BonnieSc

In my experience, two weeks may be the required notice, but it's really expected that nurses give four weeks or so. In particular, it's hard on everyone if you've been scheduled for the month and just won't be there. Giving more notice prevents the resentment. When I have left jobs, I've told my manager ahead of time and asked if we can keep it between us (or including any assistant managers who might do the scheduling) until three or four weeks before leaving.

I wonder if it's to avoid touching receipts as well? Receipts have nasty chemicals in them that can lead to all sorts of problems. I wouldn't touch one while I was pregnant and try to avoid it in general. I can't, for the life of me, understand what is unprofessional about it. At least one cashier at the hospital cafeteria wears gloves and the only thought I ever gave it was sympathy that her hands probably get dry.

Is this for a facility where you work? I'm curious (though you may not want to say) whether most of your nurses come from the same place--the Philippines, for instance. People coming from countries and schools that send applicants to the US regularly will have a faster time. I'm not trying to deny your experience, but based on mine and many other accounts from people I've talked to or who have posted, 4 months isn't realistic for most--I don't want people to have hopes/expectations that it will be done that fast.

Silverdragon, I'm curious about where you got the average of "4 months approximately". Is that something CGFNS has published? Since they are currently taking about a month even to log in all paperwork (this is their statement), and "up to" 12 weeks to process the report, it seems like a stretch to me that 4 months is even possible, much less average.

We have several places in each patient room that are DESIGNATED "glove free zones". If you put on gloves on entry, you'd be breaking policy. Unless you take off those gloves, wash, get what you need, rewash, reglove... this includes the keyboards, by the way. Theoretically we can get cited for using a computer with gloves on (outside of isolation). We were recently informed, though, that our medication practices are going to be audited by some accrediting agency (I don't remember what) and they told us ("reminded" us) we're supposed to use gloves when handling any medications, including oral. I try not to touch pills with my hands, but it hasn't been my practice to wear gloves when giving orals. Every hospital is different. One I worked at designated IV ports/lines as "glove free" zones (unless obvious blood or chance of blood); my current one says we have to use gloves when giving IV meds.

We are still in process. Yes, they add another 10-12 weeks on every time they receive the requested document (or anyway, they CAN do that). In our case, we paid for the ten day expedited review this time, and they restart the ten days each time they request something and we get it sent--though thank goodness, we don't have to pay the expedite fee each time. However, it's been fifteen business days since the last time they said all documents were received and the file was ready for review. I called on Friday and they seemed puzzled and said they would expedite the matter. Yes, I've also heard that CGFNS is the most difficult agency to deal with, though the others also have some negative reviews.

Sorry, I don't have an opinion, though the study materials from Magoosh seem really good. My husband (who is a foreign educated nurse; I'm an American nurse) chose to do in-person IELTS prep.

CGFNS seems to say this to almost everyone, unless it's a school they work with frequently. Since it's very difficult to get information out of them, I'm not sure whether it's usually an actual problem with signature/seal or if that's also the generic message they send out when they need the signature revalidated--it may just mean they've never had a transcript signed by that person before. In which case the school needs to sign a transcript validation form. Other problems I've heard about include putting a seal in the wrong place (the marking is dim IMO) or having an "illegible" signature (which in many countries is the proper way to sign a paper). Call CGFNS and find out if there's any next step you need to take. They may or may not tell you.

Where are you from? Unfortunately even some people who were educated in English have trouble getting passing scores for the state board on TOEFL and IELTS. It's not only knowing English; it's knowing how the test works and what they're looking for. I think paying for a review, whether online or in person, is probably worthwhile (remember, it's a drop in the bucket compared to your future RN salary). That said, there is a lot of free information available online, as well as test prep books.

I know you mean only to be complimentary, but when you describe the Indian nurses you work with as "kind and hard-working", IMHO that reinforces stereotypes about both nurses and immigrants. The Indian nurses I work with are highly skilled and experienced, which I'm guessing is the case for your co-workers as well.

The minimum requirements depend on the state you're applying to. I don't know of any easy way to know whether CGFNS is going to consider your school's education adequate for that state, unfortunately. I've heard they even sometimes approve one alumnus's application and not the other. Just have them be honest, and hope for the best. Yes, try to incorporate all of your classes into the categories CGFNS has; American nursing schools usually teach like six subjects, but schools abroad sometimes have twenty. Most of those are actually what we would consider adult medical-surgical topics. If parts of the application aren't filled out correctly (according to CGFNS), they will send another form asking for more information or clarification. Don't worry about the application being spoiled; they'll just keep asking for more until they have the information they need. Whether your education qualifies is something else altogether. My husband is the first to apply from one of his schools, too. It's been a LONG process with a lot of back and forth communication to get those papers filled out. Hopefully you have better luck.

Yes, I've done two. I certainly haven't gotten the answers I wanted, but the person I spoke with had firsthand knowledge and understanding of the case and the process. Just to give you some perspective, my husband began his CGFNS application in July 2016. You won't have nearly the amount of trouble we have, because part of our problems are language/cultural/logistical getting documents from Africa. But to be sure CGFNS itself has put insane roadblocks in our way, and our case doesn't seem to be unusual (look up their reviews online).

Do the "virtual consultation". The people who answer the phone don't know anything. The virtual consultation people are much more helpful (though not incredibly so). Frankly, your Washington state money is gone; you shouldn't have sent in your application and fee. It's very unlikely the CGFNS process will be done within 30 days. You're already moving much, much faster through CGFNS than many others have. I guess, if you haven't, you could explain the situation to the BRN and ask them if they will extend; I don't know what they'll say. But as I remember, it says on the website not to apply until you've been through CGFNS. Good luck!

Ask CGFNS to extend your time. I can't remember if they will do this before the time is up, but ask now, and they'll let you know. There's no guarantee that they will do it, but they do it at times. Do not, under any circumstances, pay again without asking first. They could make you get new paperwork again from your school, because the form changed since you first applied; maybe you're having your school fill out the new versions of the forms now, I don't know. Anyway: yes, CGFNS will extend the year timeframe at times, if all of your paperwork has been submitted.

Yes, it can really take that long. Yes, it's from when they received all required documents. My personal opinion is that they want people to pay the expedite fee and make that as appealing as possible. We didn't pay it last time and regretted it, because the day we expected to receive results, we heard instead that the documents weren't complete and had been accepted in error. Next time our documents are all marked received, we're going to pay it. To the person who's been waiting extra long--they're probably taking extra weeks off for Thanksgiving, Christmas, maybe New Year's.