........does one have to re-train if qualified in the UK?

Not too sure yet but more likely to be AL or FL.

Q. I was educated outside the United States. What requirements must I meet.

A. A Social Security number is required prior to issuance of a license.

Prior to licensure, individuals educated in other countries who wish to practice in Alabama must:

Provide certification from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). Also, have a full course by course evaluation package furnished by CGFNS forwarded to the Alabama Board of Nursing.

Be a graduate of a nursing education program approved by the proper authorities in the country where the program is located.

Meet the requirements for nursing program content employed as criteria for approval in Alabama at the time of the applicant’s graduation.

Make up any educational deficiencies.

Provide proof of completion of secondary school or its equivalent.

Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

http://www.abn.state.al.us/main/FAQ/MAIN-FAQ.htm

Licensure Information for Foreign Educated Applicants

The Board of Nursing requires you to have your nursing education evaluated by an approved credentialing agency for examination candidates. Request the nursing or healthcare profession & science course-by-course credentials review. You are responsible for all fees charged by these services. Applicants are urged to apply first to one of the three approved credential review services below and when that process is completed to apply for licensure in Florida.

Educational Records Evaluation Service, Inc.
601 University Avenue, Suite 127
Sacramento, CA USA 95825-6738
Phone: (866) 411-3737 or (866) 411-ERES
FAX: (916) 921-0793
E-mail: edu@eres.com
Web: www.eres.com

International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
Post Office Box 3665
Culver City, CA USA 90231-3665
Phone: (310) 258-9451
Fax: (310) 342-7086
Email: information@ierf.or
Web: www.ierf.org

Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools
3600 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651 USA
Applicant Inquiries: (215) 349-8767
Customer Service Facsimile: (215) 662-0425
Automated Phone System (to check status): (215) 599-6200
Web: www.cgfns.org
E-mail: info@cgfns.org

Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: (305) 273-1616
FAX: (305) 273-1338
Email: info@silny.com
Web: www.jsilny.com

English Competency -- Per Rule 64B9-3.002(1)(e) F.A.C. one of the following requirements for English competency must be demonstrated through one of the following:

Successful completion of any one of the acceptable English competency examinations:
A minimum score of 540 (207 on computerized version) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Examination
A minimum score of 79% on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB)
A minimum MELAB converted score of 79% on the Michigan Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) Examination
A minimum score of 725 on Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)
A minimum score of 6.5 overall with a 7.0 on the spoken portion on the academic version of International English Language Testing System (IELTS);

Completion of a nursing program given in English in another country;
A passing score on a nursing licensing examination, which is given in English;
A certificate from the Commission on Graduates from Foreign Nursing Schools or other agency which indicates successful completion of TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS;
Completion of a college level course for academic credit in a U.S. institution;
Completion of English as a Second Language (ESOL) through Level IV.
NOTE: These are the only acceptable proof of ability to communicate in English.

Applicants educated in the following countries will not be required to provide any further proof of English competency when applying for the examination.

Antigua Ghana Samoa
Australia Gibraltar Scotland
Bahamas Grenada Sierra Leone
Barbados Guam Singapore
Bermuda Guyana Solomon Islands
Botswana India South Africa
British Honduras (Belize) Ireland Suriname
Cameroon Isle of Man Swaziland
Canada (Provinces: Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan) Jamaica Taiwan
Kenya Tanzania
Liberia Tasmania
Malta Tonga
Midway Island Trinidad and Tobago
Cayman Islands New Zealand Turks and Calcos Islands
Channel Islands Nigeria Uganda
England Pakistan United Arab Emirates
Falkland Islands (U.K.) Philippines Virgin Islands
Fiji Islands Saint Vincent's Island Wales
Gambia Saint Lucia Zambia (Northern Rhodesia)
Zimbabwe (Rhodesia)

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/nursing/nur_foreign.html

http://www.fulbright.co.uk/eas/studyus/subjects/nursing.html

Obtaining a License to Practice Nursing

Council on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Certification Program
Nurses qualified outside the US who would like to practise as a registered nurse in the US must complete the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Certification Program. The Certification Program includes three parts:

1.

1. A review of the applicant's credentials. Applicants must be a first-level, general nurse and must have graduated from a government-approved nursing programme, which included at least two years general nursing training. Applicants must also be registered as a first-level general nurse ('registered' or 'professional' nurse) in your country. Nurses who specialised in one area without being educated and registered/licensed as a general nurse (e.g. midwife, paediatric nurse, psychiatric nurse) are not eligible.
2.
I am RN in Morocco, i will live in California (see my time line).
Do i need to pass my TOFEL here in my country before i come to the US?
Thank you for your help.

2. A one-day qualifying exam. Nurses whose credentials meet the CGFNS requirements can register to take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, which measures basic knowledge in nursing. The exam is offered in the UK (London) and in other countries. Registration and information is available online at www.cgfns.org .
3.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Nurses educated in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or Canada are exempt from this requirement. The exam is offered in many UK cities and in most countries. Registration information is available on the TOEFL website and at the Educational Advisory Service (for postal requests, please send an A4 SAE with 60p postage).

Licensure for Nursing Graduates
All nurses must be licensed in the state where they wish to practise. Most US states require a CGFNS Certificate from foreign nursing graduates before they can take the US registered nurse licensing exam - the NCLEX-RN. Foreign nursing graduates with CGFNS certification and nurses with US nursing qualifications need to contact the relevant state board of nursing for information on registration for the NCLEX-RN exam. The NCLEX-RN exam is offered in the US only.

Visas
Those nurses who gain licensure for a particular state and have an offer of employment for a US health care organisation are eligible to apply for a non-immigrant (H1- or an immigrant occupational visa. The CGFNS, through its International Commission on Healthcare Professionals (ICHP) division, is qualified to administer a VisaScreen programme for nurses who plan to apply for an immigrant visa. Nurses should contact the US employer and CGFNS for more information.


Hope this might be of some help to you.