Nurses from outside the U.S. may contemplate working here temporarily or permanently as demand for nurses in the country rapidly rises due to the majority of the population getting older, a substantial part of nurses approaching retirement age, and now a global pandemic. To help with the nursing shortage, nursing recruiting organizations frequently employ a steady stream of foreign-trained nurses.
A List of Global Healthcare Staffing Companies
Here is a list of healthcare staffing companies that help registered nurses who were educated abroad locate employment in the country. The staffing business can also be contacted by hospital recruiters looking for nurses to help with the nursing shortage at their facility.
- ADEX Medical Staffing – full-service agency.
- Alda Professional Placement Services – assist with placement in various countries.
- ASMCI USA – assist with NCLEX, IELTS or TOEFL prep, no agency fees.
- CareerKnacks International Nursing Recruiters – no recruitment fees.
- Cross Country Nurses – affiliated with Cross Country, offers full-service assistance.
- Christine Paris Enterprises USA Inc – full-service agency, placements also in Australia and UK.
- Emerald Health Services – full-service agency that places the brightest healthcare workers in the best US healthcare institutions.
- Comprehensive Medical Staffing – full-service agency, assist with filing application.
- Global Healthcare Resources – full-service agency, focuses on cultural transition program.
- Global Nursing Recruiters – #1 recruiting agency for African and Caribbean trained nurses.
- GlobeMed Resources – reimburses cost of exams, immigration, & travel, focus on Indian RN.
- Guardian Healthcare Providers – provides U.S. healthcare assimilation courses and an orientation.
- HealthStar International – full-service agency, over 450 nurses placed in the US.
- International MedLink – full-service agency, CGFNS required, unique Vanderbilt training.
- Kennedy Healthcare Recruiting – full service international recruiting agency.
- MedPro International – a full-service organization with a training course to pass the NCLEX-RN and English proficiency tests.
- Medliant – full-service agency, reimbursement of immigration fees, travel, etc.
- O’Grady Peyton International – full-service agency, over 25 years of experience in recruiting.
- Onward Healthcare – agency with per diem, travel and international recruitment programs.
- Pacific Link Healthcare – full service international recruiting agency since 1999.
- PPR Travel Nursing – agency with travel, permanent & international recruitment programs.
- Premier Healthcare Professionals – agency with travel and international programs.
- Professional Healthcare Resources – agency specializing in hospice care placements.
- RCM Health Care Services – full service international recruiting agency.
- Global Nurse Force – full service international agency specializing in recruiting RNs from India.
- Shearwater Health – full-service agency since 1973. Full benefits package.
- Stateside Nursing International – full service international recruitment agency since 1996.
- Westways Staffing Services – full service international recruitment agency.
- Wilson Staffing Network agency with domestic & international recruitment programs.
- WorldWide HealthStaff Associates – full service international recruitment agency.
Licenses
The NCLEX-RN exam in the state where the nurse plans to work is the first step for foreign-trained nurses to get a job in the US. Make sure to research the states that offer a multi-state license and are a part of the Nursing License Compact (NLC). The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) offers a prescreening test to see if a foreign-trained nurse is prepared to take and pass the NCLEX-RN exam so they can decide if they need a refresher course. Refresher courses are provided by numerous worldwide nursing staffing companies.
Visas
To work in the US, non-US nationals need a sponsored work visa from their employer. International staffing agencies can guide prospective international nurses through the visa sponsorship procedure because they are typically well-versed in doing so. Applying for a green card, often known as a permanent work visa, is the most popular method of obtaining a visa. A temporary H-1B visa is available for several nursing specialties in underserved areas, as well as the TN visa for nurses from Canada and Mexico. After passing the NCLEX-RN, a nurse from another country is qualified to apply for a VISA.
English Language Proficiency Tests
The international nurse must successfully complete either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), or the International English Language Testing System, depending on their place of origin (IELTS). The nurse will receive assistance from the sponsoring foreign staffing firm in selecting the test to take, and the outcomes are reported directly to the state nursing board. The English Language Proficiency Test is not required for nurses from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, or New Zealand.
Other Requirements
- The only nurses qualified for licensing and employment in the United States hold a four-year nursing degree from a recognized nursing institution.
- Some jurisdictions demand that nurses with foreign training complete a refresher course for foreign educated nurses (FEN), which includes both classroom and clinical time.
- Prior to applying for employment in the United States, foreign-educated nurses were required to have at least two years of nursing experience in their own country.
- Those who ARE NOT qualified to work as registered nurses in the US include:
- Less than two years’ worth of experience nursing.
- Nurses without a four-year degree in nursing
- Nurses who have broken the law.
- Nurses whose visas have not been sponsored (by a reliable, qualified nursing staffing service).
Concluding Remarks
The healthcare staffing company will offer assistance along the route even though there are numerous steps that foreign nurses must complete in order to become Registered Nurses in the United States. I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavor as a certified nurse in the US!
See also: Short Nursing Courses in USA
