How to become a nurse in the US

Nurses have been in-demand in the United States due to the increasing aging population. And because of this, more and more nurses are expected to retire on 2010. Aside from that, lesser and lesser youths in US are interested in taking up this field.

In more than 10 years, nearly 90, 000 nurses left the country to put their knowledge into practice. Filipino nurses in U.S can earn up to $3,000 to $4,000 a month.

According to RCM Health Care Services vice president Michael Saks, Filipino nurses are highly preferred to work in US not only because of their education but most importantly because of their work ethics and loyalty. They work until late at night without even questioning.

Those who desire to work as a nurse in US here are some ways on how you can apply:

    1.      Obtain licensure as a nurse (RN or LPN/LVN) in the United States.

Licensure requirements differ from state to state; you must contact the Board of Nursing in the state where you wish to practice in order to verify the respective and current licensure requirements. Also keep in mind that endorsing (transferring) licensure to another state will also have different procedures depending on the respective state.

2.      Obtain a visa to work legally in the U.S. whether temporary or permanent visa. 

It is important to acquire proper visa to avoid any unlikely incident. Detailed information regarding visa application and policy should be obtained from the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS).

3.      Obtain CGFNS Certification Program (CP) and the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service (CES).

CGFNS is an independent, not-for-profit and immigration-neutral organization committed to protecting the public by ensuring that foreign-educated healthcare professionals are eligible and qualified to meet licensure and other U.S. practice requirements. CGFNS is not a government organization, nor does it recruit international professionals for employment in the U.S. The two main programs that CGFNS offers that are required by the majority of the U.S. Boards of Nursing in order to obtain registration/licensure as nurse in the United States are the CGFNSCertification Program (CP) and the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service (CES). The BCIS requires the VisaScreen certificate from CGFNS for healthcare professionals seeking an occupational visa in order to work in the U.S.

The CGFNS Certification Program (CP)

The CGFNS Certification Program (CP) is designed specifically for first-level general (Registered) nurses educated outside the United States who wish to pursue a career in the U.S. as registered nurses.

The program is comprised of three parts:

·         a credentials review of your nursing education, registration and licensure;

·         the CGFNS Qualifying Exam testing nursing knowledge (offered three times a year in over 40 test sites worldwide); and

·         an English language proficiency examination.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS)

Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Passing Score: 725

International English Language Testing System (IELTS), administered by the Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Australia Passing Score: 6.5 Overall (Academic Module)

You must apply directly with any of the following institutions in order to schedule an examination date:

TOEFL	TOEIC	IELTS Administrator
Educational Testing ServiceP.O. Box 6151 Telephone: (609) 921-9000 Website: http://www.philippine-rn.com/www.toefl.org	Educational Testing Service (ETS) Rosedale Rd, MS 10-P Princeton, NJ 08541 Telephone: (609) 734-1550 Fax: (609) 734-1540 Email: toeic@ets.org Website: http://www.philippine-rn.com/www.toeic-usa.com	Cambridge Examinations and IELTS International 100 East Corson Street Suite 200 Pasadena, CA 91103 Telephone: (626) 564-2954 Email: ielts@ceii.org Website: http://www.philippine-rn.com/www.ielts.org

All English language proficiency scores are valid for up to two years from the date of administration. Passing scores on both the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and an approved English proficiency examination must be attained within two years of each other in order for both scores to be accepted as successful completion of theCertification Program. Scores must be forwarded to CGFNS by the examining institution. After successfully completing all three parts of the Certification Program, an applicant is awarded a CGFNS Certificate.

In order to be eligible for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, you must have completed a minimum number of hours of both classroom instruction and clinical practice in:

·         Adult Medical/Surgical Nursing,

·         Maternal/Infant Nursing (Obstetrics),

Excluding:

·         Gynecology,

·         Care of Children (Pediatrics), and

·         Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, excluding Neurology.

If you have not completed any and/or a sufficient number of hours in each of the above areas, you will be ineligible to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam until you complete an entire course (both theory and clinical) in the deficient area from a government-approved nursing school.

You must also have been registered as

·         first-level (Registered) nurse in your country of education, and

·         currently hold a registration/license as a Registered Nurse in some jurisdiction, and verification of both registrations must be sent to CGFNS directly from the licensing body (ies).

The Credentials Evaluation Service (CES)

The CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) is a report prepared by CGFNS for a Board of Nursing, university, immigration office, employer, etc. This report analyzes the education and licensure earned outside of the United States in terms of how it compares with U.S. standards and expectations.

There is no examination included in this program; once all documentation, fees and a completed application are received, a report will be prepared and submitted to the recipient (i.e.,Board of Nursing , U.S. college/university [if applying for academic admission], an employer, etc.) as well as a copy to you, at which time the Board will determine whether or not you are eligible to take the national licensingexamination for nurses in the United States--the NCLEX-RN? or NCLEX-PN? Examination--which is required for all nurses in order to practice in the U.S.

The ICHP VisaScreen: Visa Credentials Assessment

If you are also interested in obtaining an occupational visa in the United States as a registered or licensed practical/vocational nurse, you are also required, by virtue of the 1996 immigration laws, to obtain a VisaScreen Certificate.

The VisaScreen Certificate is issued after a complete evaluation of a professional's credentials to verify that he or she meets the minimum federal requirements. The Certificate must be received before the BCIS will issue an occupational visa to the applicant to live and work as a professional in their field in the U.S. The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, administers this screening process, which is called the "VisaScreen: VisaCredentials Assessment".

The VisaScreen program is comprised of three parts:

• a credentials review of your entire nursing education (educational requirements same as those for the Certification Program) and all registration/licensure that you have held and currently hold,
• successful completion of either the CGFNS Certification Program or the NCLEX-RN? (for registered nurses), and
• successful completion of a group of approved English language proficiency examinations.

Passing scores for these examinations are as follows:

 

	Option #1			Option #2			Option #3
Healthcare Profession	TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language	TWE Test of Written English	TSE Test of Spoken English	TOEIC Test of English for International Communication	TWE Test of Written English	TSE Test of Spoken English	IELTS International English Language Testing Service	IELTS Spoken Band
Registered Nurse (RN)	540 (207)	4.0	50	725	4.0	50	6.5 (Academic)	7.0
Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN)	530 (197)	4.0	50	700	4.0	50	6.0 (General Training)	7.0

Upon successful completion of all parts of the VisaScreen Program, you will obtain the VisaScreen Certificate, which you must present to the BCIS at your final consular interview.

Documents required for any CGFNS Program

In order for CGFNS to complete an evaluation of your credentials for CP, CES or VisaScreen, the following documents are required:

• A completed application form
• Full payment for the program/service to which you are applying
• A FULL transcript with an official school seal/stamp,

Mailed to CGFNS directly from your nursing school, verifying the total number of hours of classroom instruction (theory) and hours/days of clinical practice you completed in each of the courses you completed during your professional training/nursing program. Work experience CAN NOT be accepted as an alternative to lack of instruction/training undertaken during your educational program. For theCertification Program , your transcripts must be accompanied by a completed "Nursing Education Form". For both the CES and VisaScreen, your transcripts must be accompanied by a completed "Request for Academic Records" form.

• A validation of your original registration/license as a nurse mailed to CGFNS directly from the authority which issues registrations/licensure in your original country of education (if applicable). If your diploma gives you the right to practice nursing in your country, your nursing school or the Ministry of Health must also validate your diploma to CGFNS.
• A validation from any other licensing authority where you hold a license as a registered and/or practical nurse (if applicable).
• A photocopy of your secondary school diploma (high school); OR, if you no longer have your original diploma, an official letter with the school seal/stamp and signed by the principal

It must be sent to CGFNS directly from your secondary school verifying your full dates of attendance and date of completion/graduation. 


From : workandliveabroad.com