US Citizen Going Abroad for RN

elkpark · Oct 13, 2015

Unless you get complete, unqualified assurance from the CA BRN that your Taiwanese nursing degree will be accepted without question up front, it's a really bad idea (and, even then, it's probably a pretty bad idea). I don't know anything about nursing in Taiwan, but different countries have different models of nursing education and licensure, and the degrees (and actual nursing knowledge and practice) are not automatically interchangeable. It's not like studying math or English literature in another country. Internationally educated grads have a much lower passing rate on the NCLEX exam than US-educated grads (which makes sense, since the NCLEX is based on nursing as it is practiced in the US) -- I mean, a lot lower (like 25% instead of >80%, off the top of my head).

If your plan is to return to the US and practice here, you are a lot better off just studying nursing here. In general, it's always the best bet to study nursing in the country in which you plan to practice nursing.

Best wishes!

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Oct 13, 2015

Baaad idea. May end up worthless int he US.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Oct 13, 2015

This. ^^^ Plus, I would think you would need to learn Mandarin before entering a rigorous college degree program taught in it. Especially considering Mandarin is not a phonetic language. My oldest daughter has talked about studying in Korea on occasion... but she speaks Korean. Her accent and literacy skills need work, but she can get around in Seoul.

If that experience is important to you and you can afford it, by all means go and enjoy yourself. Buthe study nursing where you plan to practice and can read the textbooks.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 13, 2015

It is always recommended to study a culturally specific profession like nursing in the country where you wish to practice.

Pass rates for first time IENs are 80%. You will be forever classified as an IEN, required to go through additional credentials assessment, if a non-English program may be required to prove English language competency, and may be ineligible in other states unless licensed in the country of education.

13grad71 · Oct 13, 2015

California has concurrency rules. Check out the numerous threads in World Nursing and u will see the issues foreign grads face.

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2015

Really, really bad idea. You would at one point have to have your education looked at by a certain independent body (it's usually listed on the state boards' websites). Then you may have to do additional clinical work or lectures. You could spend a lot more money in trying to get documents, get them translated, and get any extra classes that you need if your education was found deficient.

Also, some people find out their BSN isn't considered a BSN in the US. An Australian who came to the US posted about that issue.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Oct 14, 2015

I think I'd want to get my education where I plan to practice my craft. Could be just me though...

Cheaper is not always best---especially when it comes to education!

lemur00, BSN, RN · Oct 14, 2015

Around here, the colleges don't care if YOU are "international", they care if your education is. You may end up having to pay for assessments and upgrades, and the practice of nursing is quite different in each country. I know people who only took their final practicums internationally, and it was harder for them to transition into their first jobs. I wouldn't be surprised if this was true there also.

verene, MSN · Oct 14, 2015

Other posters have already discussed why getting a foreign degree will likely prove prohibitive to returning and working in the U.S. however do you even know that you are eligible to get a degree in Taiwan?

I live close to the Canadian border and so have talked to some of the colleges/universities in Canada. While many of them would be happy to take me as an International student for many programs the Faculty of Nursing made it clear that they ONLY accept students who already have Canadian Residency/Citizenship because you must be eligible to work in Canada at the end of the degree. There is no point in having a student complete a nursing program if that degree cannot be put to use in their country. They'd rather give the slot to a student who will be able to contribute to their healthcare system at the end of the program.

Before you get too set on the idea of doing a BSN in Taiwan (or anywhere else) do some research to see if you will even qualify for admission. My guess is being a foreigner and not speaking Taiwanese fluently you are going to be rejected on those criteria alone.

You also will not save much money by going abroad - figure in international student fees, visas, travel insurance, and air-fare to and from home, paying for translation and evaluation of documents and academic history - it all starts to add up really quickly.

Is your goal to earn a BSN? Or is your goal to learn Taiwanese? You can likely do both, but not at the same time. Pick one to focus on first.

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Oct 14, 2015

Plus you likely have to have proof of funds for all tuition, fees, housing/room & board, living expenses, healthcare, incidentals for your entire stay and sometimes even a return plane ticket up front as a visa condition.