Jul 26, 20182 min
When the paperwork of becoming an RN in the US when you're from another country ends, the job hunt difficulties begin.
Generally, it's easiest to get your RN in the US if you already have a job offer here. Once you have that, you know which state you'll be in. After all, nursing licenses are on a per state basis in the US for the most part. Tough, right? To get the job, you need a license. To get the correct license, you need to know where your job will be. Almost a catch-22. Some experts advise international RNs to get a compact license and then look for a job. That way, you have a license already and, if needed, you may have to just upgrade to a state-specific one.
You will also need to put together a resume with your experience on it. Your future nursing manager may not know how big of a hospital you worked at in Kuala Lumpur- you'll need to clue her in to that by describing your role there along with your responsibilities. In some countries like China, the scope of nurses may not be as large as the scope of nurses in the United States. This doesn't mean you won't get a job! You will, however, have to highlight your strengths in other areas, such as accountability or personal merit.
Many international RNs use recruiters to get hooked up with a position here in the US, and that's not a bad way to do it. They may ask for a "breach fee" which means that if you break your contract (for example, of 1 or 2 years) by leaving early, you must pay back this fee. It should be pro-rated so that if you had to leave a month early, you don't pay the same as if you left a year early.
In my experience, nurse managers will pick the resumes of international RNs from the top of the pile because they are interested in learning more. Use the interview as a way to expand upon your strengths and connect with the hiring manager as a person.
By the way... international workers everywhere are protected by the Alliance for Ethical Recruitment Practices (Alliance). If you feel you have not received fair treatment, contact them! They will help and advocate for you, which can be especially wonderful if English is not your preferred language.
The journeys of international students may be long ones, but as the nursing shortage increases, we need them here. Please come work in the US as a nurse and share your experience!