How To Become An International Nurse

By Field

There are many compelling reasons to pursue a career as a nurse. It’s a vocation that allows you to help people on a daily basis. It comes with a wide variety of potential professional opportunities, such as continual options for overtime, job security, professional development, and many others.

Another positive quality of nursing professions is that these types of roles are always in demand everywhere. Around the globe, there are nursing positions that need to be filled by qualified individuals, whether they’re sourced locally or internationally.

This is why many people with a nursing background decide to take their skills across oceans and plant roots in a foreign country by becoming international nurses.

Key Takeaways:

To become an international travel nurse: earn your nursing degree, pass the NCLEX-RN, gain experience, earn additional credentials, and then search for jobs either independently or through an agency.
Consider the type of nursing you wish to perform because certain positions are more in-demand than others.
The 5 most in-demand international nursing jobs are: intensive care, emergency room, neonatal, operating, and midwife nursing.
The 5 best countries to nurse in are: Luxembourg, Australia, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and Denmark.

How To Become An International Nurse

Here are some great nursing jobs for becoming an international nurse:

How To Become An International Nurse

To become an international travel nurse, you will want to make sure that you do the following:

Earn a degree in nursing. Either an Associate’s of Science In Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor’s of Science (BSN) will be needed to become a certified nurse. Though you can earn an ASN faster, some places may require at least a BSN, so keep this in mind when you are budgeting time and money.
Pass the NCLEX-RN.The NCLEX-RN is an exam offered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. It is a test that demonstrates you competency as a nurse and is required in all U.S. states to become a licensed nurse.
Gain experience in an in-demand field. Before you work in a new country, you’ll want to gain experience to prove your capabilities. This experience will allow you to specialize in a field that is in-demand, which will make you competitive in the international travel nursing job market. At least one year of experience is recommended.
Earn credentials. Depending on what country you wish to nurse in, you may need to earn credentials such as additional certifications, visa requirements, and vaccinations.
Search for jobs. Either independently, or through an international travel nurse agency, you can now begin to search for jobs. As in domestic jobs, make sure to have a resume and cover letter ready. Note that some countries ask for a C.V. instead of a resume, so understand the differences between the two.

As you can see, this is only a general outline, each country and nursing specialty will come with certain requirements. However, you can use this process to make sure you on on the right track.

Most In-Demand International Nurse Jobs

Being a nurse can mean a lot of different things, depending on your specialty. While it’s possible for just about any nursing specialty to be internationally valuable, there are some international nursing specialties that are the most in-demand. These include the following:

Intensive Care Unit Nurse

Intensive care unit nurses provide assistance to doctors in this crucial department of a healthcare facility. Usually, this involves:
- Aiding in physical assessments and providing treatment as directed
- Patient monitoring
- Monitoring medical tools needed to keep a patient afloat are functioning properly
- Responding to critical care.
ICU nurses must have an excellent working knowledge of the technology they’ll use in their duties and be able to thrive under pressure. It’s a position that’s always looking for top-notch candidates that can handle the responsibility of caring for critically ill patients.

It’s a role that’s extremely in-demand internationally because having the capacity to flourish under difficult circumstances and still provide excellent care for critically ill patients is a competitive skill in the healthcare industry.

Find Intensive Care Unit Nurse jobs near me.
Emergency Room Nurse

Emergency room nurses also treat patients who are in dire need of care, but instead of the ICU, they aptly work in the emergency room of a healthcare facility.

The main goal of an emergency room nurse is to cater to all of their patient’s needs. This includes:
- Performing emergency procedures.
- Patient monitoring.
- Assisting doctors.
- Conducting tests and patient care.
Emergency room nurses need to possess the patience, analytical thinking, and quick decision-making skills to handle this responsibility. Accidents and spur-of-the-moment health issues happen all over the globe, and if you have a background as a nurse with emergency room experience, there’s a good chance that you can find a lucrative nursing position abroad.

Find Emergency Room Nurse jobs near me.
Neonatal Nurse

While it’s every parent’s hope for their child to come into the world without a hitch, that’s not always the case. Thousands of newborns are injured, ill or premature and require special attention from an empathetic and caring neonatal nurse. The duties of neonatal nurses involve things like:
- Weighing and measuring newborns
- Monitoring the vitals of babies under their care
- Performing necessary tests
- Administering treatment or medication
- Maintaining NICU equipment
Additionally, neonatal nurses are often responsible for educating new parents on their child’s medical procedures and the specific tasks of caring for their new infant, like breastfeeding. There’s a lot of critical equipment that neonatal nurses use daily and must be proficient with, including ventilators, feeding pumps, and incubators.

Since more than one in ten babies is born too early around the world every year, and one million children die every year due to preterm birth complications, compassionate and knowledgeable neonatal nurses are needed everywhere around the world.

Find Neonatal Nurse jobs near me.
Operating Room Nurse

Getting surgery can be an anxiety-inducing situation for most patients, but luckily, there are trained and diligent operating room nurses who make the experience a little less uncomfortable.

Operating room nurses function in a variety of capacities before, during, and after a patient has surgery. In addition to acting as support for patients, an operating room nurse can also assist the surgical team during an operation.

The general responsibilities of an operating room nurse can include things like:
- Stocking the operating room with sterile supplies
- Cleaning and disinfecting operating areas
- Applying all sterile techniques throughout the surgical process
- Updating patient files and medical records
Individuals with experience as operating room nurses are likely to have a straightforward time finding an international position that requires their services.

Find Operating Room Nurse jobs near me.
Nurse Midwife

While having a baby is a joyous occasion for families, it’s also quite a scary situation. Mothers need an entire team of support when they’re giving birth that includes their family, doctors, and nurse-midwives. Nurse-midwives are a huge part of a parent’s pregnancy and birthing experience.

In their role, nurse-midwives:
- Act as an advocate for people throughout their pregnancy
- Monitor the health of mother and baby
- Educate their patients on reproduction
- Provide advice about creating a sustainable birth plan
- Help patients cope during complications or miscarriages
- Prepare patients for labor, delivery, and parenthood.
In addition to providing support during the pregnancy, nurse midwives are also involved in delivering babies too. Nurse-midwives can work at hospitals, birthing centers, or patients’ homes to ensure that babies are delivered safely into the world.

After birth, the services of nurse-midwives continue their duties by educating them on how to properly care for and feed their newborns.

With 267 babies born around the world every minute, it’s clear to see why nurse-midwives are highly sought after at medical facilities internationally.

Find Nurse Midwife jobs near me.

Where to Go for International Nursing Jobs

When you’re putting the option of taking an international nursing job on the table, there are several aspects to consider before buying a plane ticket and taking off. One of the first things to think about is what countries are not only the best for finding international nursing positions but are also ideal cultures and places to fit your preferences.

Below you’ll find five of the top locations for finding international nursing jobs and why they’re deemed to be some of the best countries for being an international nurse.

Luxembourg.

Average Nursing Salary: $91,000

Difficulty Rating: Extremely difficult

When pondering what the best countries for a particular vocation are, the first lens to look through is financial. The best place for making a lot of money as an international nurse is Luxembourg, with an average annual nursing salary of $91,000.

In addition to high earning wages for nurses, there are quite a few other reasons why life in Luxembourg is temping. It’s an extremely safe country to raise children with a multicultural population that’s made up of 47% foreigners from 170 different countries.

On the flip side, getting a nursing job in Luxembourg is notoriously difficult. The competitive average salary and beneficial tax haven laws coupled with the fact that it’s such a small country means that most open positions are jumped on fast by other nurses.

While most of the country speaks English fluently, individuals hoping to become an international nurse here must pass a language test in either Luxembourgish, German or French to be considered.
Australia.

Average Nursing Salary: $69,699
Difficulty Rating: Easier than most

Another great potential option for a place to find international nursing jobs is Australia. A world-class travel destination, Australia also provides a lot of job opportunities for international nurses in a country where English is still the core language used.

Being an international nurse in Australia doesn’t come with the language barrier that many other places do. Unlike Luxembourg, nursing candidates do not have to pass a language test to earn a position and receive a working visa here, which makes it a much more accessible alternative for many.

Plus, there are many international agencies in Australia that work with hospitals to recruit international talent, like Healthcare Australia (HCA). There is a fair amount of paperwork lined up with becoming an international nurse in Australia, but it’s manageable, and there are lots of channels available to help with the endeavor.
Canada.

Average Nursing Salary: $75,660
Difficulty Rating: Semi-tough

Canada is a popular option among international nurses for its close distance from the United States, gorgeous natural terrain, and universal healthcare. It’s a promising choice for people who want to get involved in international nursing life but don’t want to go too far from their home in America.

International nursing candidates hoping to find employment in Canada must receive licensing from the Canadian Governing Board for Registered Nurses. This will entail several background checks, interviews, and an exam that costs at least $340.

The entire process can take three to 18 months in its entirety. After proving their nursing knowledge, international nurses must secure a visa to work in Canada, even if they’re from a neighboring country.
The Virgin Islands.

Average Nursing Salary: $72,000
Difficulty Rating: Typical

All nursing applicants in this territory will be overseen by the Virgin Islands Board of Nurse Licensure. The requirements to be considered as a nursing candidate will include an application package with a verification of license form, copies of nursing school transcripts, letters of recommendations, and a $125 fee.

International nurses must also pass the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools exam. The entire application package usually takes around ninety business days to evaluate.

All in all, the requirements for being an international nurse in the Virgin Islands are fairly standard, and applicants who can get through it are headed for a beachy lifestyle where they can still practice their nursing specialty.
Denmark.

Average Nursing Salary: $87,436
Difficulty Rating: Medium

Denmark is another European country that pays its nursing teams very well, which makes it a tempting option for international nurses. With an average annual salary of $87,436, it’s only a few thousand dollars behind the country that pays its nurses the most in the world.

Becoming an international nurse in Denmark as a non-EU citizen will be monitored by the Danish Patient Safety Authority. Please note that nurses over the age of 75 won’t be legally allowed to practice their trade in Denmark.

Firstly, applicants must submit all their educational documents and relevant qualifications. After being approved, international nurses are given up to three years to fulfill the remaining qualifications to practice nursing permanently in the country.

The most prominent remaining qualification will be passing a language exam. Luckily though, Denmark gives its international nurses plenty of time to master the language.

Tips for Becoming and Working as an International Nurse

Consider all the requirements of the employment process thoroughly. Becoming an international nurse is a much more involved process than landing a job in your home country. There are about fifty more hoops to jump through, and for many people, the effort just isn’t worth the upsides.

Before diving head-first into becoming an international nurse in a foreign country, take the time to consider all the requirements of the employment process thoroughly to ensure that you’re making the best choice for yourself.
Take into account potential language barriers. Another thing to consider when you’re about to venture off into a new life as an international nurse is that you could face language barriers depending on your country of choice.

If you’re planning on moving to a country that’s primary language isn’t English, it’s likely that you’ll be required to prove your knowledge in their main language. For many Americans that only speak English fluently, this knocks a lot of places out of the running.

While practicing nursing in Spain might sound dreamy off the bat, it can quickly become unmanageable if you don’t know or are planning on learning Spanish fluently. Don’t forget to account for language barriers when thinking about where you’d like to be an international nurse.
Know your rights as an international nurse. It’s a good idea to be well-versed in your rights as a nurse, but it’s absolutely crucial to know this information when you’re working internationally.

Familiarize yourself with the company you plan to work for, the contract you’ll be signing, and all the new laws that will come into play in this environment. It’s better to be educated beforehand than slip up and make a mistake in a foreign medical system.
Be prepared for an entirely new working and living environment. While it’s a heap of fun to imagine your perfect life in faraway lands with all the new things you’ll get to experience, it’s also important to be realistic about how your life will change as an international nurse.

Living in a foreign country and sustaining yourself as an international nurse will require an entirely new way of life and work environment than you’re used to.

Embracing a new lifestyle and working situation can be an incredible thing, but it’s not the best move for every nurse. Be aware of this challenge, and make sure you’re ready to take it on.
Learn extensively about the country you’ll be moving to and their nursing system. Once you’re committed to building a new life somewhere as an international nurse, focus your attention on learning everything you can about your new home.

Being prepared is the best way to take on a situation that might leave you feeling shaky on your feet, like moving abroad as an international nurse.

Do research on the various neighborhoods, the country’s food specialties, what the weather is like in February, and so on. The more you learn about the country you’ll be moving to as an international nurse, the higher your chances of successful integration.

References

Santa Fe Relocation. “The best countries for a career in Nursing”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Nurse.org. “10 Highest Paying Countries for Nurses in the World”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Nursing Licensure. “Tips for International Nurses”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
WHO. “Preterm birth”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
The World Counts. “How Many Babies Are Born Each Day?”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Austral Migration Consultancy. “Top 8 Reasons People Migrate To Australia”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Expatolife. “10+ Reasons To Pack Your Bags And Move To Denmark”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Career Canada Immigration.“8 Reasons to Immigrate to Canada”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Luxrelo. “Main Reasons to Move to Luxembourg”. Accessed on December 14, 2021
Vittana. “15 Pros and Cons of Living in the Virgin Islands”. Accessed on December 14, 2021

By Field

Never miss an opportunity that’s right for you.

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

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