

I find the comments of the original poster somewhat moralistic and righteous. People go into professions, such as nursing, for many reasons and there is nothing wrong to try to combine previous education or experience with your new profession. The condescending attitude of the OP and of some of the commentators that apparently only bedside nurses are "real" nurses or that only working 12-14 hour shifts are proof of compassion and commitment to nursing is unhelpful and perpetuating stereotypes about nurses and nursing that we should work hard to overcome.

Try to get an ON CAMPUS student job. If you get one, administration will likely give you a letter so you can apply for a SSN. Everybody who works needs to have a SSN, even if it is just a student job. As an international student you qualify for an ON CAMPUS job after you have been in F1 for 2 semester or 3 quarter. Good Luck

Whatever education you acquired in the U.K. has also be evaluated as equivalent to a bachelor in the U.S. if you are trying to go the H1b route. If you don't have a formal bachelor education, then depending on how many years you worked as a RN in the U.K., work experience might be allowed as an equal for formal education. H1b sponsoring does not require proof that no U.S resident could do the job. However, a typical nursing position in the U.S. does not require a bachelor, which makes the case for H1b difficult for typical nursing positions (e.g. floor nursing). But whatever you try, being allowed to sit for NCLEX and get a U.S. license might be the biggest hurdle.

this a difficult decision but it seems you are too readily considering only your fiances side of the story. if nursing is your passion and after you invested so much time to get there, why do you need to leave the country to readily support your partner's dreams? your dreams and career wishes are just as valid. why can't he have his music school in this country? if you are ready to go to china, that's fine, but don't give up your own dreams because you feel obligated (or love has blinded you).

You are not a nurse until you pass NCLEX and the sooner you have the chance to sit for NCLEX the better. Therefore, I would go for ADN, even if the market looks better for BSN in your area. Also, community colleges are much cheaper than universities. It is always better to have as little debt as possible, especially in this economy.

You need to analyze what went wrong the last 7 or 8 times you took this test. The test is challenging and tricky but after failing it that many times, I think you are not analyzing enough what went wrong the last times. I would think you are doing the same mistakes over and over without learning from them. Do you have a close RN friend who could review your learning strategies?

Yes BSNSN, I understand your frustration. It is not easy to get a H1B but it is not impossible. Again, the requirements for H1B are 1. You have at least a bachelor. 2. The job has a minimum requirement of bachelor. I would try clinical research coordinator. It requires a bachelor and it is reasonable to assume that a BSN would be a required/desired qualification. Not your typical nursing job but if you want to stay you need to look "off the beaten path"

Just my personal opinion, but you can tell that Cedars is not a University. The atmosphere at USC is more scholarly. I also think the benefits are better at USC. If you could see yourself work at both units then I would prefer to work at USC.

"specialty in occupation" means (in general) that the position requires a bachelor. Therefore being "just" a bedside nurse would normally not be enough to get a H1b. However, management positions would have a better chance of qualifying. Also, look at healthcare related positions and jobs in the corporate world (e.g. outside of hospitals or clinics). An advantage of H1b is that it DOES NOT require that the employer proofs that no other US citizen or permanent resident is qualified for the job and it DOES NOT require to hire them first. A job description might list a lot of "job requirements, such as years of experiences and so on but you only have to convince the employer that you are the right person. The employer does not need to justify why he choose you instead of "this other applicant with 5 years experience". This is a very significant difference between H1b and a "green card" application.

Just a quick correction on this. An H1b DOES NOT require that a qualified us citizen or perm resident is hired first.

Don't get hung-up on new grad positions.There are positions in healthcare and healthcare related fields that require a bachelor. The minimum requirements for H1b are 1. You have a bachelor 2. The position has a minimum requirement of a bachelor. A H1b has nothing to do with nursing and it does not exclude BSN graduates from getting a H1b. Keep an open mind, do your research and don't stare at this "new grad position" as the only salvation.

I-9: That's what employers do and it's perfectly fine because as an F1-OPT you have a working permit. H1b: Not normally used for nurses but can be used, depends on the position and the article you are referencing is perfectly spelling out the conditions to be met.

I was in the same situation, F1-OPT and needed a job. I applied everywhere to get some experience. It's true, getting into a new grad program is very difficult. However, I worked as a flu-nurse and in home health and nobody asked me about my immigration status. All they wanted to know is if I am legally able to work. Most of the time they will ask you for a copy of your social security card and your driver's license. Finally, I got an interview at a big hospital (not in a new grad program though). They did not ask about my status during the interview but after they offered me a position I explained my situation. They still hired me. I think, it is important to impress with your personality instead of distracting them with your immigration status. To all the international students out there, don't give up, it is possible to get a well paid job. However, it's very important to not get trapped by the "I need to get into a new grad program" thinking. Keep an open mind, Craiglist can be a good source to find a great job, volunteer, network during clinicals. Most of my fellow students got a job, even the one's who are international students, don't get distracted by all the whiners on AN.

When you apply, all they can legally ask is if you are able to work in the U.S. (...without needing a sponsor). The answer is: YES ! Although, the OPT has a time limit (1 year) it is a unrestricted working permit. I would not mention on your application or in the interview that you are a F1-OPT. Some here might disagree and think this is deceptive but you only have this precious year to get experience and there is no legal requirement to explain your immigration status in detail. Again, you have the legal right to work. Period! That's all they have to know. Depending on your resume and work experience they might suspect you are not a citizen anyway. If they flat out ask you then of course you need to tell, but don't volunteer this information up front. Your first order in an interview is to convince them of your passion for nursing and the job you apply for. If you get a BSN then there is always the chance to get a H1b later but you need to think outside the box to get it. There are many non-traditional nursing jobs that require a bachelor. You could for example try to become a study co-ordinator for clinical trials. They like to hire RNs with a bachelor and your chance of getting a H1b this way is very good.

It's a little bit off topic but I saw you are a former chemist and I studied chemistry too before becoming a nurse. Anyway, to stay on topic, I became a clinical research coordinator after graduating from nursing school. It kind of combined my research interests and my interest in the medical field. I am making about $32/hour here in Los Angeles now. I think that is pretty good for a new grad (June 2010).

I understand that you are upset and frustrated but nursing school has become very competitive. At my school the minimum requirement to apply is a GPA of 2.5 in core science classes. Realistically, unless you have a GPA 4.0 there is no chance of getting in. It's unfair and it doesn't mean you are a better nurse just because your GPA is 4.0 but it is an easy way to screen 600 applicants if you only have 60 spots to fill. You probably won't get into any (affordable) program with anything less than GPA 4.0 and top 10% of test scores. Sorry.