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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