Working as RN in Europe

asweetheart50 · Sep 23, 2005

It's the same issue here in Ontario, Canada. Our entry to practice requirement is a BSN as of this year. That means that anyone not educated here has to meet that criteria from now on. It is up to the individual country/province/state to determine the requirements for you to practice. Why don't you investigate what it would take for you to obtain your BSN? If you already have a Bachelors degree in another discipline you may be able to transfer some credits towards it.

I already have my BSN...graduated in 2002. The problem is that I obtained that degree during a one year intense school program (an accerelated program), and Britain does not recognize such "short" program. :crying2:

And for the looks of it, Portugal does not either.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 23, 2005

You will have many issues with that type of program out of the US.. The US also doesn't recognize it of students from out of the US either.

astral92 · Sep 28, 2005

No it doesn't. If the education component is not accepted, then they will not issue you a license there. Same as for foreign grads that wish to work in the US, if they are missing a course that is required here, and even have twenty years of experience, they will not be able to work in the US without meeting those requirements.

very true, I thought my 15 years of experience would give me a chance to get to US. None, because I've been trained in Romania during communist regimme when nursing training, 4 years full time(6days out of seven) was done during high school. My UK flatmate wasn't acceted into US, and thousand of filipinos or indian nurses are massively immigrating to US...so easy! Just because the goverments of these 2 countries are very clever and copied US or UK nursing curriculum. They don't even bother to translate the American books into their own language...Hmmm..very "practical" people...

suzanne4, RN · Sep 28, 2005

How true. And the US government requires that at least two years of the training be done post graduation form high school. China also has issues with this as well.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 28, 2005

very true, I thought my 15 years of experience would give me a chance to get to US. None, because I've been trained in Romania during communist regimme when nursing training, 4 years full time(6days out of seven) was done during high school. My UK flatmate wasn't acceted into US, and thousand of filipinos or indian nurses are massively immigrating to US...so easy! Just because the goverments of these 2 countries are very clever and copied US or UK nursing curriculum. They don't even bother to translate the American books into their own language...Hmmm..very "practical" people...

The other thing that you could do, would be to complete a two year program over here. I know that it stinks, but if you really want to do it, it is a possibility.

The other program that you can check with is University of Phoenix, since you actually already have your RN, and see what you can do thru their program....

jonRNMD · Sep 28, 2005

My UK flatmate wasn't acceted into US, and thousand of filipinos or indian nurses are massively immigrating to US...so easy! Just because the goverments of these 2 countries are very clever and copied US or UK nursing curriculum. They don't even bother to translate the American books into their own language...Hmmm..very "practical" people...

the Philippines became a US territory then a US commonwealth from 1989 to 1946....majority of the higher institutions of learning in manila was founded during those years so it should not be puzzling as to why philippine education is patterned after the US education......even the Philippine constitution is patterned after the US constitution :chuckle

india/pakistan on the other hand were under British rule for a long time so they adapted the UK system of education

rntraveler · Sep 28, 2005

I have gotten a PIN number to work in the UK,but it took a year of sending and re-sending documents. These documents were not easily obtained,either as my graduation dates from nursing school were in 1976 and 1985! Curriculums had changed and the UK wanted to know the hours of instruction and the hours of clinical for each course. They said that each applicant was considered individually and that experience was counted in,however I was not accepted as a Mental Nurse, although I have 20 years experience! I did not have an extra year specialized training. I should have submitted all my CEU hours,I guess. In Iowa, and many other states we are required to have 15 hr continuing education each year. I have had minimal experience in Med-Surg or in Medical as an RN. Did work in both as an LPN for 9 years,but that expeience is VERY old. I worked in Dialysis for 17 years and so I have been accepted as an RN 1. Is that the equivalent of an LPN? I had wanted to take a travel job in the UK,but don't want to spend an extended amount of time over there as my family is here. May try to get over after the first of the year.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 28, 2005

Be aware that the license is only the first step, you need to deal with immigration the same way that nurses from the UK want to work in the US.

If you have not begun the immigration process already, then there is no way that you will have a visa that permits you to work in either January or February.

They usually function at a slower speed than the US, so you are looking at closer to a year for the work visa.

brb214 · Oct 16, 2005

Suzanne,

I am glad I found this thread, since I am also in an acclerated RN program. My program is a master's entry program in nursing (MEPN), so my nursing degree will not be a BSN but an MSN. I will end up with 3 years of nursing education. I haven't figured out the total number of theoretical and clinical hours yet, but do you think that this will be acceptable in the UK or EU? Would this be a possibility for asweethrt, having an accelerated BSN and then adding a two-year MSN?

When I lived in Germany a few years ago, a friend of mine from Switzerland was trying to get her Swiss certificate transferred into the German certificate. The German board was very particular about her course content. Does taking the German or British or French board exams circumvent course content requirements? I know this is a hard question to answer, since board reviews are done on a case by case basis.

Any advice is appreciated.

--bethany

brb214 · Oct 16, 2005

my earlier post did not appear on the forum board, so I'm posting the same question again.

You will have many issues with that type of program out of the US.. The US also doesn't recognize it of students from out of the US either.

What if you have an MSN? I am in a MEPN program, which includes 1 year for an accelerated RN and then 2 years of Masters. I don't know the exact number of clinical/theoretical hours, but will European boards accept Master's hours for a registered nurse?

thanks

--bethany

anissa · Oct 18, 2005

I graduated in 1983 in Germany as an RN and jumped back and forth over the ocean every time my husband got transfered. Every time we were in Germany I could work, over here not a chance. I finally finished my RN here in the states by going through a nursing program all over again. I was thinking about going back to Germany at least for a while due to my mothers declining health. I now need a working permit to work in Germany since I am a US citizen. Have not heard anything back yet. Waiting....

minghue · Nov 24, 2005

http://www.immigrationexpert.com/uk/

try this link, maybe they can help

minghue