Hello!
My husband and I want to move to London by the end of the year. My husband is a Social Worker, but I am not happy in my current job and recently decided that I would like to go back to school and become a nurse. I have looked at Nursing schools in the London area, but they all seem to be very expensive, especially since I would have to pay the overseas student fee for at least 3 years. I have already started taking some pre reqs at a local community college here in Texas. Does anyone know if they have an equivalent to a community college in the UK? I really do not want to wait 3 years until I start nursing school, but I just don't think we could afford it before then. I was hoping to get started on some classes at a cheaper, community college so I do not have to wait so long. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!
Hello Sunny,
I'm an infrequent poster here (think it's actually been several months since my last post lol), but I'm in a similar situation. I live in PA, and I'm enrolled in a nursing program at a community college. My dh is involved in local non-profit work full-time, and also serves as an episcopal deacon.
We've been planning on moving to the U.K. for a couple of years now. So, I've had to do my homework about equivalencies in profesisonal certifications and so forth.
Over there, nursing is regulated under their Nursing and Midwifery Council. If you decide to finish your degree in the U.K., I don't think you'd have much problem having your credits accepted in a college or university program there. Of course, like you said, you'd have to pay the international student fees for schooling, unless you wait 3 years to go to school. Remember though, that some of your sciences or math courses may have "expiration dates" on them in that if they aren't recent enough, you'll have to repeat them.
We've chosen to remain here until I finish my nursing degree. That way, the cost remains minimal, and from what I've read on the NMC official site, a first-level R.N. certification is recognised in the U.K. The first-level R.N. certification in the U.S. has no differientiation between those who hold a hospital diploma, the A.S.N., or the B.S.N. Therefore, your U.S. R.N. should be transferable in that sense.
The NMC does state that the nursing program must be 3 years in length, with so many parts theoretical and so many practical. I know the advertised length of most A.S.N. programs is 2 years, but I've yet to meet any graduates who've finished it in less than 3 years. At our school, it's a 3 year program. So, it's very comparable to the U.K.'s Diploma program.
I do know if you are a nurse when you go over, you'll be welcomed with open arms. Their nursing situation is suffering a shortage just like here.
Here are some links to the NMC's overseas applicant site. If you look to the righthand menu, you can click on "application" to get the details on how to go about getting your credentials recognised in the U.K.
http://www.nmc-uk.org/nmc/main/Overseas/Overseas04http://www.nmc-uk.org/nmc/main/Overseas/Overseas02Good luck!
Rebekah
