psych nursing in PR

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Hello Anyone

I want to "retire" to PR and work part time in mental health but am having difficulty finding answers about endorsement or even job postings except at the VA which I don't want to work at. I am an Advanced Practice nurse with Prescriptive Authority in Massachusetts and have been in my own private practice for 18 years. Would welcome any guidance

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Specializes in OB.

Look into everything you can before deciding to retire over there.

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You'll need to take their license examination which is different from NCLEX. To be honest the VA is one of the best hospitals in PR ans the pay is much better than the private hospitals. Most of the time they won't even look at your advanced degree, so really look into it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, International Health, Psych.

Puerto Rico does not recognize APNs. In fact, there is no APN license. The nursing license you would secure is for a RN and you will eventually test for that although you can get a temporary permit at first. PR has its own test, different from the NCLEX. It was being offered in English and Spanish and is only offered several times a year. The MDs have worked hard to prevent APNs from practicing on the island. You can however practice at the VA because it is federal. You can also see if you can teach nursing at a SON there. There are NP programs (University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus and UMET Turabo) but the students must eventually leave the island for the mainland to see employment outside of the VA system, so they might welcome your expertise. They pay is much, much lower than you might anticipate. When I taught ADN students several years back I was paid $20/hr. Good luck. Please post any info you might find. I am a Psych NP and would LOVE to return if I could make a more than decent living there.

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