NURSES WITH FOREIGN DEGREE:

How can you become a Registered Nurse (RN) in USA?

Great news! Your education in your country is not a waste of time, in fact, USA values your education in your native country.  There is a two-step process for obtaining a registered nurse license here in the United States. Please make sure you understand that work permit is united states is a different process which is managed by USCIS https://www.uscis.gov/file-online . In this post, I explained how you can evaluate your foreign nursing degree and meet individual state requirement to become a registered nurse.

Step 1- Finding your state requirement

Find out first if your state, where you want to work as a registered nurse, requires your foreign degree to be evaluated by Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). Many states do require CGFNS evaluation and passing their test. If that is the case, send your foreign diploma to  Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) for evaluation of your education in your home country (e.g. India, Russia, China, Philippines etc.); As I mentioned, English language proficiency testing. You may need to take English Language proficiency exam and a predictor exam, an indicator of the nurse's ability to pass the U.S. national licensure exam (NCLEX). Here is their website: http://www.cgfns.org/

Things to look for:

When you are planning to apply for NCLEX exam you need look for three things. It varies from State to state. Depending on your situation, you may need to relocate. Here are three things:

Is Social Security number required or not?

Is English language proficiency required?

Is CGFNS evaluation of foreign diploma required or not?

I have researched and found a great website that can be helpful; here is the link: https://brilliantnurse.com/  This website has information in each state’ requirement which can be very resourceful.

Step 2 - Additional State Requirement

Step 2 is to find out your state requirement. Each state has different requirement that you need to fulfill in order to work in that particular state.  

E.g.  in New York State, you are required to complete NYSED approved infection control course work and child abuse reporting coursework, and pass the NCLEX - RN exam https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm . (Source: http://www.op.nysed.gov/ ).

California state has much stricter guidelines for international diploma holders. Even though Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) examination passing is not required for RN license, California nursing board require your official transcripts of bachelor of nursing degree evaluated by CGFNS (www.CGFNS.org). Candidate also need social security number to apply for eligibility. If the state has doubt on English proficiency, they might ask you to take TOEFL to test your English language proficiency. (http://www.ets.org/toefl ). When you receive a letter of eligibility, then you can take the NCLEX - RN exam https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm . (Source: http://www.op.nysed.gov/ ).

Which nursing school in Illinois should you attend?

Nursing in Illinois in in high demand. In 2011, There were 77, 530 Registered Nurses in Chicago - Joliet  - Naperville area in 2011, second highest in the nation where New York City topped the chart.  According to government data (source:; http://www.bls.gov/home.htm ),  out of Illinois’ 12 metropolitan areas, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville was the only area to have wages notably above the national average for both registered nurses and for licensed practical nurses. Chicago-Joliet-Naperville was the only metropolitan area in the state with significantly higher wages for registered nurses ($70,120 per year) compared to the U.S. average of $67,930.

Who is the regulatory body in Illinois State to govern Nursing Education?

Illinois state established Illinois Center for Nursing (ICN)http://nursing.illinois.gov/default.asp  in 2006 in order to  create more highly-skilled nursing professionals to meet the health care needs in Illinois. The ICN is located within the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Where Can I find all the nursing schools in Illinois which are approved by the state?

Answer is very simple. However many times I find students don’t know how to check if the school is approved by state or not, instead students rely on information from bogus source. Please click the link below which will take you to the list  Illinois State approved schools for Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) and Advanced Practice Nurse(APN) program.

Many of my readers are trying to find more information on RN program. Remember, you can become a RN with an associate or a bachelor's degree. There are also online option to complete your degree. There are private as well as public (run by state government, usually low tuition but competitive enrollment) schools offering nursing programs. Below are all the links:

RN Associate Degree Program:

http://nursing.illinois.gov/education.asp#RNASSOC

RN Baccalaureate Program

http://nursing.illinois.gov/education.asp#RNBACC

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Nursing School/Program

http://nursing.illinois.gov/education.asp#LPN

Illinois Approved Nursing Education Programs On Probation

It is very important to know which schools are on probation. Last thing you want is to enroll into a school which is on probation by state. Schools goes on probation because unacceptable outcome of learning which is measured by annual NCLEX (https://www.ncsbn.org/nclex.htm ) pass rate.

Here is the link to find out what schools are currently on probation in state of Illinois.:

http://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/ILApprovedNursingProgramsOnProbation.pdf

Illinois Approved Nursing Education Program Pass Rates - Last 5 Years

http://nursing.illinois.gov/PDF/IlApNursingEdProgPassRates.PDF

Why NLN or CCNE accreditation is important?

It is important to understand that all nursing schools are accredited by CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, only accredits bachelor or master program in nursing). Otherwise you will have hard time finding your desired employment. E.g. Veteran Affairs (VA) is the largest employers of nurses in the nation, with more than 80,000 RN, LPN / LVN and nursing assistants. One of their requirement is that the nursing school must be state approved and CCNE accredited. Source: http://www.vacareers.va.gov/assets/common/print/Nursing_Brochure.pdf

Below is a link where you find the search by state option for CCNE accredited schools offer BSN or MSN programs:

http://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp

Here is link for CCNE Accreditation page:

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation

Comparison of Nursing School: Alaska

Alaska is a great opportunity for Registered Nurses. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (http://www.bls.gov), there are 5780 registered nurses in the state of Alaska. RN is one of the highest numbers employed out of all other professionals in healthcare industry as a whole. Here is a comparison to understand the demand of RN compare to other popular professions in healthcare setting in Alaska; currently, there are 500 Physical Therapist, 480 pharmacist, 540 dental hygienist, 580 LPN, 640 Medical health and record technicians, 1750 nursing assistants and 1440 medical assistant compare to 5780 RNs. Undoubtedly, RN has more opportunities and growing exponentially with time.

RN in Alaska are also paid one of the highest in the nation, in fact, it is the fourth top paying state for RN in the nation. Current median hourly wage is $41.12 and annual mean wage is $85, 740. Below is the chart for top 5 states;

State	Employment per thousand jobs	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
California	16.75	$47.31	$98,400
Hawaii	17.39	$42.42	$88,230
Massachusetts	24.05	$41.23	$85,770
Alaska	17.79	$41.22	$85,740
Oregon	18.44	$39.87	$82,940

If you are planning to enroll to pursue RN program in Alaska it is critical for you to choose the right school, the school which is approved by board of nursing, accredited by ACEN, good passing rate in NCLEX and above all an affordable school. Here are few links for you to find the right school for you. However, if you need one on one advice, you can always write to me for help navigating these links which will direct you to the right school convenient to your location.

There are only two schools listed under nursing board, Alaska. University of Alaska Anchorage, school of nursing should be the number one choice since it has both board approved and accredited by ACEN. The other school Charter College only offers Associate degree in RN which is not widely desirable for employers, most of them looking for BSN. And also, they are not yet accredited by ACEN. Here is the link of ACEN page.

http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.asp

And here is the link for Alaska Board of Nursing page.

https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofNursing/ApplicantInformation/Education.aspx

Instate tuition for University of Alaska Anchorage is $5494 for one academic year (2014-2015) compare to $19, 532 for Charter College.

How to become a Radiologic Technologist / MRI Tech - Don't just choose any school:

Why RAD Tech in Demand:

As the baby boomer population (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomers) of USA grows older, there will be more medical conditions, such as breaks and fractures caused by osteoporosis, which mostly require imaging to diagnose them. Radiologic and MRI technologists will be needed to maintain and use the diagnostic equipment. Employment of radiologic technologists is projected to grow 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of MRI technologists is projected to grow 24 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. (According to the bureau of labor statistics, the median annual wage for radiologic technologists was $54,620 in May 2012. The median annual wage for MRI technologists was $65,360 in May 2012. Ref: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiologic-technologists.htm

Step 1: Why JRCRT Accredited Program:

Ever since the demand for these two occupations grew significantly, many schools started offering these programs. There are many post-secondary education programs in radiography and MRI that lead to graduate certificates, associate’s degrees, or bachelor’s degrees. Associate’s degree programs are the most common. Education programs typically include both classroom training and clinical training. Coursework includes anatomy, pathology, patient care, radiation physics and protection, and image evaluation. The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) accredits programs in radiography. High school students who are interested in radiologic or MRI technology should take courses that focus on science and math. Suggested courses include anatomy, biology, chemistry, physiology, mathematics, and physics.   

Why does JRCERT accreditation matter?

The JRCERT is the only organization recognized by United Stated Department of Education (www.ed.gov) and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org) to accredit traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry. (You should review the JRCERT module that focuses on the benefits of programmatic accreditation prior to beginning your educational endeavor. It is located under the Students link on main webpage, www.jrcert.org). Graduation from a JRCERT - Accredited program assures:

• Your chosen program has met a standard of excellence established by the profession to provide the knowledge, skills, and professional values required to deliver safe, high quality diagnostic or therapeutic radiologic services to patients.

• You will be eligible for employment in all 50 states – in some states, only graduates of JRCERT - accredited programs are eligible for state licensure and employment. Additionally, most Veterans Administration (VA) facilities and many other facilities will only employ graduates of JRCERT - accredited programs. To become licensed, technologists must graduate from an accredited program and must pass a certification exam from the state or from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

• You will enhance your eligibility for admission into modality - specific (i.e., computed tomography, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, etc.) and/or higher degree programs in the radiologic sciences.

       

Many MRI technologists are first licensed or certified radiologic technologists who have the required amount of work experience in magnetic resonance imaging to meet certification standards, which includes a set number of documented imaging examinations. Those who are not radiologic technologists need to complete a formal education program before taking the certification exam. MRI certification is available from the ARRT and is accepted by most states for licensure.

•  Here is a link to search for JRCRT accredited programs in your state:

https://portal.jrcertaccreditation.org/summary/accreditedprogramsearch.aspx

Be aware of Diploma mill:

Diploma or degree mills come in many guises. Some degree mills blatantly offer to sell a degree and perhaps a transcript from a legitimate school. Others can be easily recognized by promising that an applicant can receive a degree in a very short period of time, sometimes as little as five days. Another type of degree mill will purport to look at an applicant’s life experience and award a degree based solely on a description of this experience. Others may require the student to submit papers or other assignments, but still will provide the degree in a short period of time with much less work than would be required by legitimate institutions. An advertisement that claims a student can “earn” a degree in much less time than it would take at a legitimate institution is likely evidence that the school is a degree mill.

Step 2: Check the Program Effectiveness Data for your desired school:

The JRCERT collects data using current information provided by accredited programs.

Completion Rate:  This is the number of students that begin the program divided by the number of students that actually complete the program.  The JRCERT measures this annually. Credentialing Examination Pass Rate:  This is the number of students that pass the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination on the first attempt.   Job Placement Rate:  JRCRT collect data on the number of students that gain employment within six months of graduation versus the number that graduate.  JRCRT look at this data over a five-year span and average the data. Here is an example of a school’s program effectiveness data.

Program Completion Rate (%) Credential Examination Pass Rate (%) Job Placement Rate (%) Adventist University of Health Sciences - Radiography 66 96 83

• Here is the link for complete list for program effectiveness:

https://portal.jrcertaccreditation.org/summary/programannualreportlist.aspx

• Here is the link for list of programs who are under probation:

http://www.jrcert.org/accreditation-actions/accredited-programs-on-probation/

Step 3: Why pay more, check the affordability of the program:

Congratulations! You are at the last step to find the right program for you. As we all know that college education requires investment of your time and money. It is very important to find out the college which has reasonable tuition and also has great completion and placement rate. Once you make a list of colleges (JRCRT accredited) that you are considering, you click the link below to find out each college’ net tuition and graduation rate. This will help you to find out the right college that saves you thousands of dollars in tuition and fees.

•   Here is the link to find out college’s net tuition:

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/