English Proficiency Test for Native Spanish-Speaking Health Care Professionals

If you are a native Spanish speaker, you will be required to pass an English language proficiency test as part of your application to practice nursing in the US.

When you apply for a nursing job in Texas, or in any state in the US, you have to submit proof that you passed the English Proficiency exam. It is specifically required for nurses whose nursing program was not conducted in English.

Here are English language tests accepted by the Nursing Boards in the US:

TOEFL

You can take the paper-based or internet based Test of English as a Foreign Language test.

You need to obtain at least 560 for paper based TOEFL or at least 220 if computer- based. But if you take the internet based test, the minimum passing score is 83.

IELTS

If you choose the International English Language Testing System, you need to obtain an overall score of at least 6.5. You also have to score a minimum of 6.0 in each of the four modules..

Which English proficiency test should I choose?

If you like multiple choice questions choose TOEFL, but remember that it takes 4 hours to complete the test. If you are comfortable with short essays, gap-filling and short-answer questions, then take IELTS which only takes around 2 hours and 40 minutes to finish.

There are two types of IELTS-the academic, which is designed for students wishing to pursue tertiary education in the US and General Training exam to meet the occupational requirements in your state of choice.

Non-English speaking healthcare professionals are required to be fluent in English for the safety of their patients. You have to communicate technical information to doctors and other members of the health team, and also to their families every day. Having an elementary understanding of the language may cause chaos and serious problems. So, learn the language to enjoy great opportunities that await health care professionals like you across the country.