2006 News

New Jersey Board of Nursing Changes Its Requirements For Internationally Educated Nurses

PHILADELPHIA, PA — SEPTEMBER 18, 2006 — Internationally educated nurses who wish to practice in the state of New Jersey should be advised that the New Jersey Board of Nursing has adopted new regulations for international nurses. The new regulations are effective May 1, 2006.

The New Jersey Board of Nursing no longer requires the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) Certification Program Certificate for initial licensure. The New Jersey Board of Nursing now requires the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) Full Education Course-by-Course Report for initial licensure for both registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs). An evaluation of secondary school/high school must be included in the CES Report for both professions. There is no requirement for endorsement licensure unless the New Jersey Board of Nursing specifically requests it.

In addition, the New Jersey Board of Nursing also requires proof that the applicant has achieved a passing score on the English Proficiency examinations required by the Department of Homeland Security for certification of health care workers in section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

For those registered nurses who have already earned a CGFNS Certification Program Certificate, the New Jersey Board of Nursing will accept the Certification Program Certificate for initial licensure. For applicants who began the CGFNS Certification Program process BEFORE May 1, 2006, the Board will allow them to continue with the process since the Certification Program was the requirement at the time that they applied to the New Jersey Board of Nursing for licensure.

If the registered nurses applied to the New Jersey Board of Nursing for licensure after May 1,the New Jersey Board of Nursing will require that they complete the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service and pass the required English language proficiency examinations.

CGFNS International will be handling the change in requirements for the New Jersey Board of Nursing as follows:

Applicants who apply to the New Jersey Board of Nursing for licensure after May 1, 2006, will need to apply for the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service Full Education Course-by-Course Report, plus the CGFNS Language Proficiency Report: English and pay $403 for this service ($328 for the Full Education Course-by-Course Report; $75 for the Language Proficiency Report: English).

CGFNS Certification Program Certificate holders who applied to the New Jersey Board of Nursing for licensure prior to May 1, 2006 will need to request that the verification of their CGFNS Certification Program Certificate be sent to the New Jersey Board of Nursing. The verification of the CGFNS Certificate can be ordered online from CGFNS.

Those CGFNS Certification Program Certificate applicants who applied to the New Jersey Board of Nursing for licensure prior to May 1, 2006 but have not yet received their Certificate will need to request to have the verification of their CGFNS Certification Program Certificate sent to the New Jersey Board of Nursing following their credentials review, passage of the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, and passage of the approved English language proficiency exams for the CGFNS Certification Program.