What You Need to Know about Nursing and Health Care in the United States

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The United States is a very desirable place for foreign-educated nurses to work because the health care industry offers a high pay scale, advanced technology, and educational opportunities for professional advancement. This book is a guide for the foreign-educated nurse who desires employment in the United States. The authors address topics such as immigration, education and licensure, language, relocation, job interviews, and the organization of the US public and private health care systems.

The material is well organized, in chronological fashion, starting with the chapter, “Preparing to leave your home country.” Subsequent chapters deal with a wide variety of topics, including US visas, state licensure requirements, selecting a workplace, workplace rights and obligations, cross-cultural communication, housing, safety, and continuing education.

The chapter on nursing practice discusses at length the role of the American Nurses Association in providing standards of nursing practice. The authors also describe the process for education and certification in nursing specialties and advanced practice nursing. Additional topics of discussion are the roles of the Joint Commission and the US Department of Health as agencies that regulate health care, and the authors explain the concept of medical malpractice and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and give examples to clarify the information presented.

Each chapter contains key word definitions. The content is presented in easy-to-read paragraphs, with pertinent headings. The appendices are extensive and contain expanded details of the information presented in each chapter.

This book is a comprehensive guide for the foreign-educated nurse to navigate the nursing profession in the United States. Personally, it gave me insight into the dedication a foreign-educated nurse must have to relocate and become employable in the United States. These nurses deserve credit and support from their nursing colleagues for their efforts.