US Nurses Wishing to Work Overseas

World Registration

Published

I am starting this thread as a sticky at the request of one of our members, for a place for those that wish to emigrate from the US to work as an RN.

Please feel free to post your concerns and questions about working overseas here.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Australia and New Zealand comes to mind

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Hi...new to this fourm and I'm looking for some insight and (hopefully) encouragement. I'm recently engaged to a UK citizen and we've made the decision to get married and live there. I'm currently a US based PICU RN with about 3 years experience and am in the process of registering with the NMC (oh joy). If I'm accepted, I'll then move forward with getting the Student visa and go the UK for the ONP programme.

I keep reading posts about how difficult it is to find jobs there after receiving the NMC registration. Is that still the case? I see loads of job postings on NHS sites...especially in PICU/NICU/HDU's. I know about the UK/EU citizen preference, but if you have the best experience, why wouldn't they offer a work permit? That just sounds stupid to me. Also, anyone think being engaged/married to a brit would help?

Also, anyone else have difficulty getting NMC registration with a 2 year RN degree? I became an RN after a long career in something else and did one of the accelerated programs. Now, it looks like the NMC is going to give me a hard time about not having enough schooling. But, I've passed the NCLEX (obviously) and work in a PICU at one of the best hospitals in the US. Not good enough? Hmmmm.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
PICURN1 said:
Hi...new to this fourm and I'm looking for some insight and (hopefully) encouragement. I'm recently engaged to a UK citizen and we've made the decision to get married and live there. I'm currently a US based PICU RN with about 3 years experience and am in the process of registering with the NMC (oh joy). If I'm accepted, I'll then move forward with getting the Student visa and go the UK for the ONP programme.

I keep reading posts about how difficult it is to find jobs there after receiving the NMC registration. Is that still the case? I see loads of job postings on NHS sites...especially in PICU/NICU/HDU's. I know about the UK/EU citizen preference, but if you have the best experience, why wouldn't they offer a work permit? That just sounds stupid to me. Also, anyone think being engaged/married to a brit would help?

Also, anyone else have difficulty getting NMC registration with a 2 year RN degree? I became an RN after a long career in something else and did one of the accelerated programs. Now, it looks like the NMC is going to give me a hard time about not having enough schooling. But, I've passed the NCLEX (obviously) and work in a PICU at one of the best hospitals in the US. Not good enough? Hmmmm.

Marrying someone from the UK/EU will certainly help and make it easier to get a work permit. Preference will always go to either citizen or work permit. Immigration and EU directives state must employ someone from UK/EU first unless the job is in the shortage occupation list and then they can look at you. Your training has to meet the requirements of the UK the same as someone from the UK has to meet the requirements and pass NCLEX for the US. Our RN training is just over 3 years so your training has to match that covering both theory and practical

Good luck

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Thanks Silverdragon..I think I'm gonna need it. But, I'll keep hoping. Should have news in a few weeks. I was told by the NMC that they have VERY few applicants these days, so a response will be quick (2 weeks or so). I'm hoping that bodes well for me.

Do you know how much weight (if any) the NMC places on practical work experience? It seems that they place an awful lot of emphasis on schooling. In my opinion, one learns so much more on the actual job than in the classroom...especially in something like Nursing. Hands on experience is worth so much! Especially if one had a rigorous (5 months of classes/ clinicals) Orientation, like I did. If one is a new grad, I could understand, but where is the benefit to experienced nurses?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
PICURN1 said:
Thanks Silverdragon..I think I'm gonna need it. But, I'll keep hoping. Should have news in a few weeks. I was told by the NMC that they have VERY few applicants these days, so a response will be quick (2 weeks or so). I'm hoping that bodes well for me.

Do you know how much weight (if any) the NMC places on practical work experience? It seems that they place an awful lot of emphasis on schooling. In my opinion, one learns so much more on the actual job than in the classroom...especially in something like Nursing. Hands on experience is worth so much! Especially if one had a rigorous (5 months of classes/ clinicals) Orientation, like I did. If one is a new grad, I could understand, but where is the benefit to experienced nurses?

I agree hands on experience does help but you need to meet the hours in training backed up with theory and practical work, requirements for the UK I think is 2300 hours clinical and 1533 hours theory but not sure how much that is broken down into. If you have done any further courses that maybe taken into account as long as there are transcripts showing hours of the course

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Question for our mods and UK nurses: Are there any nursing specialties that might be more in demand that might provide a little ease in working overseas? I'm planning on working in a NICU when I'm done with nursing school and as I work towards my Masters (NNP).

thank you!

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Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.

There seems to be a shortage in both midwives and NICU nurse but I sometimes get the impression that this is down to failure to recruit into these areas not necessarily the shortage of skilled staff.

I personally notice a shortage in trained dialysis nurses and know from experience when I put an advert out I get a very low response.

SarasotaRN2b said:
Question for our mods and UK nurses: Are there any nursing specialties that might be more in demand that might provide a little ease in working overseas? I'm planning on working in a NICU when I'm done with nursing school and as I work towards my Masters (NNP).

thank you!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

There is the shortage occupation list but even then you may struggle to find a employer willing to help with work permit. Here is the thread I did in the UK forum regarding shortage occupation list https://allnurses.com/forums/f124/changes-shortage-occupation-list-uk-307731.html

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Specializes in LTC, Acute Care, Correctional.

I would like to work in Mexico...maybe during the Summer months (June to Aug/Sept). Is that possible for a US LPN and/or RN?

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Hello Suzanne

I'm very interested in working in Dubai. I have looked for two days to find a nursing agency that recruits for the Middle East. I'm new to the site so I'm not good at navigating the site yet. So could u direct me to a few companies who recruits for the Middle East, specifically Dubai. Thank you very much.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
gagirl38 said:
Hello Suzanne

I'm very interested in working in Dubai. I have looked for two days to find a nursing agency that recruits for the Middle East. I'm new to the site so I'm not good at navigating the site yet. So could u direct me to a few companies who recruits for the Middle East, specifically Dubai. Thank you very much.

Please check out the thread you started I posted some links https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/help-need-info-dubai-344920.html

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I would love to do international nursing. But I feel like I have hit a brick wall because I applied with a job agency for a position in Saudi and they said the hospital declined me as a candidate because of the medications I was on to control my hypertension and migraine. I would like to try UAE but I am not having much luck any suggestions.

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