Foreign Nurse Employment in the United States
Foreign nurses have come to the United States in order to seek employment for many years. Due to a nursing shortage and the large number of nursing jobs available to nurses in the United States, coming to the US to get work seems like a great prospect for many nurses overseas. The process of gaining an RN license in the United States is, however, sometimes very challenging.
Registered nurses from other countries generally have to pass several exams before obtaining licensure in the United States. They of course have to pass the NCLEX-RN test, like all registered nurses who practice in the US. They also have to pass the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools test to work in certain states. English proficiency testing is also required of foreign nurses.
Foreign nurses can gain employment in the United States on a temporary or permanent basis. The Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999 started giving foreign nurses something called an H-1C visa. This visa allowed nurses from other countries to come to the United States to work for up to three years. This visa did not allow for extensions. This type of visa classification ended in 2005. Foreign nurses can still apply for an H-1B visa. The H-1B visa requires that the registered nurse haves specialized training; most foreign registered nurses do not. Canadian and Mexican registered nurses can apply to work in the US with a TN visa. Again, these nurses must meet certain requirements and have documented proof of certain nursing skills.
Most nurses coming to the United States coordinate their employment through a nursing agency. These types of agencies are well versed in licensure requirements, hospitals that offer employment, and contracts to foreign nurses. Foreign nurses will experience many other challenges once they become RNs in the US. Communication in the hospital setting may present challenges. They might experience prejudice from other health care workers, including nurses. Nurses might perceive an influx of foreign nurses as "taking jobs". Cultural differences might also make it difficult for foreign nurses to become acclimated to US hospitals and healthcare settings. They also might find difficulty in the role differences between foreign nurses and American nurses. American nurses are expected to use nursing judgment and question medical orders that they don't agree with or that they feel will not be beneficial to the patient; this usually doesn't happen in other countries. Becoming a partner in care is a necessary adjustment that many foreign nurses will have to make in order to acclimate themselves to American healthcare. If the foreign nurse is able to overcome these challenges, she should be able to have a great career in the US.
Foreign nurses face a long process and many challenges in obtaining licensure in the United States. They have the opportunity to have prosperous careers after getting their licenses and starting to work in US hospitals. They have the opportunity to work in state of the art facilities and be on the forefront of advanced medicine if they are able to complete the arduous task of getting their license.
Published: 2009-11-03
