How to Register as a Nurse in USA

If you’ve ever thought of how to become a registered Nurse in the USA, then think no further, it’s possible and can be achievable.

Being a registered nurse means that you have been licensed by the state board of nursing to provide patient care.

To become eligible to be licensed as Registered nurse (RN), you must have either completed an approved nursing program, an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Registered Nurses in the US perform a lot of activities, they contribute to the patient’s plan of care, administer medication and provide advice and emotional support to the patient.

If you become certified as a Registered Nurse, it opens you up for a lot of opportunities, being a registered nurse, firstly it Provides you direct access to the nursing profession, allows you to gain experience and confidence and gives access to a better income.

From recent findings, the median annual salaries for Registered Nurses (RNs) working in the United States is $86,070 or approximately $41.38 per hour.

In addition to the salary structure, Registered Nurses in the US are provided with flexible scheduling options including full time, part time and per diem work across day, night and weekend shifts.

There more to being a Registered Nurse in the US, this content will provide you with more information and everything you need to know on how to register as a Nurse in the US, ensure you read till the end.

Table of Contents

Basic Requirements for Registering as a Nurse in the USA

To register as a Nurse in the US, there are a lot of requirements and criteria.

Here are some of the requirements and steps to become a registered nurse rn

Educational Qualifications

To become a registered nurse in the US, you must earn an associate degree in nursing (ADN), a Nursing diploma from RN program or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited educational institution.

The choice of your degree program depends solely on where you intend working after the end of your Nursing program.

Some states in the US require that you only provide associate degree in nursing in order to start practising but as time progresses some states have made it compulsory that you hold at least a Bachelor’ degree in Nursing and complete a Foreign-Educated Nurses refresher course (FEN) which comprises of 120 hours of lectures and 120 hours of clinical practice before you can be issued a licence.

It is therefore recommended that you obtain a BSN which is one of the best degrees which places significant emphasis on clinical experience and is taught by faculty with real, hands-on experience in the nursing field.

There are different ways to earn a BSN degree, if you are a first-time college student, then you can earn your BSN through a traditional four-year BSN program.

If you have already earned your associate degree in Nursing, you can upgrade your qualification by pursuing an RN-to-BS completion program which can be completed within the period of 12 to 14 months.

If you have already obtained a bachelor degree in non nursing field, there are other accelerated nursing programs that you can complete between 16 to 24 months that will usher you into the nursing profession.

Verification of Foreign Credentials

The next you need to take after obtaining your Nursing degree is to have your foreign credentials verified.

You will be mandated by the state board of Nursing that you apply to CGFNS international Inc. to have your academic and professional credentials evaluated to ensure all your documents are original and authentic and that what you’ve learnt is comparable with the US nursing standards.

CGFNS will go through all your nursing school transcripts and educational history from your home country

Furthermore, you will also be required to write the CGFNS qualifying exam in order to satisfy the state board requirements and the immigration requirements for obtaining an occupational visa and also determine your readiness to take the licensure exam.

CGFN Qualifying examination is conducted three times a year at over 40 centers across the world, you are to write your exam in the location closest to you.

Foreign credential verification can be done in three ways

Credential Evaluation Service Professional Report

This evaluation involves that you pay an application fee of $350 to have some of your documents verified. The documents required are

English Proficiency Test
Secondary School Documents
Nursing Education documents
Licensure documents from your home country

CGFNS Certification Program

This Certification Program provides the various assistance that will aid you in taking the CGFNS qualifying exam and it involves

Everything included in the Credential Evaluation Service Professional Report
CGFNS Qualifying Exam
An application fee of $445

The reason why you are mandated to take the CGFNS qualifying exam is to find out if you will be capable of taking care of patients in America when you are employed.

As someone who is in the nursing field You are to have a wide variety of knowledge in the profession. You are required to have a minimum number of classroom and clinical hours in certain nursing fields such as pediatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, neonatal nursing and adult medical/ surgical nursing .

Visa Credential Assessment

The Visa Credential Assessment alongside the CGFNS program requirement qualifies you for a work visa after you’ve passed the NCLEX exam.

To get the Visa Credentials Assessment done, you will have to pay a fee of $540

Passing a Licensure Exam

After obtaining your Nursing degree, there are two types of exams you need to pass, they are the English Proficiency Exam and NCLEX-RN exam

Passing the English Proficiency Test

After your Nursing degree some foreign-educated nurses will be mandated to take and pass any of these English language proficiency test

The kind of test to undertake varies based on your country of origin and after the test, the result will be send directly to the state nursing board.

If you attended your nursing school in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (Except Quebec) or Ireland are exempt as are those whose spoken language in the nursing school was in English.

Passing the NCLEX-RN Exam

After passing the English language proficiency test, the next step you need to take is to register and pass the NCLEX-RN Exam in your state of intended employment.

You can register for NCLEX-RN exam with Pearson Vue with just $200 plus an additional foreign fees.

The NCLEX examination is taken in the following countries

Australia
Canada
England
China
France
Israel
South Africa
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
Germany
Hong Kong
India
Japan
Mexico
Philippines
Puerto Rico
Taiwan

Finding a Nursing Job in the USA

The only nursing professionals allowed to work in the United States of America are only Registered Nurses (RN). Licensed Practical Nurses(LPN), licensed Vocational nurses (LVN) or patient care assistants are not eligible.

Registered Nurses work in doctor’s offices, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, government and education.

According to the report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) a higher percentage of RNs work in the Hospital

To find a Nursing job, you can apply through a recruiting agency or work with a staffing agency. It is easier for you and other foreign based nurses to work with an independent staffing recruiter and agency than to work directly with a hospital.

Some of the recruiters act as a “US based employer” for your immigrant visa and ensure that your information and document is completed successfully.

They also find nursing positions that suits your nursing interest and abilities.

You can also look for nursing jobs yourself by visiting the nursing job board or check out the website of any hospital you are interested in working to see if there is any vacant position.

Obtaining a Work Visa

After getting a nursing job, the next thing to do is to apply for a work visa, there are three type of work visa and they include

Mexican and Canadian Nurse-TN Visa

TN Visa if for Mexican and Canadian nurses who have been given employment to work as a RN in the United States provided they already have a licence to practise in their home country and have also passed the NCLEX and State Licensure requirements.

H-1B Work Visa

The H-1B temporary Work Visa is issued to Foreign Educated Nurses who hold a four-year degree and have fulfilled a specialized nursing role. Some of the specialized roles include critical care nurses, emergency room nurses and or cardiology nurses

With a H-1B work visa, you can apply for a green card.

EB-3 Visa

The EB-3 Visa is referred to as a green card or permanent residency visa. To become eligible to obtain the EB-3 Visa, you must have at least two years of education from an accredited institution with a license to work in the country where you receive your education.

Having this visa allows you to work at any hospital in the US or any other medical facility for ten years.

Process for Nigerian Nurses

The processes involved is quite simple, to become a registered nurse in US as a Nigeria Nurse involved the following

Complete an accredited nursing program that meets the standards and specifications of the states nursing regulatory board
After completing your BSN or ADN nursing program, you are to apply and pay an application fee to the state board of nursing to sit for the NCLEX-RN or PN exam
Demonstrate a high level of English Proficiency
Have your documents verified and evaluated by CGFN
Undertake and Pass the NCLEX exam
After passing the NCLEX exam, you are to obtain your licensure in the state where you want to practise. Awarding of license varies according to state, you are to find out each State’s RN licensing requirements .

Contribution of Migrant Nurses to American Healthcare

Migrant nurses play a crucial role in the development of American healthcare system. Migrate nurses in the US help to alleviate the chronic nursing shortage in the country.

Aside from their primary duties which is the provision of healthcare and healthcare assistance to patients and hospitals, they also have significant economic impact spending over $46 billion annually in the US economy. Most migrant nurses provide financial support for their families in their home countries

Migrant nurses also enrich the US healthcare system with a wide range of cultural perspectives and medical practices thereby enhancing the quality of care provided to patients from different backgrounds.

Final Thought

To register as a nurse in the US, it’s either you have undergone a certicate program for international nursing students have completed your nursing education program in your home country.

If you completed your nursing program in your country of origin, you are to travel to the USA to prepare for the other criteria that will enable you become a registered nurse and start applying for a nursing job.

To travel to the US smoothly and avoid being held back by the US immigration law, you will need to consult the advice of either an immigration attorney or immigration lawyer.

The following type of registered nurses are highly needed in the US

Addition Nurse
Cardiovascular Nurse
Critical Care Nurse/ ICU Nurse
Gastroenterology Nurse
Medical-Surgical Nurse
Neonatal Nurse
Occupational Health Nurse
Public Health Nurse

How to Register as a Nurse in USA