Which BON to apply to?

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg/Telemetry.

Good day to everyone... :)

I'm planning on taking the NCLEX next year (since I'm a year away from graduating with a BSN). But I've been thinking about future career plans already...

I'm planning on working in California, since I have relatives there. But I was browsing around this forum and I read that it'd be easier for applicants to apply to Vermont or New Mexico and then get endorsed to California than to apply directly to California's BON. Is this true? Why?

I'm a US citizen, btw, and I plan on flying back to CA right after graduation. I don't think I'll take the NLE... Besides, I've heard that foreign citizens can't take the NLE. Is that true, too? :|

Thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg,OPD ER,School/Clinic,Teaching.

The best way in your case is to apply in CA. License issuance wouldn't be a problem because you are a Us citizen, hence eligible for SSN. The issue with CA BON is the non-issuance of license without SSN.

NLE is not required(in most cases) for Filipinos who want to work in the US. The fact that you are a US citizen would even strengthen the cause(of not taking it). Yes, I think it's true according to RA 9173...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As a foreign grad, no matter which state that you go thru, you are not going to be able to work immefiately. You will be looking at a four month wait on average, and it can even be longer. And that is for any state. Then you also have to factor in the wait time for the actual license once you are aware that you have passed the exam.

You will be considered a foreign grad in any state for the duration of your career and will always have to go thru the process that is required for foreign nurses. Immigration, which is waived for you, is completely separate from the requirements for licensure in each state.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The best way in your case is to apply in CA. License issuance wouldn't be a problem because you are a Us citizen, hence eligible for SSN. The issue with CA BON is the non-issuance of license without SSN.

NLE is not required(in most cases) for Filipinos who want to work in the US. The fact that you are a US citizen would even strengthen the cause(of not taking it). Yes, I think it's true according to RA 9173...

What we are hearing lately from CGFNS is that they are starting to require the NLE for those that have graduated from PI due to the issues that happened there last summer, and afterwards by some of your countrymen.

Everyone now is getting the letter to provide proof of passing, and that is after they have sent the letter that they did not take the exam. Not sure what the official ruling is going to be, but expect it to require the local exam from there. And this also has to do with the quality of all of the new schools that are sprouting up all over there.

If the PRC institutes mandatory internship in the next year or so, you may also be affected by that. Until recently, the NLE was not required, but expect to see changes coming.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Because you're a US citizen, i think not taking the NLE will not harm or affect your plans.. And besides, the state of California doesnt require you to have CGFNS certification.. My advice is for you to concentrate on the NCLEX-RN and because you have relatives or you are more familiar with California, I think CA is the right choice for you.. But that's just my opinion, you have to weigh your options also.. :) Like me, I've recently passed my NCLEX-RN last March 31 in Hong Kong.. But I still dont have a SSN.. so my focus is to get that SSN and be issued a permanent license.. So it would be helpful to study all the pro's and con's of a particular U.S. state.. Goodluck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg,OPD ER,School/Clinic,Teaching.
What we are hearing lately from CGFNS is that they are starting to require the NLE for those that have graduated from PI due to the issues that happened there last summer, and afterwards by some of your countrymen.

Everyone now is getting the letter to provide proof of passing, and that is after they have sent the letter that they did not take the exam. Not sure what the official ruling is going to be, but expect it to require the local exam from there. And this also has to do with the quality of all of the new schools that are sprouting up all over there.

If the PRC institutes mandatory internship in the next year or so, you may also be affected by that. Until recently, the NLE was not required, but expect to see changes coming.

Really? In my opinion, I believe they(people in power here in the Philippines) didn't see these things coming(reaction/steps that will be taken by the US)...I haven't even heard anything about what happened to those accused guilty of the crime, if they were ever convicted and punished...Mandatory internship? Ma'am Suzanne, please tell me what their proposals are, regarding this one. Thanks.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Twenty years ago and even later, there was an internship that all graduated of the four year programs went thru in the Philippines before they did anything else. And that is where the wonderful reputation for the grads from there came from. Not with the way that they are spitting out graduates now that cannot start an IV, cannot even spike an IV bag or bottle, cannot insert a foley catheter or NG tube. These are basic nursing skills that all should have done many times over while in school. No matter where they trained. And over the past fre years, I am finding this over and over again with grads from the programs in the Philippines, especially the second courser programs. There are a few that are still good and do not try to cut corners, but the others? They are horrible. You never used to see a nurse from the Philippines getting a contract cancelled by a facility because of their lack of skills, and I am seeing it and hearing of it too frequently now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thread moved to the International Forum as it is specific to working in the US, not working in PI.

Any country has the right to change their requirements at any time as far as what their requirements are before they will issue a license, or even permit a diploma to be issued. And with things the way that they are in the Philippines right now, anything is possible.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg/Telemetry.
Not with the way that they are spitting out graduates now that cannot start an IV, cannot even spike an IV bag or bottle, cannot insert a foley catheter or NG tube. These are basic nursing skills that all should have done many times over while in school.

Hope you don't mind if I ask, but do they do this in nursing schools in other countries? Because they don't allow us to insert foley catheters or NG tubes while we're still student nurses. Our clinical instructors (and the staff nurses) tell us that only registered nurses are allowed to do that. So they never let us practice doing it. :o

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sorry to tell you this, but in every other country, they learn this. And they used to do it in your country all of the time, the issue now is that many of the nursing instructors that you have, have come out of school in the past few years so they have never learned the skill either.

In the US, it is one of the first skills that you learn to do. And that is whether it is RN program or the LPN program.

This is what I am trying to tell you about the training in your country. I work with foreign nurses that have trained all over the world, and your country is the only one where the nurses come with no experience in most clinical areas. Trust me, it is very true. It is also the reason that I tell someone that can attend school in the US not to go to PI to train. We are seeing this over and over again. And the nurses are getting fired from jobs because of this. And we have seen hospitals have to spend a year giving basic orientation to teach these skills and they are not doing that anymore. This is the point that I have been trying to make to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How about starting IVs, or spiking IV bags? Placing a BP cuff? Have seen nurses coming over from your country that cannot do any of this, and they are having problems getting hired in hospitals, and especially the LA area, when they do not have these skills. These are things that should be learned in your training program, not after you have a license.

And this is exactly why I expect to see mandatory internships/work experience for a year before being able to work out of the country, like they used to have and when the best nurses came out of PI. Sorry, but not with the training that is being provided anymore.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree entirely with Suzanne on this. A 1 year Internship program for nurses would be great that's why I posted about this on the Philippine forum.

If there's a will, there's a way. This should come out from the BON and the PNA. I just don't know if they have the vision and the will to do so. There are many advantages in doing these.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion