Rn in Italy become an Rn in Ontario

World Registration

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Hello,

I am a Nursing student in the University of Bologna , Italy. Mine is a first cycle bachelor degree program that already allows graduated registred nurses to work without needing to attend further studies . I'd like to know what kind of courses are generally asked to international nurses to take ? Do nursing students in Canada use the NANDA diagnosis book ? And if anybody has any idea if Italian university Is considered for the accreditation at a good level.

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The first step in becoming licensed in Canada is to have your education assessed and work experience verified by national nursing assessment services (nnas.org). After you receive your advisory report from nnas, you apply to the provincial regulatory body, in Ontario it is the college of nurses of Ontario (cno.org). You can use the search tool in the top right hand corner to find other internationally educated nurses (iens) experience with the licensing process in Canada, suggest you look for the thread entitled 'nnas experience' to get you started.

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Thank you

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Sorry For disturbing you , I was reading your posts among others as well. Can I ask for an opinion please ? I have a tourist visa for Canada , lasting 6 years. So I plan to , after sending all documents from my university to NNAS, to go to Canada ( where my fiancé lives ) and go on with the process there. I am willing and determined to even start studying ( for example I'd like to get in the York university 20 months program ) . Do I have to wait for the CNO to address me to a course ? . I can't work as nurse there in the meantime . Do you think is mandatory having a work experience ? I'm 22 now and in November I graduate . My degree program have 1800 hours of intern practice In all in every field of nursing ( pediatric, community family nurisng, emergency ambulance intensive care unit, operationg room so on) . It lasts three years . We use for example certain standards as Nanda diagnosis book for our exams and so on. I'd like to ask too. if it has some similar aspects to nursing in Canada

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You can not work as a nurse until the college says you can. They will not make a decision until NNAS has issued report and the college has reviewed your application. Experience isn't a requirement but not sure what permit you are going to get. Is your fiancée Canadian?

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@Casoclinico

I'm not sure how you will work on a tourist visa. I believe you would need a work visa.

The 20 month program at York does not have many spaces and it is difficult to get into. Some people wait years. You cannot take that program unless/until the College of Nurses of Ontario has assessed your education and directed you to do so. They may also determine that you need to take an exam called IENCAP to prove that your skills are the equivalent of a Canadian-educated entry-level nurse. Without any nursing work experience, IENCAP and a bridging program are your only options, and in any case, neither can be taken unless directed by College of Nurses which won't happen until your education is assessed by NNAS.

Most IENs have faced lengthy difficulties becoming registered in Ontario since a new process was put into place in Aug 2014. Myself as an example, I am US educated and NNAS found me non-comparable and I had to do the IENCAP. I attended a university where, before Aug 2014, nobody had any issues with comparability to Canadian standards. So the point of this is, be prepared for a long, labourous process that feels unfair at most times. Be prepared to work a job that is not nursing (if you can get a work visa) and to be financially dependent on your partner. Do not do this unless you are 110% certain this is what you want because it is a very expensive and stressful process.

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Thankyou , ofocourse I am well aware of the fact that I cannot either work or study while I have the tourist visa . Yes since I started my university My plan is to get lincesed there . I really would actually want to take additional courses because I feel my degree preparation is not enough and there may be huge differences between Italy and Canada . So I was wondering to get a 16 months course program at fanshawe college in London Ontario but that's is possible ofocirse after the letter from the CNO addressing me to additional courses to complete the gaps . But prior I need also a study permit , and this is not clear to me , at what point ask for it .?

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Hello Thankyou . yes ofocourse , I know well I cannot work as nurse there until going through all of this process , that it seems last at least 2 years . But I am willing to study at least one more year there , after I start the NNAS process from here , Italy. He is a phd engineering student in canada . I'd like to get the RN license in Canada . In order to get the courses I may need a study permit .

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So he is on work permit

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Yes , I am sure it will be long and difficult stressful and expensive too! I am totally certain that I want to try to get this license there . But also to work as an LPN isn't it also long process and requiring additional courses as well?

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@ RN_Pro

I hope there is some chance I can get asked ( ofocirse after waiting the NNAS response which can take also one year or more ) to get the IENCAP exam ( I am sure I will have gaps on it because of the difference level of degrees between here and Canada ) so I hope the CNO will ask me to take a bridging program . The chances I get these are lower in my case given that I Just graduated ? Do you know anything about the Fanshawe College bridging program ?

furthurmore , I don't have any idea how can I work another job that is not Rn if in order to get a work visa in Canada you cannot choose a whatever job but they require skilled immigrants and my skill I could base the work permit process is the nursing one . I already experienced what does it mean to deal with Canada . It was long and difficult and so so stressful even getting a tourist visa. I was refused first only because , the only reason ( because I asked the notes of the officer) was that the perosn who invited me was my fiance so a high chance of staying more in Canada . So I tried again , showing same documents, I had all othe requirements and I was accepted with multiple entry . ... nothing changed when I reapplied ( one month later ) well sorry , this was out of topic but yea even get a temporary resident visa was so frustrating !

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@casoclinico, The cities in Canada do not currently have a shortage of nurses, they have a surplus of nurses. Every year thousands of newly licensed nurses struggle to find work in Ontario, these are local, qualified nurses, who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and registered with the CNO, they do not require a student visa or a work permit. Employers are not going to violate labour laws or union contracts and hire a nurse who requires a permit. The same is true for engineers, there more local qualified engineers than jobs.

Regarding bridging programs, if you look on the school's website, you will see that you must have a letter of direction from the College of Nurses in order to get accepted into the program. You cannot self refer to a bridging program because you believe you will have gaps in your education compared to a Canadian's education, there must be proof of the gaps. The NNAS assessment will determine the gaps and if the gaps cannot be fulfilled through the IENCAP, then CNO will determine whether you need a bridging program or the rncompetencies program.

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