I Waited 13 Years to Become a Nurse in the U.S. — The Truth No One Talks About
The Dream That Started It All
My journey began in the Philippines.
After graduating and passing the Philippine Licensure Exam, I felt hopeful. I was lucky enough to land a job in my hometown—it was the very first job I applied for.
At that time, I thought I had already made it.
But reality quickly set in.
The salary wasn’t enough to support a better life, not just for me, but for the future I dreamed of building. Like many Filipino nurses, I started looking beyond my home country.
That’s when the idea of going to the United States began.
The process seemed simple—at least on paper:
Pass the NCLEX
Find a recruitment agency
Pass the English exam
Get an employer
Move to the U.S.
It sounded straightforward.
It wasn’t.
When the Reality Hits
The first step—applying for the NCLEX—was already overwhelming.
At the time, I didn’t know that choosing a state mattered so much. We chose California, not realizing it would come with endless requirements and delays.
Paperwork after paperwork.
Documents that needed verification.
Requirements that felt like they never ended.
What I thought would take months turned into years.
Every step forward felt like two steps back.
The Waiting Game No One Prepares You For
Then came one of the hardest parts of the journey—waiting.
Visa retrogression.
A word I didn’t fully understand at first, but one that would define years of my life.
Everything stopped.
Even after doing everything right—passing exams, completing requirements—you still have to wait. And wait. And wait.
During that time, I tried to find other paths.
I looked into opportunities in countries like New Zealand and Australia. I hoped maybe there was another way forward.
But those paths didn’t work out either.
More time passed.
More disappointments came.
And slowly, doubt started to grow.
💬 I share real-life updates and behind-the-scenes here:
I thought becoming a nurse in the United States would take one to two years.
It took me thirteen.
The Moments I Almost Gave Up
There were nights I questioned everything.
Was this dream still worth it?
Was I just wasting time?
Should I just settle for what I already had?
Life doesn’t pause while you wait for your dreams.
There are bills to pay. Responsibilities to carry. And for me, being a mom added another layer to everything I was going through.
Balancing responsibilities while holding onto a dream that felt so far away—it was exhausting.
There were moments I was ready to let go.
But something inside me kept saying, “Not yet.”
The Breakthrough
After years of delays, setbacks, and uncertainty… the opportunity finally came.
The moment I had been waiting for.
The moment that once felt impossible.
I was finally on my way to the United States.
Looking back, it didn’t feel real at first. After 13 years of waiting, hoping, and pushing forward, I had finally made it.
✨ If you're trying to become a nurse in the U.S., I’m creating a simple step-by-step guide based on everything I went through.
👉 Read it here
The Truth No One Tells You
People often see the result.
They see the success.
They see the moment you finally arrive.
But they don’t see the years behind it.
They don’t see the waiting.
The rejections.
The sacrifices.
The almost giving up.
No one tells you how long, painful, and uncertain this journey can be.
But if you are in the middle of your journey right now, I want you to hear this:
You are not behind. You are not failing. You are just in your process.
If You’re Still Waiting…
I know how heavy it feels.
I know how discouraging it can be.
Because I’ve been there.
I almost gave up more times than I can count.
But I’m here now.
And your time will come too.
💬 What part of your journey has been hardest?
Let’s Stay Connected
If you’re a nurse chasing the same dream, or someone going through a long and uncertain journey—you’re not alone.
I’ll be sharing more about:
My step-by-step journey
What I wish I knew earlier
Tips for NCLEX, applications, and moving abroad
Life as an immigrant nurse and mom
Related Post will be soon be up!
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