UK nurse in process of going to Florida

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 10, 2006

I would suggest no-one go with an agency that asks you to pay any fees:eek: . By high profile I mean one that has a good track record. Adevia pay back any exam fees you incur & pay all immigration costs once you have secured a placement with them. Also they have direct placement - which means your contract with them ends when you start working for your US hospital. I agree it pays to do your homework - I've learned the hard way & I just want to stop any other UK nurse from making the same mistake. Luckily for me I only lost time not money! Basically I think you have 2 choices if you're in the UK -O'Grady Peyton (? spelling but UK nurses will know who I mean) - who are not direct placement but do have a sound track record or Adevia, who are direct placement & also have a sound track record.

It can easily be done on your own and plenty of sticky's on the international forum giveing excellant advice on how to do it

suzanne4, RN · Feb 10, 2006

High profile does not automatically mean good service.

Actually, we have been seeing otherwise around here.

ann h · Feb 13, 2006

As I have said on here before, I went with Adevia to start with. I was happy to pay all my own fees.

When I passed NCLEX with their help (they were great) in Oct 05. I was luckly to be visiting Florida a couple of weeks later.

Adevia use an agency (Where I had an interview) in Florida and will only be able to place you when you have GC. You do have to pay $16,000 if you do not finish contract, far too much.

I now have a contract with Florida Hospital (thanks to Letina)and know where I will be working on arrival to the US hopefully later this year.

ann h · Feb 13, 2006

I have a book which I dip in and out of from time to time may help

Nursing In America

By Eugenie Houston

http://www.nurseatwork.com

RGN1 have you applied to GCFNS for visa screen. You can apply and pay online. Adevia did not inform me I had to do that that this stage and I am still waiting for mine but if I had done it a your stage it would be hopefully through by now.

Sorry to keep on but I went with Vermont and now have to endorse licence to Florida more paperwork $221, finger prints £10 and vermont have to tell Florida you have licence about $40 I think.

Kids and husband have just had Hep B inj course of three £180 and it goes on.

RGN1 · Feb 20, 2006

Thanks for all the advice already, I will scour the archives when I get a chance! If you don't mind helping point me in the right direction I'd be grateful - there's so much to look through! Guess that's why I was lazy & got you all writing stuff you've already written before!

Just one other thing did anyone use an on-line sight for N-CLEX practice tests that they would recommend? I really just want the chance to practice, practice & practice! I've got one more CD I haven't yet used but have seen many sites that have online tests & wondered if anyone had a favourite (or a worst).

ann h · Feb 20, 2006

I did the online course with Kaplan via Adevia. It cost but worth every penny to pass first time. You get real timed tests and print out of results so you know where you are going wrong or right.

Let me know when you are going to London to take Exam I know a cheap place to say about 30 mins walk form test centre, if you are interested and do not live in London.

SEM100 · Feb 21, 2006

ok.I am a student adult nurse and say I was considering moving to the u.s.a as soon as possible after I was qualified, would I not have the hours in mental health, paediatrics etc.? I was planning to get about 1 years experience in the u.k, do the exams and...go.Is there more to it???

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 22, 2006

ok.I am a student adult nurse and say I was considering moving to the u.s.a as soon as possible after I was qualified, would I not have the hours in mental health, paediatrics etc.? I was planning to get about 1 years experience in the u.k, do the exams and...go.Is there more to it???

unless you obtained these hours both theory and practical in your training then the answer would be no you would need to catch up. This is what a few students or just qualified nurses are finding out. Universities are not offering these sort of catch up courses and you would need to look elsewhere ie US at a accredited school of nursing to do these courses which you will have to finance yourself and be able to support yourself whilst doing it

RGN1 · Feb 22, 2006

I second Silver Dragon's reply and also add that some places are asking for 2 years experience. There's another thread that talks about on-line courses from Canada, I can't remember where it is but you'll find it by looking at the subjects in the UK forum.

SHELLY26 · Mar 11, 2006

I'm a nurse from the UK - luckily trained under the old system so I don't have to make up hours - who is in the process of becoming a US RN. I want to post a warning about using IHGi who lied to me about having mailed my papers when they had done nothing :angryfire . I suggest to any other UK nurses that they use Adevia (or another high profile agency) who have been fantastic so far.

Hi my husband and I are looking to relcate to Texas after completion of our nursing degrees. We have been in touch with Adevia and they sound great but we have been warned against them ,can you confirm for me that if you have the right hours in each area that you have a good chance of getting to the US with them.We may have to do conversion courses as my hubby is child trained and I adult, although I was told that with adult nursing you may scrape the hours together with any maternity and mental health placements that you can get. Do you know if Adevia sort out any prison jobs at all, thanks for your time Michelle.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Mar 11, 2006

Hi my husband and I are looking to relcate to Texas after completion of our nursing degrees. We have been in touch with Adevia and they sound great but we have been warned against them ,can you confirm for me that if you have the right hours in each area that you have a good chance of getting to the US with them.We may have to do conversion courses as my hubby is child trained and I adult, although I was told that with adult nursing you may scrape the hours together with any maternity and mental health placements that you can get. Do you know if Adevia sort out any prison jobs at all, thanks for your time Michelle.

It can be done by yourselves and at the top of the international forum there are plenty of stickies giving good advice. CES with CGFNS would be a good start as they will say whether your hours are enough or not. If it is prison work you are looking for you will need to find a prison who would be willing to petition you for your greencard. It may be easier going through a hospital than a prison. You have to have enough acreddited hours both theory and practical to qualify not by scraping hours together by working in the areas you are low in.

Good luck on your journey

SHELLY26 · Mar 11, 2006

It can be done by yourselves and at the top of the international forum there are plenty of stickies giving good advice. CES with CGFNS would be a good start as they will say whether your hours are enough or not. If it is prison work you are looking for you will need to find a prison who would be willing to petition you for your greencard. It may be easier going through a hospital than a prison. You have to have enough acreddited hours both theory and practical to qualify not by scraping hours together by working in the areas you are low in.
G
ood luck on your journey

Thankyou for that , we want to relocate so badly but do not have the first idea where to start as nobody gives you any idea of what hours you need in each area, any idea ? How long will the whole process from start to finish take and have you ever heard of anybody doing the conversion courses for this reason, I have been told that it is eighteen months long not sure if you can get a bursary or not , so many questions. Michelle. PS, how do you know how many hours you have completed yourself? I can't remember .