With the increasing demand for Filipino nurses in the United States of America, it seems that more and more Filipino nurses, even those who are still studying the nursing course, are truly attracted to have their papers processed as soon as possible. After passing the Nursing Board Exam administered by the Philippine Regulatory Commission and serving the country in a given period of time, the nurses are ready to take the challenge of working in the “Land of Milk and Honey,” in the US.

However, before the aspirant migrant nurse successfully penetrates into the nursing system and profession in the US, he or she has to undergo series of extensive examinations to assess his or her readiness and skills needed in the field of providing healthcare. The following tests are the essential in order for a nurse to acquire the necessary work visa:

The National Council Licensure Examination of better known as NCLEX, which was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the United States, contains four major categories and eight subcategories that test the examinees’ ability, intelligence, and judgment in situations that usually occur in the hospital setting. The NCLEX fee is roughly from $200 to $400.

Another requirement that the nurse needs to comply to is the Visa Screen Certificate which costs $398. Offered by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), the Visa Screen Certificate is performed in order to evaluate the nurses’ credentials, including the educational attainment, licensure exam results, proficiency in the English language, and exam performance in the nursing knowledge and skills.

To test the applicants’ proficiency in the English language, they should be able to pass either the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), including the Test of Written English and the Test of Spoken English (TWE & TSE).

Finally the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing
Schools (CGFNS), which is duly authorized to evaluate and authenticate the credentials of the applicants (both the nurses and the healthcare professionals) in terms of their education, registration and licensure qualifications.

The process indeed is tasky and requires a lot but the opportunities and benefits of being a nurse in the US pays a lot.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 8:11 pm and is filed under Resources. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.