English: working as a nurse in the Netherlands with a foreign degree.

[Aztec.]

Hello, sorry for my reply being in english and sorry for not creating a separate new topic about my problem but I can't make a new topic at the moment because I am to new on the forum I think. Sorry again!

My situation is like this; I am 22 years old, currently living in Romania, my parents split up when I was 17. My mother, my sister and my step father live in the Netherlands for about 5 years now, I lived with them for about 3 years before returning back to my country because I had some problems to solve here with my real father. The time I stayed there the only thing I did was working to make some money, I was not thinking about going to a university or something like this, but now I am thinking the opposite. I entered the nursing school this year and of course when I will finish it I will go back to the Netherlands. Currently I am in my first year, I have 2 more years to go, so my nursing school lasts for 3 years. I know dutch to B2 level maybe, something like that, I can understand it and write it because I'm currently going to a dutch language school here. So going back to my question, what are my changes of being licensed in the Netherlands as a nurse? My school lasts for 3 years, I will finish it with a level 5 diploma which is an international diploma, and from what I know from the IDW and nuffic sites, the equivalent for my diploma will be MBO level 4 I think? I have some doubts here because it depends on the profession and the years of schooling I think? And if all of that it's good and I will be able to get licensed I want to work in a hospital for some time but after that my whish is to become an ambulance nurse, do you guys know how can I do that after I am gaining some experience? I am already doing volunteering work here, so I guess this could help. I wanted to ask all of this because I wish to work as an ambulance nurse in the future and if I will have any change doing it, because of my studies and volunteering on ambulance services, I am also doing ICU and ER in nursing school on the second year Thank you! Sorry for the long post but I wanted to clarify the details

[apoo]

Nursing qualifications achieved in another European country are likely to be accepted in the Netherlands. For the exact information, you can visit the official website from the Dutch government where you can file a request to officially accept your qualification (here or here). A list of approved diplomas you can find here.

I think that it is a good mindset that you want to gain some experience in Dutch Healthcare. I would recommend working as a nurse in a hospital for a few years. Learn to speak Dutch fluently. After that you will have to do a specialization to ICU or ER nurse (that will take you a year and a half). Then some working experience as an ER of ICU nurse is required. When you've got enough working experience as a nurse and later on as an ICU or ER nurse, you can apply for a job as an ambulance nurse. You will get an additional training of 9 months.

The Netherlands has one of the best ambulance care of Europe. Therefore, the way to become an ambulance nurse is a long way. But you will need the experience. Past experiences have taught us that people who try to become an ambulance nurse very quickly, most likely will fail. Life experience, Healthcare experience are the key to become a good ambulance professional. So, it will take you a few years, but eventually you can get there.