RN from EU needs help, exams, degrees and general

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Hello nurses from all around the world!

My name is Daniel and I'm a 24y old RN from European Union. I'm currently studying Informatics and will most probably finish somewhere in July 09 (Engineer of Informatics, Associates Degree). I finished a medical high school (4year program), have a diploma, a license to work and 3years of experience working in a local hospital.

Recently I was thinking of moving to New York because that's my wish since I was a little kid, to live in USA. I started gathering information about visas, green cards and whatnot and I came to a conclusion that moving to US is everything but a piece of cake. Apparently they don't give away GCs just like that :D.

So after spending few days intensively reading this board I learned the following. To successfully migrate from EU to US as a RN I would need:

- a diploma (check)

- license to work (check)

- CGFNS or NCLEX (none)

- TOEFL or IELTS (none)

So where can I apply for these exams in Europe? Can I do them online? All I could find online were testing locations in US and nothing in Europe. So can anyone help me out here?

There's one more thing that bothers me. I found this website that sponsors international nurses for US green cards and they say that you need to graduate from a nursing program (Bachelor or Associate degree). Now here in Europe we have totally different school systems and titles usually don't match those in US.

In US you have high schools which last 12 grades all in one part and then you move on to colleges but we in Europe have elementary schools (8 grades) and then you choose what you want to do in your life and go to that high school. Now I've chosen nursing and I went to medical/nursing high school (4 grades) and by the age of 19 I was a RN and fully qualified for work. I don't have a Bachelor's or Associate's Degree but I'm still a RN. Is that a problem? Am I not qualified for a nursing position in US?

The other thing I've noticed at US employers is that they look for RNs specialized/licensed in different fields like RN-ICU, RN-ER, RN-OR and so on. Here in Europe nurses in hospitals work wherever they put them to. I worked in a hospital for 3 years and few months I was working at a Hematology department, then they transfered me to Cardio ICU room, sometimes I would be working at a department of Dialysis and so on. We're more like general nurses and not specialized in one field only. So when I apply for a job, what position to choose?

One more thing, how do they treat foreigners in US? Is the staff friendly and willing to give a hand in the beginning or do they just put you somewhere and expect you to work fully individual? How are these relations between nurses and superiors?

I'd very much like to work in US but I'm not sure what to expect.

So basically:

- what exams and where

- degrees and titles

- relations nurse/superior-nurse

I would be very thankful if someone could answer my questions, I would really like to pass those exams first and then look for a job. I hope I'm not spamming this forum so if these questions were answered earlier I apologize in advance and hope someone could point me to those threads.

Thank you very much and all the best to nurses, our job is really not appreciated enough.

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Specializes in intensive care, recovery, anesthetics.

In what country are you working?? I worked in 3 european countries so far and was allways employed for one unit only, with the exception of helping out, what wasn't very often.

Before you start anything let me tell you that you will need at least 2 years CURRENT nursing experience before any employer will consider you, especially when you had a break from nursing.

The language test can be done almost anywhere, but it's only valid for 2 years. If you found the websites just look there, the testing centers are listed.

NCLEX is offered in London, maybe in other cities as well.

5cats

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I'm from Slovenia. I just got fired, unemployed since Jan 1st 09 due to "international crisis".

Yes I've found a place in my country where I can go for IELTS but what about NCLEX or CGFNS? Do I take those after I come to US?

They do hire you for one unit only but they usually send rookies all over the place. So if I apply for a job I'm not sure what to write in my job application.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I'm from Slovenia. I just got fired, unemployed since Jan 1st 09 due to "international crisis".

Yes I've found a place in my country where I can go for IELTS but what about NCLEX or CGFNS? Do I take those after I come to US?

They do hire you for one unit only but they usually send rookies all over the place. So if I apply for a job I'm not sure what to write in my job application.

Have you read the sticky Primer to working in the USA? Each state board of nursing has their own requirements and we haven't seen many employers for the NY state but if NY is your preferred destination then you have to go through the CVS with CGFNS. Just complete the forms on http://www.cgfns.org and they will do the rest. You can sit NCLEX in London or Germany as can nly be done in a registered NCLEX center. Employers as mentioned will be looking for experience and with retrogression you have got plenty of time to look for and gain nursing experience once you have finished your current course. With retrogression you are looking at several years wait for a GC and arrange a move to the US. May want to consider another country

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So for NYC I have to take both CGFNS and NCLEX?

Thank you guys for your answers. Looks like I'm playing GC Lottery this year.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

CGFNS offer many services and for NY you have to do CVS, all can be found on their website (link I have given you)

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The nursing education has to be completed post high school. I don't believe high school education is considered professional nursing experience. The CVS will explain this to you as posted above.

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You should go for Nursing degree first EUmaleRN and get some experience.

Don't worry about NCLEX and IELTS , they are easy. As for the IELTS , you only need to score 7 in every modules ( same as in EU , ie.U.K ).

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The nursing education has to be completed post high school. I don't believe high school education is considered professional nursing experience. The CVS will explain this to you as posted above.

But that's what I was talking about in my first post. Our school system is different from yours. You can go to 4 year nursing school and become a RN and after that if you want you can attend a high nursing school and become bachelor's of nursing. That's it for the nurses in Europe. You're either RN with a High School diploma or RN with Bachelor's.

So that means no job for me in the US :).

I'm checking out the CVS (CGFNS) website. I'll ask them about degrees and my qualifications for a US job.

Thank you all!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
But that's what I was talking about in my first post. Our school system is different from yours. You can go to 4 year nursing school and become a RN and after that if you want you can attend a high nursing school and become bachelor's of nursing. That's it for the nurses in Europe. You're either RN with a High School diploma or RN with Bachelor's.

So that means no job for me in the US :).

I'm checking out the CVS (CGFNS) website. I'll ask them about degrees and my qualifications for a US job.

Thank you all!

What we are saying is some countries train their nurses in high school and that is not accepted. Your nurse training has to commence once you have finished education. In the UK you generally are looking at 17 or 18 minimum with certain qualification requirements to be meet.

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So if I'm not a RN, what am I?

I must have some title since it says "nurse" on my diploma and I worked in hospital as a nurse. So what's my equivalent in US?

EDIT: If I attend a nursing school at Kaplan University which has online Associate Degree's from Nursing, is that enough or do I need Bachelor's?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You are probably a RN in EU as that is accepted but in the US and a few other countries your training has to be once you have finished school. I know I trained in the UK and my training didn't start until I was over 18 and had various passes in school certificates. I would say the best thing to do is get CES full course by course and see what it says. I know we have had some members who training in China in a similar way to you and they had problems in the USA

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