Australian Nurses in Canada - Is Labor & Delivery studies required for registration?

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Hi All,

I know that to become registered in the United States nurses are required to have completed a certain number of hours in midwifery/labor and delivery.

I was wondering if this requirement is the same in Canada?

In Australia, midwifery (or L&D) is not included in nursing programs and gaining a qualification in midwifery takes another 12-18 months of study following at least one year of experience as a registered nurse.

Whilst I would like to have the option of working in North America open to me in the future I am not interested in completing another 12-18 months of study in an area I will never practice in.

I have looked at some of the programs for nursing offered at Canadian universities and also looked at the various registering bodies for different Canadian territories but I cannot seem to find an answer to my question.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Yes, there is a requirement for both didactic and clinical education in labour and delivery for registration in all Canadian provinces. It's also required to have didactic and clinical in mental health as well.

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Also Paeds clinical and theory hours

I'm a paediatric critical care nurse in Australia with full registration. My Bachelors degree covered mental health (one subject with one associated clinical) and paediatrics (one compulsory subject and clinical and I undertook and further two advanced paediatric subjects and clinicals as my major). Our course work however did not and does not touch L&D/midwifery. As I mentioned previously, in Australia, this is an entirely separate degree or diploma.

I am very interested in the prospect of working in Canada in the future (Sick Kids and Stollery are my top two choices at the present but who knows what time will bring). However the requirement of a further 12-18 months of study and work to gain a qualification in midwifery in Australia in order to make me eligible for US or Canadian registration is not appealing. To gain a post graduate diploma in midwifery in Australia requires 12-18 months of 4 days/per work as a trainee midwife and one day a week at university. I feel that this is not ideal if it's an area I never intend to practice in, particularly if it takes me out of the area I currently work in (paediatric critical care) and wish to further my skills in.

I have contacted the College of Nurses in Ontario to find out more about the eligibility of Australian nurses for registration in Canada however I haven't heard back from them as yet. I wonder if other Australia nurses have found a way around this?

Specializes in geriatrics.

Perhaps the requirements vary for international applicants? I graduated from my RN program in Toronto 2 years ago. All of our clinical experiences varied in third and fourth years. In third year, we had to complete a module and 2 classes related to L+D. I have no clinical experience with L+D or pediatrics. Some of my friends do who attended the same institution. I'm fine with having no peds or L+D experience though, as I have no interest in these areas at all.

Specializes in Emergency.

Hey mate, did you every hear from the Ontario College of Nursing.

I work in the Gold Coast and have submitted an application in British Columbia,

I reckon the Paeds and Maternity are compulsary education requirements.

They also require a verification for all the employers the last 5 years (which sometimes can be a pain, especially if you work casual/agency/part time) to different facilities over time)

Did you end up sitting the CRNE? Am just wondering too if there is any case of an exemption being given by CRNBC in sitting the CRNE? I took Midwifery few years back and has a post grad subject in mental health too, so looking forward all will be ok.

Anyone regardless of where they were educated MUST write and pass CRNE to be able to work in Canada.

BC is a hard job market to crack with a high number of locally educated nurses finding it difficult to find full time work.

Are you looking at moving here for good or just treating it as a working holiday?

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