
Only four of the 21 nurses who were hired from Fiji in 2022 have passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for registered nurses. At least four have returned home.
Director of Nursing at LBJ Hospital Simamao Tuatoo, said the four who have passed NCLEX are bonded to work for LBJ for four years.
To take the NCLEX, the Fijian nurses have to apply through the New York Board of Nursing. If they are approved, they can take the exam locally.
Tuatoo explained that four others have been approved by the New York Board to take the exam.
She said that the Fijian nurses are pretty much on their own for their own applications and must cover the costs associated with the test.
Those who have not passed the exam are currently working as Certified Nursing Assistants.
Tuatoo pointed out that the Fijian nurses are helping to fill the gap left by a shortage of local nurses. She added that LBJ is no longer hiring nurses directly from the Philippines, as the country has stopped the recruitment program, and there have been no new hires from Thailand.