UK qualified PACU nurse - move to america

World Registration

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Hi everyone,

I'm new here and I'm looking for advice from my fellow nurses and health care assistants.

So my boyfriend is American and I'm British we are going to be moving to rockport texas next year and I really want to be a nurse in America.

I know I have to pass the nclex in order to do this. But do I need anything else? I'm not sure if my nursing qualification will hold up in America. It makes it sound bad but I am a general nurse so in the UK we specialise in adult, mental health, child or do a completely different course for midwifery. So I have only ever touched on the other but I couldn't have passed if I hadn't done it.

What do you think my first steps should be?

Should I contact the human resources dept at a local hospital in TX? I am a PACU nurse and have a years experience so I would like to do what I know best.

I also have purchased a book and some flash cards for meds to study.

I'm really excited to get the chance to be a nurse in America. In the mean time if I didn't pass nclex 1st time would I be able to be a health care assistant? I think you call them lpn's or nurse assistants? How would I go about doing this?

TY in advance :D jo jo xx

Specializes in Critical Care and ED.
Ahhh so it is like here then. Do you know how I go about contacting the texas board? Is it just a Google job and then give them a call? What's it like to nurse over there? I'm excited but scared of the whole move and will I make friends etc. :-/

Here's the link to the BON (Board of Nursing) : https://www.bon.texas.gov

It's fantastic being a nurse here, BUT be warned...it's very different in many ways and it was a huge culture shock. The level of red tape is terrifying in itself. You can navigate your way through it but read everything! Make sure your UK education give you enough of the right credits. Meaning, that you may need x amount of credits in Texas for peds but in the UK your course only gave you Y. In order to be able to be eligible to take the NCLEX you have to fulfill these requirements. Some people find that they have to redo credits (hours) in order to qualify. You should have your UK nursing transcript converted by a reputable US company to be able to translate that for you. This is the one I used and it's very reputable: https://www.wes.org

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Hi, I have moved this to our Nurse Registration forum.

your transcripts need to show hours both clinical and theory in Paeds, Mental Health, Obstetrics and Adult. Until you go through CES with CGFNS or other approved agency (as listed on link given) you will not know if Texas will allow you to sit NCLEX

you are fortunate regarding visa as many have to wait whilst finding employer willing to go through the process of immigration and with many US nurses struggling they are hard to find.

Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
I will look into that now thank you. He's in the America army will they help us do you know? X

No not really although if he is about to deploy, your petition might get approved faster.

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Here's the link to the BON (Board of Nursing) : https://www.bon.texas.gov

It's fantastic being a nurse here, BUT be warned...it's very different in many ways and it was a huge culture shock. The level of red tape is terrifying in itself. You can navigate your way through it but read everything! Make sure your UK education give you enough of the right credits. Meaning, that you may need x amount of credits in Texas for peds but in the UK your course only gave you Y. In order to be able to be eligible to take the NCLEX you have to fulfill these requirements. Some people find that they have to redo credits (hours) in order to qualify. You should have your UK nursing transcript converted by a reputable US company to be able to translate that for you. This is the one I used and it's very reputable: https://www.wes.org

That is so helpful thank you!!! I shall do that... argh I can imagine. It's getting like that here too. But I shall check that asap with the websites thank you so much it's very much appreciated. It's all very daunting. X

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Hi, I have moved this to our Nurse Registration forum.

your transcripts need to show hours both clinical and theory in Paeds, Mental Health, Obstetrics and Adult. Until you go through CES with CGFNS or other approved agency (as listed on link given) you will not know if Texas will allow you to sit NCLEX

you are fortunate regarding visa as many have to wait whilst finding employer willing to go through the process of immigration and with many US nurses struggling they are hard to find.

Welcome to the Texas Board of Nursing Website

Thank you I'm giving them a call now :)

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Ok I shall have a look in the new year at the texas board. Will be a marriage or fiance visa we will come over on.yay very exvited thank you for your reply x

Go for CR1, because it takes just one whole process and you're done with the immigration (except for Naturalization after 3 years of being married to a US Citizen). In fiance visa, you will receive a 3-year green card (under conditional status for 3 years) and you need to file the adjustment (of course, take some time, effort and money), so basically with F1 you're dealing with two immigration proceedings. Whereas, CR1 (petition for a spouse), you will get a 10-year green card but you need to consider how many years you guys have been married once you enter US because if you're married less than 2 years when you finally enter the US under CR1 visa, then you still get the 3-year conditional status and apply for adjustment later on (same as with the fiance visa) but if it's more than 2 years then you can definitely receive the 10-year green card and doesn't need to apply for adjustment of status. :up:

*green card- permanent resident card

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Specializes in NICU.
In the usa do you have to keep a portfolio of reflection and evidence of yearly home study as evidence to a governing body?

We have a governing body here called NMC (nursing and midwifery council) do you have to pay a fee to be a nurse? We get charged yearly here. I was just wondering if it was the same there. Thank you x

It's easier to renew in the states. If you're in a state that requires CEUs, you just acquire as many as you need and keep the certificates for potential audits. If you do an eight-hour pediatric ECG course, for example, you'll get a certificate stating that you've completed eight CEUs (it's usually an hour-for-hour equivalent). Do a mini course online, pass the post test, and you're granted however many CEUs the course is good for. There's none of this faff of "reflection" that the NMC is requiring now.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
No not really although if he is about to deploy, your petition might get approved faster.

Not really even then

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