Nat. Council of State Boards Nursing
International Administration Of The NCLEX(R) Considered At NCSBN Delegate Assembly
CHICAGO, IL (ots)
The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) (www.ncsbn.org) recently approved a recommendation from its Examination Committee to proceed with negotiations for a contract amendment with its test service vendor (Pearson, plc.) for purposes of international administration of the NCLEX(R) examinations. At its 2002 Delegate Assembly (held in Long Beach, CA) NCSBN delegates directed the Board of Directors to use the criteria developed by the NCSBN Examination Committee to support these negotiations and to meet the following conditions before the recommendation may go into effect:
- Delineation of acceptable criteria for the selection of countries for test sites (including investigation into countries belonging to NAFTA) and a comprehensive needs assessment to determine the necessity for international testing.
- Disclosure of security measures to be utilized in international countries chosen for test centers.
- Complete fiscal analysis.
- Report to Delegate Assembly regarding these above criteria no later than August 2003 meeting.
- International administration NCLEX examinations will not occur before August 1, 2004.
The Examination Committee's rationale for implementing international administration of the NCLEX includes removing potential barriers to nurse licensure in the United States and its territories, facilitating the global self-determination of nurse employment, establishing an international presence to lead in nursing regulation and forming relationships with foreign nurse regulatory bodies. The Examination Committee noted that international testing sites must meet all current NCLEX administration policies and procedures, including security, which is of paramount concern. NCLEX(r) examinations may be administered internationally in VUE Authorized/Pearson Professional Test Centers, after approval from the Examination Committee and after meeting the NCLEX contract specifications. Currently the Committee is considering international test center locations in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
International administration of the NCLEX will not contradict or circumvent any current state or territorial licensure processes or requirements, and is intended for use by state and territorial boards of nursing for use in domestic licensure decisions regarding foreign-educated nurses. Candidate examination fees for international test-takers will be set to reflect the costs of examination administration in the specific international jurisdiction. NCLEX candidate fees for examinations administered in current states and territories will not be increased to subsidize any additional costs of international NCLEX administration.
In addition to the international testing recommendations, the Delegate Assembly directed NCSBN to begin discussions with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, Social Security Administration, and other relevant federal agencies to facilitate obtaining Social Security Numbers for nursing applicants who meet all qualifications for domestic licensure. Foreign-educated nurses seeking employment in the United States sometimes find it difficult to obtain social security numbers for those jurisdictions who require it for nurse licensure.
NCSBN is the organization through which the boards of nursing act and counsel together on matters of common interest and concern affecting public health, safety and welfare, which includes the development of licensure examinations for nursing.
The mission of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing is to lead in nursing regulation by assisting Member Boards, collectively and individually, to promote safe and effective nursing practice in the interest of protecting public health and welfare.
Contact:
Kristin Hellquist
Associate Director/Policy and External Relations
Phone: +1/312/787-6555 x165
mailto:khellquist@ncsbn.org
Internet: http://www.ncsbn.org