Korean Job Discussion Forums

[blujeanguy]

Hi I would like to know if there's a book out there that teaches nurses practical English in their labor settings (in USA)? Or any that would help them with their medical jargon?

[dulouz]

Yea, ask me. I'm an expert. I'm a Registered Health Information Administrator with the American Health Information Managment Association www.ahima.org. We run medical record departments for hospitals and we are the keepers of the medical language lexicon for our charges and the industry.

Your LPN's shouldn't have problems with the language if the they are LPNs in the states. Licensing is supposed to take care of that or else they can't be LPN's. Are you talking about making Korean LPN's into American accepted LPN's?

Do you want to translate Korean jargon into English jargon?

[blujeanguy]

Well it's for my gf. She's a RN in Korea and is currently studying to pass her RN state exam for NY state. She's worried about her English when she gets to the hospital. She uses the website for medical terminology translation for English to Korean: http://kamje.or.kr/term/. I just want to help her out with the English she will use in an American hospital.

[dulouz]

There is an exam called the NCLEX that you take to become an RN. there is also a test called

Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, also known as CGFNS

that foreign nurses take to work in the US.

I want you to say she is working on these then I know we are talking about the same thing.

A practice site is here for CGFNS is here
http://www.testprepreview.com/cgfns_practice.htm
and there are more and books as well.

Am I close?

[Ya-ta Boy]

Try a search at Alta Books for English for special purposes. They might have something. (Alta specializes in ESL materials.)

[dulouz]

Try a LPN test prep book and visit the local community college book store to see whats for sale there provided the teach LPNing. The practise tests will tell her how far she is behind if she is behind at all. After the evaluation, you can decide on how much she needs to review. NCLEX and CGFNS are for RNs but your mate wants LPN now, not RN hence the LPN reviews. You can find those on Alta, Amazon etc and again at the local community college bookstore or state nursing association.

[blujeanguy]

She is currently doing both: NCLEX and CGFNS. She's cramming for the exam.

Side question: She's wondering if she needs a recruiter to find her a job in USA. She wants to land a job before she gets there but I think that the recruiter is just going to rip her off. Where can she apply for a job?

[dulouz]

I haven't worked in the field for awhile but generally nurses, esp RNs are the class of people that have their feet kissed. Go slowly and evaluate the offers. I'm also not certain about how foreign nurses are let into the states. When I left, a limited number of positions were available in the worst parts of the worst US cities but that should have changed. I think she'll have to get a green card and then working is much easier. There is also a gap of a few months between test and test score so you'll have a few months of stress with that. You can find out as much as I know now nurse-immigration by google-ing.

There are a number of internatioanl nurse recruiters online. Talk to six of them or so to be safe.

[Manner of Speaking]

Duloz,

For some strange reason AHIMA keeps sending me email about their seminars and courses -- which I can't figure out why, because I've never contacted them! What are the job prospects like in Canada or the US for Registered Health Information Administrators these days? ** curious **

[dulouz]

Job prospects? I've got my foot in the door with US Gov't hospitals so I can quickly get my old dull, insipid, tedious life back.fairly quickly.

To answer your question, its pretty good or else I don't really know. I don't hear boom words but I don't hear whines either. Go to monster.com and type in "RHIA" and see what you get.

The field's been good to me since after 5 years, I got pushed out at 75% of what I make here teaching and I get that for a long long time. I get both pays now so I'm doing OK. That lifestyle is dull and its really stressful. The docs are jerks, the nurses seem to go through menopause forever and my co workers are fugly. I don't mind being an entrepeneur but having another job in a regular hospital is beyond my capability or desire.

[Manner of Speaking]

Duloz,

Interesting...thanks for the info! I've always been interested in International Health and health care issues/administration, but my background is not in medicine or health. Becoming a RHIA was about the only way I could figure on getting my foot in the door. It's not something I'd want to do forever, but maybe as a stepping stone to getting a Masters in Health Care Administration.

You said you are getting both salaries...you mean you are still working as a RHIA now, while you are an ESL teacher?

[dulouz]

Its not simple to get the credential. You have to get the 4 year degree but there are post bac programs available that shorten the time to 2 years or even 18 months.

The environment is highly stressful, it really is. Healthcare reimbusement is a marginal business, docs dont cooperate and you have to push alot of very unpopular rules and laws. The pay is realtively low but if you hustle and you are very fluent with the trade you can do well. Pursue it if you wish and good luck.

The place I worked at had a "blow up" and a bunch of us were pushed out. I got sent away with a stress retirement, everyone else got fired. It was a pretty poisonous event. Its an example of the working environment.

[ajuma]

[blujeanguy]

Very true ajuma. She's aware of that and is considering a nursing home. I found a book for her called "Nursing in a New Language". Going to give it a try and help her with that.

[blujeanguy]

Very true ajuma. She's aware of that and is considering a nursing home. I found a book for her called "Nursing in a New Language". Going to give it a try and help her with that.