Foreign-Educated Nurses and the Changing U.S. Nursing Workforce

The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a not-for-profit, immigration neutral, internationally recognized authority on education, registration, and licensure of nurses worldwide. CGFNS was established to protect the public trust by ensuring that nurses educated in other countries who wish to practice nursing in the United States are eligible and qualified to meet licensure and other practice requirements. This article provides an overview of CGFNS certificate holders and describes the CGFNS Certification Program, which is comprised of a credentials review, a one-day qualifying exam of nursing knowledge, and an English language proficiency exam. Characteristics of foreign-educated nurses who are CGFNS certificate holders, such as age, country of education, type of education program, and English language proficiency, are also discussed.