A Comprehensive Guide on How to Become a Foreign Nurse in Israel

Summary:

There is a wide variety of nursing job opportunities for foreign nurses in Israel. Aside from the attractive salary and benefits, the increasing demand for nurses in the country could convince you to work in the country. Their hospitals and facilities in Israel are also very advanced and modern, making the country known for their high quality healthcare system. There are several other factors that contribute to making Israel a great place for you to work.

About the Country

Israel experiences pleasant weather nearly all year, unlike many other countries. However, based on preference, some individuals regard May and October as the greatest months to visit the country due to the fewer people, making the sites less crowded. In addition to that, many individuals prefer the summer weather as compared to the winter season of the country. September is also pleasant, even if it is affected by the Jewish holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana. During these holidays, the country remains shut down for a few days.

Israel is known for having one of the most high quality and advanced healthcare systems in the world. The healthcare facilities of the country are provided with modern technology, and the healthcare workers are highly trained and efficient. Some of the factors that show the efficiency of the healthcare system in Israel are the strict regulatory limitations on the supply of hospital beds, accessible and professional primary care, as well as the highly developed electronic health record systems.

Israel does not have an official religion. Traditional Judaism, which consists of 55% of the individuals, is followed by Liberal or Conservative Judaism, which consists of 17%. In addition, Orhodox Judaism in Israel and Haredim (ultra-orthodox) both consist of 17% of the individuals each as well. 20% of the Israeli Jews, on the other hand, identify themselves as non-religious. Sephardim, from the Mediterranean, and Ashkenazi, from Central and Eastern Europe Jews have various religious organizations. Majority of the Arabs are Sunni Muslims, with only 2% being Christians and 1.5%  having Druze religion. The West Bank is also the cradle of Christianity, with institutions and communities for all traditional Christian groups. The Baha’i Faith’s administrative center has been established in Haifa.

Filipinos in the Country

In Israel, Filipinos make up one of the largest groups of foreign laborers, with an estimated population of 300,000 Overseas Filipino Workers. Among these, 30,000 to 50,000 of whom are Filipinos.

Type of Nurses

There are three main types of nurses in Israel, which include Registered Nurses (RN), Midwives, and Assistant Nurses.

Registered Nurses (RN)

Registered Nurses have a wide-range of responsibilities, which include assessing the needs of a patient, and implementing and observing the medical treatment of a patient. They are also responsible for making sure that patient care is properly conducted based on the standards of their employer. 

Phlebotomists

In Israel, nurses, whose degrees are recognized by the Misrad Habriut, could choose to work as a phlebotomist, provided that they undergo a two-day course, and successfully complete the certification exam. These courses can be taken in Jerusalem and Petach Tikva. 

Lactation Consultants

In order to become a lactation consultant, nurses in Israel may take courses provided by the Misrad Habriut. The course, which is 336 hours long or roughly 7 months, is offered once a year in January. It can be taken in Haifa, Tel Hashomer and Kaplan nursing schools. It is important to take note that in order to apply for the course, you must have a valid nursing license and a Bachelor’s degree. 

In cases that you may already have obtained your certification as a lactation consultant in your country of origin, you must apply to the nursing division for your license to be converted. 

Midwives

Midwives are hired by the cheddar leida, or the birthing ward of hospitals, in Israel. They could choose to work in either a post-natal ward or in a clinic. If they do work in these areas, their job responsibilities are highly similar to a RN.

Salary

The salary of nurses in Israel is highly dependent on the amount of experience and job position that you hold. Nurses in Israel earn an average salary of ₪ 6,466 (₱111,254.6) monthly. Entry-level nurses in the country earn ₪4,584 (₱78,872.74) monthly, whereas nurses with more experience and higher job positions earn as much as ₪9,464 (₱162,838.47) monthly.

Demand for Nurses

There is an increasing demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals in Israel. In fact,  according to the “Times of Israel”, due to the shortage of healthcare professionals in Israel, the Israeli government has approved the formation of a committee in order to ease the immigration procedures for healthcare professionals entering the country. Proposed reforms were made to make the transfer of medical licenses across nations more easier. This could also provide employment security for doctors who come to the country.

Hospitals

 The Israeli medical system is largely regarded as a regional leader, and a global winner for offering high quality technology, compassionate treatment. Respected groups like the AARP also promote Israel as an excellent destination for medical visitors. In fact, the top Israeli hospitals have multiple departments and sub-departments, as well as cutting-edge clinics and research facilities. This allows for integrative treatment to be offered in a single place, providing the patient with maximum convenience. 

The hospitals and medical centers in the country include Maale HaCarmel Mental Health Center, Ziv Medical Center, National Institute for Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured, Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), Western Galilee Hospital, Herzog Hospital, and Rambam Medical Center. 

In order to be able to work as a nurse in the Israel, you must fulfill the following qualifications:

Educational Requirement

You must be a holder of a bachelor’s degree in nursing in your country of origin. You must have completed your studies in nursing within the last 10 years. You must also have a Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) license, which must be recognized by the Israel government.

Experience

You must have a minimum of 18 months or 3 years of clinical experience as a nurse in your country of origin.

Licensure

Despite having an active nursing license issued in your country of origin, you must acquire a license issued by the Nursing Division (Agaf HaSiud) of the Ministry of Health (Misrad HaBriut) in order to be recognized as a nurse in Israel. Prior to taking the licensure exam in the country, you must meet the educational requirements of Misrad HaBriut in both theoretical and clinical aspects.

Examinations

Prior to being permitted to take the Israeli nurse licensing examination in any foreign languages (such as English, Arabic, Russian, French, or Spanish), you must first be able to prove your proficiency in the Hebrew language. 

Hebrew Proficiency Examination

You must be able to demonstrate the basic knowledge of the Hebrew language. With this, you must obtain a score of 65 in the Ministry of Education’s Hebrew Proficiency Examination. 

Aside from this proficiency exam, you could opt to take a subject of Hebrew in the Israeli matriculation certification exam, where you must acquire a minimum score of 60. You may also choose to participate in the Ministry of Education’s preliminary Hebrew Ulpan or an Ulpan, where you must acquire a minimum level of C and you must pass the test with a minimum score of 70. Lastly, you may choose to take the “Yael” exam administered by the “National Center for Exams and Evaluation”, where you must obtain a minimum score of 65. 

Ministry of Health (MOH) Licensure Examination

In order to be able to work in Israel as a nurse, you must successfully pass the Ministry of Health (MOH) Licensure Examination. To become a registered nurse in the country, you must obtain a minimum score of 60 in the licensure exam. You will be able to view your score after it has been processed and statistically analyzed, which would be within 30 days after the exam.

Registration

As a graduate from a foreign nursing study program, you will only be qualified to apply for nursing jobs in Israel once your professional status has been recognized. With this, you will be required to submit documents to the Nursing Division. The submission of documents is divided into two main stages, which entail scanning to the online portal, and sending these physical documents by registered mail. This new method began in 2020, and it applies to new applications, and applications subject to update or addition of information.  

First Stage

The papers and information required must be completed and scanned before they can be sent to the medical practitioners’ portal , “Filing a request for completing the online questionnaire for healthcare professions.”.

You must first go to the Demographics Questionnaire link, wherein you must fill out the relevant information to acquire your username and password, which you will need to finish the questionnaire. Your current (personal) e-mail address and cell phone number must also be entered. In addition, ensure that your personal information is precisely as it appears on your identification.

Upon accomplishing the demographic questionnaire, an email with your username, a link to the portal, and a first-time log-in password will be sent to you. You must then reboot the password by clicking on the link in the e-mail message. The password was reset after restarting, which is required in order to successfully complete the questionnaire. Once the approval from the Nursing Division has been received, you may send via registered mail the physical documents.

Second Stage

Through registered mail, you must send the required documents to the Accreditation Department in the Nursing Division. Keep in mind that you will be unable to initiate a case, complete the documents, update your information, or apply for professional certification in nursing if any of the following conditions exist:

• All or part of the papers were scanned at a poor resolution.
• All of the documents were digitized, but actual copies were not provided to the Nursing Division through registered mail.
• Documents were distributed via registered mail without being scanned first and without prior consent from the Nursing Division.

Once all documents have been digitized, and sent in whole and in physical copies (a certified copy with certificate, notarized translation, and red tape), the nursing division will commence a case and conduct a preliminary evaluation. 

Study well for the examinations in order to secure high scores, and submit all the necessary documents to prevent any delays in the application process. Once you have successfully completed the steps above, you are one step closer to becoming a nurse in Israel!

References

• B, R., R, W., & S, M. (2015). Israel: Health System Review. Health Systems In Transition, 17(6). Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27050102/
• Culture – Israel. (2019). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.originaltravel.co.uk/travel-guide/israel/culture#:~:text=Perhaps%20surprisingly%20there%20is%20no,Jews%20declare%20themselves%20non%2Dreligious.
• Hospitals and Medical Centers in Israel. (2022). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.science.co.il/medical/Medical-centers.php
• How much does a Nurse make in Israel? (2022). Retrieved 10 May 2022, from https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/israel-nurse-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN119_KO7,12.htm
• Israel seeks to ease immigration for doctors, nurses due to manpower shortage. (2021). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-seeks-to-ease-immigration-for-doctors-nurses-due-to-manpower-shortage/
• Filipinos in Israel – Wikipedia. (2022). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipinos_in_Israel
• Foreign Nursing Study Program Graduates: The Professional Status Recognition Procedure. (2022). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.health.gov.il/English/Services/MedicalAndHealthProfessions/nursing/study/Pages/recognition_abroad.aspx
• Midwifery. (2021). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/employment/professions-index/licensed-medical-professions/midwifery/
• Nursing. (2021). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.nbn.org.il/life-in-israel/employment/professions-index/licensed-medical-professions/nursing/
• Nursing Licensure. (2022). Retrieved 13 May 2022, from https://www.health.gov.il/English/Services/M
• Score Notification for the Written Government Exam. Retrieved 13 May 2022, from https://www.health.gov.il/English/Services/MedicalAndHealthProfessions/nursing/study/Pages/grade.aspx
• Some Reasons to Use the Israel Medical System – Best Hospitals in Israel. (2022). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.shebaonline.org/israel-medical-system/
• Weather in Israel. (2022). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.touristisrael.com/visit-israel/weather/
• What is a Registered Nurse’s Responsibilities?. (2022). Retrieved 11 May 2022, from https://www.regiscollege.edu/blog/nursing/registered-nurse-responsibilities