US Nurses Wishing to Work Overseas

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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.

My dear future colleagues,

I am a first-year nursing student in the U.S. (a citizen) that intends to graduate with a B.S.N., and I want to work in France when I am finished. I am fluent in French, and have a strong EMS background, currently working as an ER Tech at the largest ER in the Bay area. I have read the information that you have shared about the hoops that must be jumped through by the American nurse wanting to work in the European Union, and I realize that it won't be quite as easy as I thought. Nonetheless, although I know it's very early in the game for me, I was wondering if anyone had any advice or suggestions that could help me to start getting my ducks in a row. I know that there's probably not a whole lot to do at this point other than to try to survive school with a full head of hair, but anything you can come up with would be most welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks--ailed131

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
ailed131 said:
My dear future colleagues,

I am a first-year nursing student in the U.S. (a citizen) that intends to graduate with a B.S.N., and I want to work in France when I am finished. I am fluent in French, and have a strong EMS background, currently working as an ER Tech at the largest ER in the Bay area. I have read the information that you have shared about the hoops that must be jumped through by the American nurse wanting to work in the European Union, and I realize that it won't be quite as easy as I thought. Nonetheless, although I know it's very early in the game for me, I was wondering if anyone had any advice or suggestions that could help me to start getting my ducks in a row. I know that there's probably not a whole lot to do at this point other than to try to survive school with a full head of hair, but anything you can come up with would be most welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks--ailed131

Welcome

If you use the search facility near the top of the forum and add France you should get a couple of threads on working in France and in there there is the information you need to work there

Good luck

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suzanne4 said:
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.

Are jobs overseas only availble to RN? Can lvn do this also? And how much experience is needed and in what?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
newlvngrad said:
Are jobs overseas only availble to RN? Can lvn do this also? And how much experience is needed and in what?

for immigration you need RN and I know for EU it is definately RN

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Hello,

I am interested in moving to Muscat, Oman. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience finding employment and working there. If not in Oman, perhaps Dubai and is there a recruiter that I should go through or is it a better idea to contact the hospitals directly?

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Bizara7 said:
Hello,

I am interested in moving to Muscat, Oman. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience finding employment and working there. If not in Oman, perhaps Dubai and is there a recruiter that I should go through or is it a better idea to contact the hospitals directly?

There are several threads on this same topic. Just do a search and you will get the answers that you are looking for. They discuss working there as well as agencies that staff in that area.

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I am just starting to do research on what I need to do in order to work as an RN in Zurich Switzerland. Does anyone know of any good links that I can check out to find the requirements for licensure? Also any luck with agencies that might help walk me through some of them and help set me up? This is my first post by the way, Hi everyone!:monkeydance:

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Ha! Found it myself, forgive me Im new. Every question I have has already been asked and answered at some point on this site. Dont worry, I'll think of something...

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
alynner11 said:
Ha! Found it myself, forgive me Im new. Every question I have has already been asked and answered at some point on this site. Dont worry, I'll think of something...

:welcome:

glad you found what you was looking for

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Specializes in Lactation is my preferred specialty.

Hi! I am a USA/Georgia RN living in the Republic of Panama where my husband teaches at an International School here in Panama City. To my surprise I am finding it very difficult to find work here in Panama. There is actually a surplus of nurses here. And my specialty is Lactation. I am the only Board Certified Lactation Consultant in the entire country! I live less than a mile from the Latin American HQ of UNICEF and WHO, and cannot get my foor in the door, so to speak....very very frustrating.

So, I am thinking of exploring the international travel nurse option....it's so good to find this forum. Please keep those posts a'coming!

Thanks y'all....

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Welcome to allnurses.Com

Now for your other dilemma, what have you done to try to get your foot in the door? Do you actually speak spanish fluently? Do you actually have a visa that will permit you to work there?

Have you done any teaching down there at all? Tried any of the local clinics or hospitals to see if you could offer a program? Even contacting the local television stations and see if you could do some teaching on one of their programs? Or even the cable tv system there? Sometimes you just need to create your own job. How about lecturing even at the high schools? There is definitely a need for that there.

As far as international travel assignments, nothing at all where you are. Closest would be the us virgin islands, or something similar to that.

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Specializes in Lactation is my preferred specialty.

Thanks for your reply, Suzanne...

What have I done here to find work you ask? Actually, quite a lot. I wouldn't have posted my frustrations if I hadn't exhausted most of my options.

To answer your questions:

In order to obtain a work visa in Panama, you must have a job offer first, or someone to sponsor you. It's not that simple. And it takes months, even years sometimes, to acquire one. The system here moves very slowly. My husband has been waiting almost 17 months for his work visa, and he was hired by a Panamanian school!!

I have contacted the few OB-GYN's and Peds here that do speak English and do understand the concept of a Lactation Consultant and what she does. I hae had a scatteringof private clients. THere is no La Leche League group here in Panama either.

I have met with the Chief Nursing Officer of Panama at the Ministry of Health. She is very interested in me and my role, but has not been forthcoming on anything more. She speaks no English.

There is a hospital here that is affiliated with John's Hopkins University Medical School. They tell methey want to hire English speaking nurses, but I haven't been able to get past inital meetings and polite conversation. They have my CV, of course.

There was a nursing position available with the US Embassy here in Panama, but I was told I wasn't eligible because I didn't have a Panamanian work visa!!! And the State Dept doesn't sponsor private citizens. You can only imagine my complete frustration over that one.

My Spanish is improving, but I'm far from fluent. I take classes on a regular basis, and do the best I can.

There is one person here in Panama who teaches childbirth and breastfeeding classes. In Spansh. Is there enough of a bilingual pregnant population here to support classes in English? The jury is out. And since I DO NOT have a work visa, I have to be discreet in how much advertising I do. I could get into big trouble if I am "caught".

I have submitted my resume with UNICEF and WHO here. I have exhausted all of my "personal connections". I am at my wit's end.

I am now considering travel nursing as a last resort.

SO, yes, I have actually pursued all of my options here in Panama up to this point. I can push, but just so far.

so.....here I am in paradise unable to work.....

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