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Every year, thousands of foreign-educated, highly skilled physicians come to the United States, only to face countless barriers when attempting to pursue a career in the American healthcare system. This creates a lose-lose situation for qualified professionals and the communities that stand to benefit from their skills and diversity. When looking for avenues that allow them to continue practicing health-related careers, many of these professionals turn to nursing, a booming field. Florida, in particular, ranks fourth in the nation for the highest nursing employment, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while other reports estimate Registered Nurse (RN) vacancies in the state will reach over 50,000 by 2025.
Nurses are a crucial part of promoting and preserving the health of our communities. That’s why West Coast University (WCU) is committed to educating the next generation of nursing professionals to be skilled healthcare providers, regardless of their background.
At WCU, students have the opportunity to learn from experienced industry professionals while getting hands-on training with high fidelity manikins and professional experience, “which allows them to truly grasp what patient care is like from a nurse’s perspective,” said Dr. Claudette Spalding, Miami Campus Dean of Nursing. “This translates into outstanding NCLEX scores. We are extremely proud of our students who had a 98.4% passing rate last year with excellent scores.”
These well-prepared professionals represent the growing diversity of our country and can provide different sets of skills with new perspectives. Additionally, studies reveal they are more likely than their U.S. educated counterparts to serve minorities and underserved communities.
WCU understands the unique contributions, diversity, and passion foreign-educated doctors bring to the field and recognizes the importance of helping them successfully integrate into the competitive U.S. healthcare industry with a comprehensive and well-rounded education.
In addition to dedicated faculty and career services support, WCU customizes education to meet each student’s needs and professional goals. “Many foreign-educated physicians cannot commit to becoming full-time students,” said Dr. Joshua Padron, Executive Director of West Coast University, “which is why we offer flexible weekend and evening schedules to accommodate their busy lives and allow them to continue their education at their own pace.” WCU also has the capacity to prepare students for different career advancement opportunities within the nursing world. “Nurses who become RNs through WCU can continue on their educational journey and pursue their Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) to become Nurse Practitioners,” added Dr. Spalding, “or any other nursing career, all within the WCU system.”
Students at WCU have access to highly skilled and dedicated faculty, as well as real-world experience, relationships with hospitals, and tailored support during their job search. These tools provide this of-ten-overlooked segment of professionals a clear path into the American healthcare system. Equipped with quality nursing education, these foreign-born physicians can continue working in a field that utilizes their existing knowledge and expertise without sacrificing valuable time and resources to do so.
West Coast University is institutionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) – 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, 510-748 9001,www.wascsenior.org.
West Coast University’s Nursing programs are programmatically accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, Suite 750, Washington DC 20001, (202) 887-6791, http://www.aacnnursing.org/CCNE.
WCU cannot guarantee employment.
The opinion is the individual’s sole opinion and not necessarily representative of that of the school, any instructor, or any student.
Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, the University has moved most of the on-ground courses into a distance education modality. However, as soon as the COVID-19 circumstances change, students will be expected to return on campus to complete their program onsite in the regular learning modality as approved by WSCUC and outlined in the university catalog.
