Been looking online and it seems as though you can study over there and less expensive overall rate. Then come back to us to take NCLEX and state license. Has anyone studied in Europe?
In addition to language barriers (which can be very dangerous in health care), I believe there would also be differences in medical methods and training. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are barriers and delays for a European grad to take the US RN exam, since you need to graduate from an accredited nursing program to take the US exam. There is more likely to be reciprocity with Canadian universities, but they are no longer the bargains they used to be for US residents.
There are several program in English and Spanish throughout Europe and no particular barriers for RN exam in US. Wondering if anyone has done this?
Finland, Spain, Hungary
I just looked at two state’s requirements to take the CNLEX exam. They said that if you have a degree from outside the US, you need a full review of your credentials and coursework by a third party organization selected by the State before you can be considered to be allowed to take the exam. It is a much more involved process than graduating from an accredited US program. The risk is that you could spend 4 years in college overseas and find out that your state does not think your preparation was adequate for US standards.
(I just think of the people you meet in the US who were medical doctors in other countries but who cannot get licensed as doctors in the US.)
It seems Canada uses the same exam as the US exam, so it should be a simpler process for their grads.
US nursing schools also are increasingly revising their curriculum (and using related prep materials) to prepare their students to pass the US test. If there is a completely different test in another country, that country’s nursing program may provide different preparation.
That’s a really good point about the test prep. On the Allnurses college forum their are many foreign nurses who were educated in Germany, Spain, Switzerland who said that getting a license in the US was no problem and their curriculum prepared them well. I am interested in US student who have studied nursing abroad to get their experience…
Are you ( is your D ) looking for a US nursing education with study abroad experience to broaden her horizon? or is she looking for an entirely European education & plan to work in the US?
My D attends college here so obviously I do not have personal knowledge but one of mine is doing a study abroad program this summer in Europe & this maybe something that your D will enjoy. It is hard for nursing students to do “exchange program/ or study abroad” during the school yr due to the strict curriculum & summer or winter break is a good time to give this a try.
I am thinking that most nursing students get to know the different nurse managers / or departments while they do the clinicals & also do part time work ( as aide/ care partner tech etc ). A student who study in Europe will loose all those valuable contacts as soon as she comes back home.
The student may ( or may not ) be able to work in a foreign country because s/he will be holding a student visa ( F-1 ) & can’t really be employed or work PT as aide in the European hospital.
I can’t speak about the cost of attendance or tuition in Europe but there are US colleges that are a great value in terms of merit aid/ not-too-high tuition / reasonable cost of living.
Studying nursing in Finland is free, one of the best educations in the world, and in English. Next year they will be charging a small amount but I’m looking for some one who has done this or similar.
Yes, Angela, my daughter is in between her 3rd and 4th year of a BSN program in the US and is working full time in a hospital for the summer. It is really adding to her education - she is learning much more than she learned in clinicals in the same hospital. This is mainly because she is working with many more patients with many more different types of conditions.
Many hospitals hire new nursing school grads that their nursing staff has gotten to know from clinicals. Also, many hospitals like to hire nursing grads from nearby nursing schools where they trust the level of preparation. The clinicals and summer jobs also allow a student to determine if they like the culture of a hospital before applying for a job when they graduate. Some hospitals treat their nurses better than others, and some hospitals are intentionally understaffed in nursing. In a perfect world, you would attend nursing school near where you want to eventually work.
I realize there are some European countries such as Germany that are using cheap college to try to encourage younger smart people to move to their country. However, I would think that most countries that heavily subsidize college tuition would want to save their nursing seats for residents of their own country. In the same way, many state universities give a strong preference to residents of their own state who apply for nursing school seats.
I’ve heard that countries that offer foreign students free tuition do so because it is profitable for them. A certain percent of foreign students decide to stay in the country after graduation and work and pay taxes and, as a result, the free tuition programs are cash flow positive.
Regarding foreign nursing programs open to U.S. students, besides Finland, I’ve come across BSN programs (where the language of instruction is in English) in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. None of these are free but in some cases, tuition is less expensive in the U.S. I read somewhere that the average tuition for a Bachelor’s degree program in Europe is about $7,300/year…
@kitty1 Can you point me to the nursing program(s) in Spain?
I too would be interested in hearing from US students who have studied nursing abroad and also those who got their nursing degree abroad. I know one girl who just completed a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Venice (not in nursing however). She loved it and was done in three years…and paid a fraction of what she would have in the states.
Keep in mind that the costs of a foreign program can vary greatly with exchange rates. Right now, the dollar is unusually strong, but there is no guarantee that will continue to be true over the next 4 to 5 years. Also, housing costs can greatly vary. For example, I understand that most Canadian universities have little on-campus housing.
There recently was a news article that Canadian universities have increasing their marketing in the US, because of a decline in college-aged persons in Canada.
It might be different now, but back when I lived in Germany, nursing education was not university based, it was more like an apprenticeship, combining practical training in a hospital with vocational school.
Germany specializes in apprenticeships in many many fields.
Yes, and it is a viable educational path. It saves time and money, and is very hands-on.
But for OP wanting to work in the US where a college degree is required, it might not be the right option.
http://www.weareplanc.org/blog/struggling-for-a-nurse-to-patient-ratio-in-german-hospitals/
An article if anyone is curious to read about the situation in Germany relating to nurses at the moment. Apparently a huge amount of nurses are in demand but the nurses who are working are being treated unfairly with a large number of patients, more than they can handle. Just thought you might want to read this OP.
Yes, understaffing among nurses is a complaint in many countries.