Hello Nurses
ELIGIBILITY
1.
Only nurses who have a four-year nursing degree from an accredited nursing school are eligible for licensure and work in the United States.
2.
Some states require foreign-education nurses to take a Foreign Educated Nurses (FEN) refresher course that consist of classroom and clinical hours.
3.
Foreign-educated nurses must have also had at least two years of nursing experience in their home country prior to applying for work in the United States.
PROCESS
1. GET YOUR LICENSES
The first step for foreign-trained nurses to obtain work in the United States is to pass the NCLEX-RN exam in the state that the nurse intends to be employed. Be sure to look into states that are part of the Nursing License Compact (NLC) and provide a multi-state license. To determine if a foreign-trained nurse is ready to take and pass the NCLEX-RN exam, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) offers a prescreening test so that the nurse can determine if they need a refresher course.
2. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TEST
Depending on the native country of the nurse, the international nurse will have to pass either 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). Connecting the Link will assist the nurse in determining which test to take, and the results are sent directly to the state nursing board. Nurses originating from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, and New Zealand are exempt from passing an English Language Proficiency Test.
3. APPLY FOR VISA
Non-U.S. citizens are required to have an employer-sponsored visa to work in the United States. Connecting the Link is well-versed in sponsoring visas for the foreign-trained nurses and can walk interested international nurses through the process. The most common route for visa procurement is to apply for a permanent work visa, otherwise known as a green card. An international nurse is eligible to apply for a VISA after the NCLEX-RN is passed.
NCLEX
The NCLEX exam, also known as the National Council Licensure Examination, is a standardized test that every state regulatory board uses to determine if a candidate is ready to become licensed as a nurse. Administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, there are two types of NCLEX exams, and which test you take depends on the role you seek.
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NCLEX-PN: For practical or vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs—the terms are used interchangeably in different states), the most entry-level of the licensed nursing positions.
NCLEX-RN: For registered nurses (RNs), who have additional education and greater responsibility
NOTABLE
FACTS
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The U.S. population will rise to over 400 million people by 2050.
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There’s a reduced funnel of new domestic students taking up nursing as a career.
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By 2030, the number of registered nurses needed in the United States is estimated to skyrocket by 28.4% from 2.8 million to 3.6 million.
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California is expected to be short the most registered nurses (45,500), while Alaska is projected to have the most job vacancies (22.7%). Texas, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia, and South Dakota are expected to experience shortages as well. Florida will have the most extra nurses (53,700), along with Ohio, Virginia, and New York. Wyoming will have the biggest overage in RNs (50.9%), followed by New Mexico and Ohio.
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California is expected to add 110,500 new registered nurse positions by 2030, followed by Texas, adding 88,800. Neither amount is expected to be enough to counter the shortage both states will face.