The United States (U.S.) is facing a critical shortage of registered professional nurses. Currently, there is an estimated 3.5 percent (100,791) of practicing Registered Nurses (RNs) who have been educated outside of the U.S. This estimate does not include the nurses educated in Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories (National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, 2004). Little information exists on understanding International Educated Nurses' (IENs) experiences with U.S. RN licensure processes and their integration into the workforce. This integration offers a means of addressing not only the nursing shortage, but also the need for culturally competent care of large immigrant populations and the growing health disparities experienced by minority populations. Such integration is hampered by the lack of identifiable support systems and limited educational programs or Bridge Programs, (Jeans, Hadley, Green, & DaPrat, 2005). It is critical that IENs receive specialized assistance and support throughout the RN licensing process, as this process is frequently lengthy and complicated. Bridge Programs assist them in becoming licensed as RNs as well as learning about U.S. nursing, health care systems, and culture. Since 2004, The Chicago Bilingual Nurse Consortium (CBNC), a 501(c)(3) non-for profit organization, has provides leadership, advocacy, support and educational programs for IENs residing in Illinois who are not licensed as RNs. (Lebold and Walsh, 2006). These nurses are frequently unemployed or underemployed. This presentation will describe outcomes of CBNC efforts in creating special programs and services to address the needs of IENs and the establishment of an alliance of regional programs. The result of these initiatives is the formation of a community of well-qualified, bilingual, bicultural RNs to serve our increasingly diverse ethnic communities.