1-year LPN program in Newfoundland and Labrador

[kamae]

I am currently enrolled in an LPN 2-year program at Centennial College in Toronto. I'm on a student visa and classes don't start till January 2012. Now, I just found out that in Newfoundland and Labrador, there is a 1-year LPN program at Center for Nursing Studies. With a student visa, I can actually change schools/field of study without having to change my permit or notify the embassy. So I'm just wondering: Would it be a good idea to consider a 1-year PN program or is there a BIG difference in terms of quality of education and job opportunities.

Thanks!

[kamae]

Thanks. I really hope that LPNs will still be part of the NOC skill types required for this application. I think Licensed practical nurse is NOC skill type B... I'm not sure. I read a way to interpret the NOC list but can't seem to find it anymore.

I'm not sure if they would still base it on the 29 occupations list though. From how I understand it, I think that is for those who did not start out as international students and have garnered work experience in their homeland.

The NOC skill types 0, A and B have plenty of occupations that are not necessarily in the 29 occupations list... so does this mean those occupations wouldn't qualify?

I may be wrong since I base this purely on how I understand the things on CIC website. Please feel free to correct me.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

When you start asking questions about immigration we request that you post your questions in the International forum and leave this forum to working as a nurse in Canada as many Canadians do not know or understand the routes that people can take to work and live in Canada.

Totally understand I have probably started this but suggest further questions in regards to CIC and NOC list is posted in the International forum

[future_hero]

Every province has a different approach to education. AB and ON have moved to the 2+year diploma. Several provinces have the one year approach.

So, you have to look at the maximum amount of material covered in the minimum amount of time and the scope of practice in the province where the education is obtained.

PNs from BC had (could still have?) a less intense A&P course than the AB curriculum. If they moved to AB, CLPNA required them to do "catchup" work to get their permit in AB.

Some provinces over prepare their nurses. When I went through, we did our four semesters with about one week off for a break between semesters. So I did two years worth of work in 56 weeks. It was a killer.

Currently, AB and ON PN graduates leave with first year academic Arts credits. So that added an extra semester onto the workload or it was integrated into the existing curriculum. I doubt that grads in BC and NF have these courses.

The exam covers the basic level entry skill set to work.

http://www.cpnre.ca/abouttheexam_faq_e.asp

clearly outlines what is required to be eligible to write the exam.

But the student visa is the more troubling issue. Will the education here meet the OP's homeland requirements?

Thanks for sharing. I just find it odd that if you pass the CPRNE exam, you still have to take additional education to practice at a certain province.

[Fiona59]

Not really. The scope of practice varies hugely from province to province. AB and ON have the widest scope. Every thing from PICCs to visual testing are part of the LPNs scope.

BC claims to have a wide scope but when I worked there, the locally educated nurses didn't have the skills to do vision testing, wasn't parat of their course work. The hospitals there also hugely limited what PNs could do and where they could work. I wasn't allowed to work in a very basic, low risk unit when I was coming from a regional high risk unit. The RN union out there is/was very protective of what they perceived to be their "turf and skill set". It's changing slowly but as long as RN unions are as vocal as they are the PN provincial colleges have to be very proactive in educating the public about our knowledge base.