UK RN moving to California - HELP

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Hi all,

So I know this topic has been talked about over and over but I still require some anwsers that I just cannot seem to find....so here goes....

I am a 26 year old RN working in a hospital in London (plastic surgery nurse) I graduated in August 2015 with a Post Graduate Diploma in Adult Nursing. So in August 2017 I will have been two years qualfied and ready to move to California (all agencies and all US nurses i've spoken to state I will need 2 years experience in the UK before I can get a job there). Additonally I am currently studying my Masters degree in Nursing which I will graduate from in September 2017.

I have ordered my transcript from my univeristy to be sent to CGFNS and I have sat down with the programme lead of my nursing programme to fill in the additional form that CGFNS require stating my exact theory and clincial hours of each area, thankfully, as I knew even prior to starting my course I wanted to nurse in the US I think I have (just) enough theory/clinical hours in paeds, midwifery and mental health due to relentlessly asking for experience in these areas as a student, alongside my plentiful hours in theory and clinical of adult nusring covering all areas from med to surg. I am aiming on taking my NCLEX next summer so that hopefully (!) by September 2017 I will have a valid NCLEX certificate, obviously I can only book to take this if CGFNS decide my theory and clincial hours are enough...am I right?

So the questions...

Can I sit the NCLEX in the UK and just state that it is the Californian board of nursing that I want my results sent to?

Is an agency the only way to go in regards to getting a job in California due to not having social security number or is it possible independently?

How long does CGFNS take to get back to me in regards to my transcript/hours?

And how long does it take to receive NCLEX results?

and finally....am I crazy for thinking this is even a possibility that before i'm 30 I could be working as a nurse in California?

Any useful, positive, helpful information would be greatly received.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Dear SliverDragon,

I am in the dilemma, trained in the UK, planing to move to america with my family.

In 2010, CGFNS told me I lack practical hours in peads & mental health nursing. No University in the UK is willing to give me the opportunity to make up those hours.

What do you suggest? should I re- train in america or apply to work as an LPN? Not sure if i can get a working visa for an LPN. will i be faced with the same issue of not having enough hours in peads & mental health.

My friend recommended joining an agency called my assignment america. what do you think?

Is there a college/ universities where UK trained nurses can make up these theological/ practical in America for 6 months to a year?

I will be very grateful if anyone can provide useful advise and information.

Regards

There is no work visa or immigrant visa for LPN. I am also not aware of any universities in the U.K. That offer catch up courses. Joining an agency will make no difference to missing hours. Finding somewhere in the US may be difficult if only doing certain hours and training again in the US will cost lots of $$$$$$

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thanks for getting back.

so what do you suggest i start from? I should forget the idea of ever working in america as a UK trained nurse

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Depends how determined you are to get to the US. You could contact many nursing schools in the US especially in the state you want to live and work in and see if they will assist you in making them hours up.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

My response from the other day didn't show up. Don't give up. I did it and so can you. My training in Scotland was from 98 to 2003, it may have been different to yours. We started with 18 months in the common foundation programme, before branching into our chosen area. So we did a little bit of everything to start with, peds, adults, mental health, maternity. My transcripts were acceptable. Also I was in BC, Canada from 2005-2010 on a temporary work visa and I didn't have to submit transcripts, I did take the BC exam though. I understand BC are now using the NCLEX, would you consider trying for BC first then it may be easier to get into the US?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
My response from the other day didn't show up. Don't give up. I did it and so can you. My training in Scotland was from 98 to 2003, it may have been different to yours. We started with 18 months in the common foundation programme, before branching into our chosen area. So we did a little bit of everything to start with, peds, adults, mental health, maternity. My transcripts were acceptable. Also I was in BC, Canada from 2005-2010 on a temporary work visa and I didn't have to submit transcripts, I did take the BC exam though. I understand BC are now using the NCLEX, would you consider trying for BC first then it may be easier to get into the US?

Things have changed a lot for Canada and I am really surprised you didn't have to show transcripts as I registered in 2008 and had to show UK transcripts as they need to make sure your training matches theirs.

Now everyone must go through NNAS and must have clinical and theory hours in Paeds, Obstetrics, Mental Health and Adult.

Eve2106 has already said that CGFNS have told her she is sort in certain hours and that is where the difficulties are as no place in the UK offers catch up if looking at working overseas

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I understand stand things have changed. I was only trying to help. I'd hate to see someone give up a dream because of difficulties. CFGNS is not the only company that verifies transcripts. I can only speak from my own experience but I know that WA allows one to use ERES or IERF as well. However I don't know if they look for the same number of hours as as CFGNS. I would start contacting nursing schools in the state you want to work, talk to the head of Nursing course or an academic advisor explain the situation and see if there is anything they can offer you or maybe give suggestions. There are also many nursing courses mainly online but you have to arrange your own clinical placement. Since you already have training, it's possible you may be able to skip parts of the course so it may not take you as long. Its worth asking about.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

All approved agencies will be looking for the same things. This is from a requirement list that the BON would have provided them with. Unfortunately we see it many times with UK nurses and occasionally Australian nurses with hours in Obstetrics and/or Paeds. Usually Mental Health and Adult have enough hours

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Specializes in ER.

You can take the NCLEX in London, I forgot the name of the building but its across from Sainsburys in Holborn!

You cannot get your licence without a SSN.

As an adult RN you are unlikely to have the peds, OB or psych hours.

If you test for a CA licence its around 5-6 weeks before they write to you with the result. Most states have a way of checking online, but CA is not one of them.

NCLEX is not going to get you a visa or a SSN. and your RN licence cannot be issued without the SSN.

And to be honest, unless you trained pre 2000, you are going to have a hard time of it, and likely be unsuccessful as your training and experience won't cut it.

There is no nursing shortage anymore in the US. Agencies were chasing UK RNs a few years ago to recruit them but that has all gone and most of the agencies don't even exist anymore. I got my study materials for NCLEX from OGP but I think they have closed down.

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Hi Claire,

I am also due to start my Postgraduate diploma/Masters in adult nursing soon. I am a US citizen and married to a British man. I would like to keep my options open if we decide to move back to California in future. If you don't mind me asking, which University did you attend? I am thinking of Kings or Bucks in London. I have also sent you a friend request. I'll really appreciate if you could guide me on how to fulfil the requirements for NCLEX while studying Nursing here in London.

Thanks

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Dear Eve2106,

I am not sure if you are still looking to sort out the missing hours in paediatrics and obstetrics but since January 2018 has Kings College London this short courses for a fee of 5000 pounds running over 3-4 months.I hope this helps if you are still looking.

All the best xxx

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Hi LClaire,

Just wondering how you got on if you've managed to make it to the US yet? I am a student nurse I have an SSN as I've previously lived in the US and I am trying to convince my Uni to allow me to take extra modules to get paeds experience. Can you give me an idea of how you knew what was required?

Any info or updates on anyone's situation would be much appreciated xx

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On 1/7/2018 at 3:39 PM, s_kau said:

Hi Claire,

I am also due to start my Postgraduate diploma/Masters in adult nursing soon. I am a US citizen and married to a British man. I would like to keep my options open if we decide to move back to California in future. If you don't mind me asking, which University did you attend? I am thinking of Kings or Bucks in London. I have also sent you a friend request. I'll really appreciate if you could guide me on how to fulfil the requirements for NCLEX while studying Nursing here in London.

Thanks

Hello! I currently live in California and got accepted into Kingston university for Children’s Nursing. I have heard that it wouldn’t be worth getting a degree over there because I probably wouldn’t be able to come back to California to work when I’m done. Did you happen to find out any information? I’ve been looking for months to try and figure out a solution because I would love to go to school in the UK. Thank you!

On 11/23/2016 at 1:31 AM, LClaire said:

Luckily, hours wise, I have enough hours in all disciplines, I knew when I was a student I wanted to work in the US so I got exposures in the different specialities and took extra modules for paeds and the rest of them. And thankfully these show up on my transcript! There are so many people getting stuck with this so whenever I have a student nurse working with me now I tell them to sit extra modules and work extra clinical hours in ALL specialities if they want to travel with there qualification.

Hello! I currently live in California and got accepted into Kingston university for Children’s Nursing. I have heard that it wouldn’t be worth getting a degree over there because I probably wouldn’t be able to come back to California to work when I’m done. Did you happen to find out any information? I’ve been looking for months to try and figure out a solution because I would love to go to school in the UK. Thank you!

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