Nursing in Israel

Professional Certification in Israel | Educational Requirements of Misrad HaBriut | Accredited Core Curriculum for Nursing | Documents to Submit to Misrad HaBriut | Prerequisites for Taking the Exam| Sample Exam | Finding Work | Salaries and Working Conditions | Interview with a Nurse

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Professional Certification in Israel
In order to be recognized as a nurse in Israel, one must hold a license issued by the Nursing Division (Agaf HaSiud) of the Ministry of Health (Misrad HaBriut). Licenses are granted upon:

• Meeting the educational requirements of Misrad HaBriut (theoretical and clinical).
• Completing the Misrad Habriut prerequisites for taking the licensure examination.
• Passing the licensure examination.

Educational Requirements of Misrad HaBriut
Foreign nursing programs that include 80% of the theoretical and clinical studies in the Israeli core curriculum are deemed sufficient for recognition by Misrad Habriut (see below). If your course of study abroad did not include 80% of the coursework required by Misrad Habriut you will be required to take additional coursework in Israel. If you have questions regarding whether or not your coursework meets the requirements, please contact Pazit Azuri by phone at (02) 6705705 or (02) 6705097. It is recommended that you contact Pazit prior to your Aliyah in order to ascertain what requirements you will need to fulfill.

In addition to meeting the educational requirements of Misrad Habriut, all candidates for nursing recognition must take a 7 credit (98 hour) preparatory internship as part of the licensing process. The internship focuses on aspects of nursing that are specific to the Israeli health care delivery.

The Accredited Core Curriculum for Registered Nursing: 2006
The core curriculum encompasses the mandatory course of study for registered nursing in Israel. It reflects the professional values and concepts central to nursing and the current developmental trends. It sets the minimum standard prerequisite for Ministry of Health registration.
The core curriculum is composed of 156 academic credits (3,136 hours), according to the following formula:

14 hours of theoretical study = 1 academic credit
48 hours of clinical practice= 1 academic credit

The core contains 4 domains of study. These requirements are copied from the Ministry of Health Nursing Division's requirements (updated 2006):

• Social, Behavioral and Life sciences: 48 academic credits (672 hours)
• Nursing sciences: 25 academic credits (350 hours)
• Clinical studies:
• theoretical units of study: 55 academic credits (770 hours)
• clinical experience: 19 academic credits (912 hours)
• Advanced practicum: 9 academic credits (432 hours)

I. Basic Social, Behavioral and Life Sciences:

II. Nursing Sciences:

III. Clinical Studies:

Documents to Submit to Misrad Habriut
Misrad Habriut offers the nursing exam in Hebrew and other foreign languages, including English, French, Russian, Spanish and Arabic. If you take the test in a foreign language, you will be required to pass a Hebrew proficiency exam BEFORE taking the nursing test. The Hebrew exam is at the level of Ulpan daled (approximately) and the test includes technical medical terms, such as "patient", "discharge", etc.   For information about the Hebrew exam, contact Lilach at Misrad Hachinuch (Ministry of Education) at 02 560 1407 or contact the National Institute for Testing and Evaluation (Merkaz Artzi l'Bkhinot u'Leha'arakha) at 02 675 9555 or see www.nite.org.il.
In order to register for the exam, photocopies of the following documents should be sent to the Nursing Division, Ministry of Health, 2 Ben Tabai Street, Jerusalem:  

• Diploma in its original language.
• An official transcript, listing course topics, grades, and hours of study in both academic and practical work.
• Official confirmation of employment following nursing school, including starting and ending dates, and a description of your exact position. 
• Teudat Oleh.
• Teudat Zehut.
• An official document stating a change of name (if necessary).
• A valid nursing license.
• A notarized translation of all of the documents into either English or Hebrew, if they are in any other language.
• Please include your telephone number with your application.

The Nursing Division will inform you of your eligibility to take the exam. The Hebrew version of the exam is given twice per year, usually in April and October. The English version is usually offered once a year, in the fall. For more information, please contact Pazit Azuri by phone at (02) 6705705 or (02) 6705097.

Prerequisites for Taking the Licensure Examination

Part A: Introduction to the Israeli Health System

Before being eligible to take the licensing exam, nurses are required to study the following:

• Israeli laws and regulations
• The Israeli health system
• States of emergency and trauma

Study is done on an individual basis through the mentorship of a hospital. You can either study on your own, with a booklet provided by Misrad Habriut; or you can have up to five meetings with your mentor. Study must be done under supervision of one of the following hospitals: Wolfson (in Cholon), Hadassah (in Jerusalem) and Assaf Harofeh (in Ramleh). Upon completion of this study period, you will be tested on the material by your mentor (either orally or in writing, as discussed with your mentor). This study program incurs a fee.

Part B: Professional Training

In addition to the study program, each nurse is required to participate in two professional courses:

• CPR
• Measurement conversion

Information about these courses is available through the hospital where you are being mentored.

Sample Exam
For details of the exam, see Misrad Habriut's (Hebrew only) home page for nurses at: http://www.health.gov.il/pages/default.asp?maincat=12&catId=174&PageId=1491 and their sample exam at: http://www.health.gov.il/pages/default.asp?pageid=3845&parentid=3831&catid=172&maincat=12

To study for the nursing boards, it is recommended that you use the Brunner Med Surg Nursing text, which is the "gold standard" in Israel.  (Amazon sells them used online.)
 
Knowledge of Hebrew
A good working knowledge of Hebrew is essential, not just to practice nursing, but also in order to pass the licensing exam and become recognized as a registered nurse. It is strongly advised to study Hebrew before you arrive and then to take Ulpan upon arrival. For a full listing of Ulpan options, see the Ulpan Guide.

In addition to regular ulpan, Misrad HaKlita offers an ulpan for medical professionals - shlav bet. The class opens provided there are enough people who are interested. Be in touch with your local branch of Misrad HaKlita to find out when the next class will begin. For more information, see Medical Ulpan.

Finding Work
Registered nurses are in demand in Israel. Once you successfully pass the exam and receive a license from the Ministry of Health, there are a number of ways to go about finding a job.

One way to find a job is to directly contact the principle nursing service of major hospitals or health institutions. A list of various institutions that employ nurses can be obtained from the Nursing Division of the Ministry of Health.

In addition to hospitals, nurses work in the health funds (Kupot Cholim). There are four major health funds: Clalit, Leumit, Maccabi and Meuchedet. Among the services provided by the Kupot are primary and family health care, laboratory services and hospitalization.
Nurses also work in mental health services and Mother & Child clinics (Tipat Halav).

Besides working for hospitals or the Kupot, another potential place of employment is TEREM.  Terem has a network of urgent and immediate care clinics, in and around the Jerusalem area (including branches in Bet Shemesh, Modi'in and Ma'ale Adumim).  In many ways, it functions as an ER, but separate from a hospital setting.  You do not necessarily need to have a background in ER work (although this is desirable). For details, contact Daniel Lipczer (Personnel Manager) on 02-652-1748 or dl@terem.com.

You can also consult with the National Association of Nurses (HaHistadrut HaAhim ve Ha'Ahayot) to find out about the availability of jobs.

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NURSES IN ISRAEL
(Histadrut HaAhim Ve'HaAhayot)
93 Rehov Arlozorov
61002 Tel Aviv
POB 303

Salaries and Working Conditions
Nurses' salaries are based on a standard scale and vary according to qualifications, responsibilities, grade, seniority and shift work. Your previous work experience is also taken into account when determining your grade and salary. Fringe benefits vary, but may include transportation expenses, clothing allowances, and childcare allowances. For details about working conditions and salary scales, contact the National Association of Nurses in Israel.

Training Course for Olim with an Academic Degree

The Ministry of Health occasionally opens training courses at the Pat Mathews School of Nursing in the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. The course is 30 months long. This is an opportunity to retrain and obtain a nursing degree.

Requirements:
• An academic degree that is recognized in Israel.
• You must be in good health and able to work in the nursing field (according to the Takanot Bri'ut Ha'am).
• Good command of Hebrew and English required.
• You must have made Aliyah after September 1, 1997.

For further details and registration, speak to Nava Shai, secretary of the Nursing School at the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center. Phone: 04-6304367/8. Fax: 04-6304730. Open 8:00 am until 14:00 pm.

• • Candidates will be invited to participate in a screening exam.
• Candidates who pass the screening exam will be invited to continue the registration process.
• If you are accepted into the program, you will be asked to participate in the cost of the program, as determined by Misrad Haklita.
• Course participants who are eligible for financial aid can receive this assistance, as determined by Misrad Haklita.
• The course opens provided a minimum of 35 students are registered.

Interview with Tzippy Shore, Nurse and Administrator

Q: What opportunities exist for Olim interested in practicing nursing in Israel?
A:There are many options for Nurses; for a young nurse a position in a hospital is, in my opinion, the best job. Though you do need to do nights/Shabbat shifts, those shifts pay the best. At night you do not need to pay a babysitter. One can work only weekends and get a full time salary.
Other options for nurses: Tipat Chalav, baby well care centers. In Israel, you do not take your baby (up to the age of 3) to the doctor for immunizations; you take your baby to Tipat Chalav centers where the nurses check your baby’s growth, give immunizations and hearing/vision tests.
Kupat Cholim clinics hire nurses to work in a health fund center; they can work as nurses who draw blood for tests or in emergency, or who assist the doctors in different departments.
Teaching is another option, there are several nursing schools in Israel but you need a Masters Degree.
For those who need to tailor their work to family time, a school nurse might be a good job. A school nurse gives immunizations and has that fun job of checking for lice. All of the shots (for school age children) are done in school by the school system. A school nurse is hired by the municipality and works for the local government.

Q: What job did you take upon your Aliyah to Israel?
A: When I first came to Israel, I worked in a hospital setting. I chose to work in Dialysis because as a mother with a family I didn’t want to work at night or on Shabbat.

Q: What is the job market like in Israel?
A: It is not as easy as it used to be, but there is always a need for nurses. If you are coming from abroad, there is material that you have to relearn, for example medications. We use different medications and sometimes they have different names, so it can be a challenge.
When experienced people come, it is important for them to know that although they can find work there will be a relearning process which is sometimes difficult for the ego.

Q: Where should someone study nursing if they want to live in Israel?
A: If you are getting your degree abroad, an academic degree (Bachelor's degree) is essential, and an MA is better than a BA. An MA opens up the possibility of entering the field of administration, an opportunity which can lead to working in homes (nursing, disabled children who live in dormitories, cancer hospices, etc.). If you are a nurse with a doctorate you'll have even more opportunities available.
I believe that the best thing for someone studying is to learn here. If you go to Nursing School in Israel, you work in the hospital and you have your connections already while studying.

Q: How long does it take to study here?
A: Nursing school is a four year BA program. If you want to specialize in midwifery - realize that most babies are born by midwives in Israel - you practice as a nurse for one year and then take a nine month course followed by an internship.

Q: What documents do you need in order to practice as a nurse?
A: You need to redo the nursing exam in order to be a recognized professional (another reason to study here, no matter how much experience you have). Also bring all of your diplomas, your syllabus, transcripts (original copies).

Q: What recommendations can you offer the Olim looking for work in this field?
A: Academic degrees are highly desirable and I recommend it. There is always a need for nurses; it is a good profession and there are always opportunities. There are so many variations and opportunities in nursing (full time, part time, school nurse, teaching, administration, tipat chalav) and it is a great helping profession that is highly skilled.

Special thanks to Tehilla for allowing us to reprint this interview.

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