M.I.

Thank you, I will read it. I am trying to take the necessary steps now while I am still in education so that I don´t end up like other RN´s who have shared that their qualifications were found insufficient in the USA.

Yes, I am thinking along those lines as well. That is why I am starting early. I think a good starting point is get the exact requirements for the states I am interested in practicing. I mean, how many hours of theory and practice for each field, what subjects, etc. This way I will have a better idea what I should be aiming for.

Yes, I can only hope to get enough of these...there is nothing I can do about it now as I have no say in what gets in the curriculum.

I am sure you are right but I remember when I was giving birth to my daughter in Walnut Creek the nurse who prepared me for the Caesarian was British. Also, I had surgery on my leg in the same hospital and the operating department nurse (a male nurse) was also British, from Oxford. I mean, they have done it obviously, so I am sure I can do it too. AND I don´t have to worry about a visa, as I am sure they have...so it does get done, the question is how. I also remember a nurse from the Philipines, who used to work as an operating department nurse back home but was working in another type of job in CA because she could not qualify as a nurse.

I did take a look at all those lab- related courses when I was debating where to study nursing. As my B.Sc. was also from the UK it was really easy for me to get accepted here in a Nursing program. However, it would have been considerably more difficult to get accepted in the USA. I would have had to take the microbiology with lab, etc. AND I would have had to pay for my education, which is expensive in the USA. That is why I decided on this route- it is only a two year accelerated course and my plan was to pass the NCLEX and just get a job in the States. I guess I can take these courses you are mentioning at a local college in the USA to satisfy the requirements. I will probably work a good few years here after graduation anyways, before I am able to move. Maybe I can get the relevant experience on the job...if I work as a bank nurse I will get sent wherever they have a need for me and I will get to work in various wards. This way I can build a really strong CV, get these hours I need for the US.

What is IEN, please? It is true that in the UK we study either Mental Health Nursing, Pediatric Nursing or Adult Nursing. I am studying Adult Nursing. This is not to say that I will not gain education or experience in Mental Health or Pediatric, because I will. I think that of the three types of nursing education available here, the adult nursing will probably most closely match the generalist training you are mentioning. It is also true that we do not take any microbiology or lab classes (so far) but I think that here a lot of the classes are taken out of the program and introduced as additional on the job training. For example, we were told that we will not be studying venipuncture and cannulation because this is a one- day course which we will take when we start working. So basically when we get hired in a hospital as an RN the hospital will send us to such a course.

...Texas?...

No, I haven´t... but if it doesn´t work out I suppose there´s always Hawaii:)

:) Maybe itś just the nostalgia... but I used to live in Walnut Creek, CA. I mean, Napa and Sonoma, Marin county with Sausalito, the bay with the cafes and the boats passing by... I haven´t been further south than Cambria/Santa Barbara I must admit, but Solvang, Carmel... man, these are some great places. Not too shabby for me:)

I see. Maybe it will just be best to get my RN, pass the NCLEX and move to the USA. Any additional training I guess should be undertaken there. Thanks so much!

I actually did not know that about UK nurses. I hope my education is sufficient...I am only in the beginning of my studies so I am now beginning to look into the NCLEX... but I will be a RN in the UK when I graduate. The ¨specialist¨ nurses are nurses who have additional training and education and have earned a specialty, like a Diabetes Nurse specialist, Anaesthetist Nurse, etc. I am interested in gaining further education and training in Dermatology but my concern is that such training may be obsolete if I decide to move back to the USA.

Hello, I am a Nursing student, currently studying in the UK. I have dual citizenship- US and EU. Upon graduation from my nursing course I am planning to pass the NCLEX and any necessary state exam(s) and hopefully move to California to work as a nurse. I would like to find out if there is any way for me to become a Dermatology Nurse Specialist in the UK and have my dermatology specialist certificate accepted in the USA as well? It would be a waste of time to get a specialty in the UK if I would not be able to use it in the USA. I might just opt to work as a nurse and pursue a further training in dermatology in the USA, if this is the better alternative. What would be your advice? Second, I would like to find out whether registered nurses can practice independently or only in a medical practice under the supervision of a MD? What about Nurse practitioners or dermatology nurses? Can they have their independent immunization clinic, for example, or a dermatology and laser center? Can they do injectables like Botox, etc. Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much:)