uk nurses who have come to the usa

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I am in the usvi, and have been here nearly a year, maybe all the nurses who have posted their news about immigration, can now post about the differences in the us hospitals. I dont think that american doctors and nurses fully understand where we come from, and the working environment of the nhs, its only when we get here that we can understand the differences. I am sure that stateside hospitals are different even from here. and that they also vary from state to state, but maybe nurses who are waiting to come will be able to pick up some tips and know more than us what to expect.

christine....from wales to scotland to united states virgin islands, and then to the states, in january.

hi kay.....like you leading up to coming here, I used to think that my colleagues must have thought that I was mad, I had sold my business and my house and living in rented accomodation wating for the big date to arrive.

then after getting the interview and the date a couple of my nurse friends said that they wish that they had the courage to do what I was doing and that their husbands would agree, as some of them wanted to work abroad but due to their husbands or wives being reluctant to uproot and move, they couldnt realise the dream.

so that gave me the boost that I needed at that time to know that what I was doing was right for me.

now I look back and think that all the hassle of immigration and the waiting time were a dream, look at me now....15 months into my contract, living in the carribean and living a life that many people can only dream about, and even then wouldnt get it right.

hang in there kay and the waiting will soon be over and you will be over here.

christine

Thanks for all your great replies, it is so helpful for me to read them, especially as I have a sensible head at the moment :rolleyes:. I dont know about others but recently people have been like staring at me like I am mad when I say i am emigrating and asking WHY? So been getting a few jitters. Of course I know why and I am committed but I feel it is normal to have some aprehension :idea:. Christine, I am sure it will be great to meet up in Arizona, there will be quite a few of us there by next year.

Jan OGP said at about 6 weeks the dream gets a bit fuzzy around the edges and then it is full swing ahead, what do you think? That sounds good re the sickness thing, because you just never know. Yes 3 nights a week does sound good. I just want to get going now, i feel my life is on 'get ready' and I am raring to go but the starter gun hasn't got off :chuckle

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Specializes in ICU,ANTICOAG,ACUTE STROKE,EDU,RESEARCH.
Hi,

I notice you are a nurse/midwife, did you have HD experience prior to going to US? I did renal for 7 years, but am going to do med/sur-neuro in AZ

Kay

How did you do it ie alone or agency.OGP have told me I need to leave my CNS job and go back to ICU or they cannot sponsor me.How did you get a job with no specific experience?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
How did you do it ie alone or agency.OGP have told me I need to leave my CNS job and go back to ICU or they cannot sponsor me.How did you get a job with no specific experience?

I am a practice nurse and with the aid of a recruiter I am going without agency and I have said I am OK about going back into a hospital enviroment. Was hoping to have been over there by now but with cgfns and first hospital backing out I am still a way to go but still have no problems with bneing back in the hospital and have a good mentorship programme

Best of luck

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Specializes in Stroke Rehab, Elderly, Rehab. Ortho.
How did you do it ie alone or agency.OGP have told me I need to leave my CNS job and go back to ICU or they cannot sponsor me.How did you get a job with no specific experience?

OGP told me the same and so I went it alone (although I did start with a small agency initially) They told me I wouldnt be able to get a job as I have been in a nursing home for too long. BUT I have a job in Vero Beach Florida and hoping to be there in a few weeks :)

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
How did you do it ie alone or agency.OGP have told me I need to leave my CNS job and go back to ICU or they cannot sponsor me.How did you get a job with no specific experience?

I dont know what you mean re specific experience??

I have 7 years acute renal/ haemodialysis experience

1 year haematology/medical

2 years nuero/medical

4 years midwifery

Altogether i think that adds up to good nursing experience.

I am currently working on nuero ward and have a job in US on a neuro ward.

I am going with an agency OGP and it has taken 9 months so far and I am waiting for US interview now. So there is an advantage to going with an agency as apposed to going it alone.

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Hi,

I think the six week thing is probably correct Kay.At first you are just happy to be here.Then you realise that to live here you need the social security number.Nothing happens without it.It is supposed to be generated by the paperwork you give the embaasy and then hand to the immigration officer on arrivalin the US.Guess what?I have only met one person that received it in this way.Everyone else had to reapply after arrival at their new home.In my case, the social security office will not even look at you until you have been here 3 full weeks.The card takes another two weeks to arrive.You cannot apply for a driving licence or much else without the card.

Now, finally I have the card in my hand,have passed the driving test and await that card and lastly waiting for the green card to arrive.

This has been one of the most frustrating times of my life.I wanted to organise my new life but had to wait for the paperwork.

Work wise, things are different,but that would be the same if I had just moved hospitals in the uk.The people have been very friendly and happy to answer my questions.

Janet

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I would just like to say thanks to all the UK-US Nurses who have posted on here this thread is just great for answering lots of questions. I feel more prepared for some of the obsticles which may face me. Especially the financial ones which seem to be a nightmare, but I think if we just expect it then it weill appear normal.

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well I cant believe that my 18 months is nearly at an end, 14 weeks left!

I have signed up with another travel agency for my next assignment on the recomendation of suzanne who also works for them.......(from reading all of her posts.)

looking forward to seing how the stateside hospitals compare to here although I can guess at the answer. I feel like if I can survive here then I can survive anywhere, what a good experience it has been for me.

kay

just noticed that you are in gosport, I thought that you were in portsmouth, my son and his family are there. plenty of visits there before we came here.

will maybe meet up in arizona sometime.

christine

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
well I cant believe that my 18 months is nearly at an end, 14 weeks left!

I have signed up with another travel agency for my next assignment on the recomendation of suzanne who also works for them.......(from reading all of her posts.)

looking forward to seing how the stateside hospitals compare to here although I can guess at the answer. I feel like if I can survive here then I can survive anywhere, what a good experience it has been for me.

kay

just noticed that you are in gosport, I thought that you were in portsmouth, my son and his family are there. plenty of visits there before we came here.

will maybe meet up in arizona sometime.

christine

That would be great, I would love to meet up in AZ where will you be working? I have my medical booked now so shouldnt be long. My big boss at work has just asked me to take a sabaticle for 3yrs. Where abouts in Gosport? It is so small here.

I am a mancunian though was married to a navy guy, still married to him he's now a copper. he has to work for a living now:rotfl:

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Specializes in Stroke Rehab, Elderly, Rehab. Ortho.
That would be great, I would love to meet up in AZ where will you be working? I have my medical booked now so shouldnt be long. My big boss at work has just asked me to take a sabaticle for 3yrs. Where abouts in Gosport? It is so small here.

I am a mancunian though was married to a navy guy, still married to him he's now a copper. he has to work for a living now:rotfl:

When is your medical Kay? :)

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
When is your medical Kay? :)

Hi Sue,

29th October in Birmingham was the 10th but they couldn't fit Abby in then and they said she has to come another day lol. 4 years old dunno if she'd have made it back on her own lol. Then they could only do when I wa s in AZ so had to be end of month-nothing til end of nov in London. Scotland would have cost over £350 to fly. so trying to loose 4 stone by then

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Its a pain scheduling the medicals, i had mine originally in Edinburgh, but ive been phoning them up if someone cancelled and we will be willing to take their place, cause they havent got the schedule for oct yet, then come 1st week of sept, they told me that they got one for oct which is on the 11th and my son got sept 23, luckily our embassy interview was on the 24th so we just stayed in a friends place in London, then took the interview the next day.

Just a tip for those who will be having VISA interview, get in the embassy as early as you can, even if your schedule is 10am, get there and que up as early as 8am, cause when you get in, they will provide you with a number which will be called out, so the time are pretty much useless. If you go in there lets say a bit late like 9 am, you will have a min wait of about 3 hours. In our case we got into the embassy at 8:30am, we was number 33, then we finished at about 10am.

Good luck to all of us!!

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