Help!RN from the Philippines now a Permanent Resident in Ontario

RNGrad2006 · Nov 11, 2009

Good question... I worked with an RN in BC when I was an LPN and she said she initially tried to work as an LPN also as she did not have the confidence to work at the RN level right away but then she said that it was more difficult to deal with the assessment with the College of LPN's than the College of RN's and did end up working as an RN in the end. Don't sell yourself too short.

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2009

In the past the College of Nurses of Ontario has not usually recognized a BScN from the Phillipines as equivalent to a Canadian BScN. Before 2005, Filipino nurses who migrated to Ontario were accepted as RN's but their education was considered equivalent to a diploma RN's education. After 2005, a BScN was required to enter practice in Ontario and a diploma education was no longer recognized and this has resulted in more Filipino nurses being accepted as equivalent to RPNs.

dishes

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2009

Hi cheerbear

Which province in Canada are you planning to apply to?

dishes

Fiona59 · Nov 14, 2009

The entire mess goes back to the education system in the Phillipines. It was once explained that a student over there finishes high school at around 16 and therefore doesn't have the 12 years of education required of a Cdn. student to enter university. Somebody once described it as to the first two years of uni over there being roughly the same as our Grade 12/13 and as a result the education at university level wasn't the same.

Don't bite me, I'm just telling you how it's been explained to many, many Canadian nurses.

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 15, 2009

Yes Fiona the difference in the years of education prior to taking the nursing program is one of the reasons that the CNO has frequently not recognized equivalence in degrees. Another reason is the program content. Some IENs, for example nurses from Iran, have 12 years of elementary and secondary education prior to taking a 4 year university nursing degree but their education is still not considered equivalent. The content of their nursing program does not have the same clinical and theoretical experience that a Canadian program has.

If the CNO recommends that an IEN needs to upgrade their theoretical or clinical knowlede through a college, this means they will need to enrol in a bridging program and the tuition will cost about $5,000

http://coned.georgebrown.ca/owa_prod/cewskcrss.P_Certificate?area_code=PA0017&cert_code=CE0133

In addition, the bridging might only make the IEN eligible to write the RPN exam and they may still have to take university courses to become BScNs.

I think it has become more difficult for IENs who apply to Ontario since the BScN as entry to practice became the standard.

dishes

petgroomer · Nov 16, 2009

Yes Fiona the difference in the years of education prior to taking the nursing program is one of the reasons that the CNO has frequently not recognized equivalence in degrees. Another reason is the program content. Some IENs, for example nurses from Iran, have 12 years of elementary and secondary education prior to taking a 4 year university nursing degree but their education is still not considered equivalent. The content of their nursing program does not have the same clinical and theoretical experience that a Canadian program has.
If the CNO recommends that an IEN needs to upgrade their theoretical or clinical knowlede through a college, this means they will need to enrol in a bridging program and the tuition will cost about $5,000
http://coned.georgebrown.ca/owa_prod/cewskcrss.P_Certificate?area_code=PA0017&cert_code=CE0133
In addition, the bridging might only make the IEN eligible to write the RPN exam and they may still have to take university courses to become BScNs.
I think it has become more difficult for IENs who apply to Ontario since the BScN as entry to practice became the standard.
dishes

Hi dishes, good to see you again.

I haven't started a "bridging program" for IENs, but I've gotten a bad impression just by inquiring. I called the community college this afternoon to see if I could register for some of the modules, specifically those regarding nursing skills and procedures/sim lab. I was willing to attend a full module even if I didn't need to because my education was accepted by CNO. A few things that I didn't like about the program:

-The intake is only once a year, so even if one just needs a few courses or would like to register for the second or third module still has to wait for fall. This means a lot of time wasted, and for new immigrants time is gold.

-The program needs to be completed totally, even if one doesn't need the certificate and just needs a few courses.

-There are no independent courses to be taken in the mean time, and the ones that are opened are towards certificates. I'd love to get a certificate but to be admitted into the program I need a certain number of hours working in a similar setting. But how would I get that job without the certification: it defeats its own purpose somehow no???

-I was tickled by the fact that I started my inquiry stating that my interest on the program was personal because I've been successfully assessed by CNO already and was waiting for the exam results. So how come I was asked if I had been assessed by CNO, if my education was equivalent to a BsN , if I had a letter of directions or which were the requirements I needed to complete the equivalence. How would they help IENs if they have that little idea of the process. Gee!!!

So here I'm, alone and waiting for my exam results. Probably I'll have to prepare on my own because there's either no support, or the mechanisms in place really don't work for me. Sadly I just wanted to do the right thing: make sure I was strong, confident and updated before starting my career in Canada, and not being a burden to my future employers. The ironic part is that the Government is trickled into reporting that programs like this are of great help to newcomers:angryfire and our taxes are going to support them.

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2009

I see what you mean petgroomer, even if the staff at the school did not give you suggestions as to how you can increase your professional growth and enhance your competence as a nurse. I wonder if you could just apply to take a continuing education class? Usually there are continuing education classes open to RNs at universities that have post diploma BScN programs. You do not have to be registered in the post diploma-BScN program to take a continuing ed class, (you may need to have proof of registration with the CNO, but I am not sure of this so check with the school). I would recommend starting with health assessment, it is a useful full systems review.

dishes

cheerbear · Nov 17, 2009

Hi cheerbear
Which province in Canada are you planning to apply to?
dishes

Hi dishes,

Im planning for Ontario, I have done some research and as I read the posts here, it seems that I cant apply for RN, too bad though, and as I read petgroomers post, gosh! I don't have the luxury of time to get one module yearly, so I guess I have to change province, Im thinking Nova Scotia, since a friend of mine already have a permit to exam and she said some hospitals do hire them even if she's not CRN yet.

dishes, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2009

Cheerbear, I am glad you are flexible about your choice of provinces, not only is nrnns more likely than cno to accept your education , but it seems nova scotia is still hiring nurses. I guess the provinical government hasn't tallied their budgets yet, we'll see what happens when they suddenly announce nova scotia has a massive deficit.

dishes

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 18, 2009

I am definitely seeing less and less RN jobs advertised in Nova Scotia. Where I live a couple of months ago there was over 12 adverts now only 1. For Halifax there used to be over 50 and now approx 20. So it is getting harder to find RN jobs here

sheng31 · Nov 19, 2009

I thought I'd share my experience in this thread.

I did my BScN in the Philippines. Graduated and passed the RN exam there in 1998. Was Fortunate to get a job in England in 2001. The first year I worked as a health care assistant then I did my Adaptation Training Programme and eventually became a Registered Nurse. I met a very nice Canadian guy in 2006. After discussing possibilities of moving here in Canada, I submitted my application to the CNO June 2007. I got their decision Sept 2007 saying I am not eligible to write the exam as they don't recognize my BScN in the Philippines. I was given 3 options. 1) withdraw my application 2) complete the nursing equivalency table 3)do a nursing refresher course or something similar. I thought to myself, "What the heck! I have been working as an RN in England for 5 yrs. There's no way I'd go back to school." I even compared Canada to USA at the time as I got annoyed with the decision. So I just stuffed the letter from the CNO in one of my drawer and just forgot about it.

March 2008, my Canadian common law partner decided it's time to move back to Canada. He found a job here and started in July 2008. My Visa didn't arrive til October last yr. From July to October, I completed the nursing equivalency table on my day off. I submitted this and some certificates I got whilst working in England. It was close to November and I didn't hear anything from CNO. I phoned them and I was told they didn't get my job description from my first and recent employer. So I phoned these 2 employers and I was assured they're going to send it as soon as they can. January came, no mail from the CNO. I was informed that job description is still missing from my recent employer(who claimed she posted it already). February.. March... April....May... still none. Just imagine how frustrated I was. I phoned another senior staff I've worked with from my last employment who was our Practice Develpment Nurse. Explained my dilemma and she gladly offered to mail the said job description with the hospital stamp/seal. In just 3 days, CNO got the mail. Goodness me. I think the unit manager lied to me. She claimed she mailed the job description 3 times.

I finally got the decision on the 4th week of July allowing me to write the CRNE. Good thing they extended the deadline application for the October exam. I had less than 11 weeks to prepare for the exam. I got the result today and luckily I passed.

BTW, most Filipino nurses who sat the exam took a refresher course of at least 6 months before they were given the eligibility to write the exam. There was 1 filipina girl who completed the equivalency table and was successful like me. I am one of the fortunate Filipinos who didn't have to take additional nursing course/refresher course.

Now my next step is to find a job. I went for an interview(Telemetry/Medicine) 2 months ago in a hospital which is just 5mins drive from where I live. I was told that I should get an interview with ICU as my experience is more of ICU. I thought I did well in the interview but they gave the job to another applicant. I phoned HR today. She said the same thing, there's no job opening in ICU

I looked at the website of another hospital which is approx 30 mins drive. I can't believe they have no job opening for RNs. The last job vacancy they have for RN was posted 6wks ago. Where are the jobs?

rogue2578 · Nov 19, 2009

Hi Sheng!, Congrats for passing the CRNE exam.

My story is a quite different from yours but I'll share it anyways...

I was a graduate of BS Respiratory Therapy in 1998. I went and work in a cruise ship for two years and didn't practice my degree as much as I wanted to because of my preference to travel and work. After a stint at the ship I lived in the US for a year with my American BF. Preceding an in and out of trip to the US working as a caregiver. Hence I didn't stay that long enough to become a resident because my BF and I broke up.

So in 2005 I went back to the Philippines, and decided to study nursing so I graduated in 2007 and eventually became an RN in Feb 2008. For year I didn't do anything, I didn't get a job because I was raising my newborn daughter. But in November 2008, I took the proficiency exam of my first course and I earned the tittle of Certified Respiratory Therapist.

In 2009 I have to put my life on tract, as I have a daughter to raise . I decided to pursue my application in Canada. In March 2009 I sent an application for eligibility in CNO. But June 2009, they sent me the letter of option asking if I could send additional job or course description related to nursing . Another option is to withdraw and receive the letter of direction and do the bridging course. So my decision was to send additional course description as right now, Im in my second term of graduate school taking up Master of Arts in Nursing Major in Clinical Management and set to study until summer of next year.

Im a 32 year old single mother, earning my third degree .If I will finish in time for next year, I'll earned another title. CNO gave me that determination to continuing pursuing further and further studies. It was not my plan to do more studying but I have to do it anyways (no job avaliable opportunities for RNs). And since I don't have a present application for PR , PNP or TWP. There is no way I will be able to be accepted and be enrolled on a bridging program. Nevertheless , I got lucky an acquired a two year multiple entry TRV last August 2009.

Thus after a long and grueling road my plans to pursue a career in Canada Im starting to see clearer , but it all comes down in Gods blueprint.

God speed!!! You will find a job sheng,

Plenty of opportunity will come your way! ^_-

Rogue