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WHAT CONSTITUTES RN EMPLOYMENT MEDICAL EXAMINATION?RN employment medical examination is a prerequisite for starting your assignment. Having successfully secured a job offer, you will then go ahead to do the required RN employment medical exam. The components of your employment medical exam will depend on requirements from your assigned hospital. A typical medical exam starts with medical history and physical examination with a complete physician’s statement. The physician must be a registered medical doctor and he/she is required to provide details of his/her qualifications, including license number. A tuberculin skin test (Mantoux test preferred) is usually required by many facilities. This should be done 2-3 months within your date of starting your assignment in USA. If this test is positive ( i.e more than or = 10mm), you will need to do a chest x-ray and complete a TB Questionnaire. No need for second Mantoux test. If the test is however negative (i.e less than or = 10mm), a second test will be necessary in 1-3 weeks. Because TB is common in developing countries, RNs from this part of the world are usually immunized at childhood with the BCG vaccine. This will make the Mantoux test positive. A chest x-ray is therefore needed to rule out TB from a positive test. To this end, most RN agencies have made chest x-ray with a radiologist's report a standard requirement for their RNs. A copy of the radiologist’s report on chest x-ray done during your visa medical exam will still be good if done within 3months to your start date. The next requirement is immunization against all major diseases, and you will need to provide documentary evidence.In addition, you will need titer tests as proof of your immunity to rubella, measles, mumps, hepatitis B and chicken pox (varicella). If your blood shows negative results, you will need booster shot(s) (check with your physician) and repeat the titer tests. Another required test is hepatitis C antibody test to detect any previous exposure to hepatitis C. There is no vaccination for hepatitis C. Some hospitals also require urinalysis tests and CBC for your hemoglobin level. Contact your nurse recruiting agency or employer before doing your pre RN employment medical examination. They have detailed information and guidelines for the various tests specific to your assigned hospital’s requirements. You are required to travel to USA with your chest x-ray with radiologist’s report, all lab results and your vaccination records. It is advisable to do all the tests before arriving in USA because doing any of the required RN employment medicals in USA will be very expensive. Most of these tests are contra-indicated in pregnancy and breast feeding. But these tests cannot be waived. Thus, if you think you will be pregnant after NCLEX-RN exam, check with your agency and physician if it is OK to do the needed tests before getting pregnant and breast feeding. Otherwise your travel date will have to be delayed. The only medical test that is reserved till your arrival in USA is the drug screen test.
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