Foreign Nurses Licensure Requirements: Requirements of Taking NCLEX Examination
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How Foreign-Educated Nurses Can Practice in the US
If you’re an International Registered Nurse and you want to practice in the
States, getting licensed is a detailed process, but you can make it happen.
STEP
ONE
Meet the educational
requirements.
Make sure you’ve completed the
following education and licensing
requirements in your country:
You’ve graduated from an
accredited Registered Nursing
program
You’re licensed as a Registered
Nurse (RN)
You’ve practiced as an RN for at
least two years
STEP
TWO
Pass an English language
proficiency test.
Depending on which country you’re
from, you’ll likely be required to
take one of the tests below: If you
study your nursing in English, you
are exempt.
You can take the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test
of English for International
Communication (TOEIC) or the
International English Language
Testing System (IELTS).
*Most nursing recruiting agencies
prefer that their foreign clients take
either the IELTS or TOEFL.
Your test results need to be sent
directly to the state board you’re
applying to, by your test
administration.
You may be exempt from taking one
of the exams above, if you meet the
three criteria below:
The country where you went to
nursing school was the United
Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand,
Canada (except Quebec), or the
Republic of Ireland.
The spoken language of your nursing
school was English.
Your nursing school textbooks were
written in English.
STEP
THREE
Pass your National Council
Licensing Examination-Registered
Nurse (NCLEX – RN).
You’ll need to register with Pearson VUE
(Virtual University Enterprises) and
schedule a date, and location, to take
your NCLEX-RN exam.
For Nigerians, it is recommended you
undergo a review program for NCLEX
because of Cultural and medication
difference. At present, Nigeria nurses
have dismal 24% passing rate in
NCLEX. A reputable reviewer with
experience in USA nursing school can
help improve your chances.
STEP
FOUR
Find a nursing recruiting agency
or US-based employer.
A nursing recruiter can help you
secure a position as an RN in the US.
Nursing recruiters can also serve as
your “US-based employer” helping
you secure an immigrant visa and
finding you a job at one of the
hospitals they partner with
STEP 5 Get an RN immigrant visa/green
card.
To get an RN immigrant visa, you’ll
need the following documents:
Evidence of a US-based employer
who will be the petitioner for your
immigrant visa. An RN recruiter can
be your petitioner.
A Visa Screen Certificate (VSC). This
is issued by The International
Commission on Healthcare
Professionals (ICHP), a division of
Commission on Graduates of
Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).
Both of these documents must be
sent directly to ICHP/CGFNS on your
behalf by the issuing authority.
STEP
SIX
Get an RN visa interview
and medical examination.
Here’s what happens after your visa
immigrant petition is approved:
The United States Citizenship and
Immigration Service (USCIS) sends
your file to the National Visa Center
(NVC) for processing.
The NVC will forward your file to the
nearest US embassy where your visa
will be issued.
You’ll also receive a package from
the NVC with the appointment date
for your visa interview, and what
you need to bring to the embassy.
Then you need to have a medical
exam. You’ll find a list of designated
panel physicians you can contact, in
your package from the NVC.
Processing your visa could take a
few months to a year, or even years,
depending on factors personal to
your situation.
After you’ve gone through your visa
interview and medical exam, you
could receive your visa as soon as a
few hours, or weeks, after.
STEP
SEVEN
Accept your RN job offer and
take an employment medical
exam.
Here’s what will happen when
you’re getting ready to accept your
position as an RN in the US:
Your employer/RN agency will have
secured you an RN position with one
of their client hospitals before your
visa interview. You’ll need to have
provided your résumé and RN
specialty checklist.
You’ll also take a second medical
exam, this time it’ll be given by your
employing hospital. The
requirements for the exam vary by
hospital.
STEP
EIGHT
Get an RN Resuscitation
Certification.
You’ll need to take an Advanced
Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course, a
Basic Life Support (BLS) course, or a
Pediatric Advanced Life Support
Course (PALS).
The type of resuscitation
certification you’ll need will
depend on your area of
practice, and hospital
policies.
You can get these certificates
before arriving in the US, but
make sure the provider of
these courses is American
Heart Association (AHA)
accredited.
Healthcare company in USA
will provide this free for you
in USA.