How to become a nurse in Quebec?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 2, 2007

Based on what I could follow on the Ordre des Infermieres et Infermiers du Quebec website using my rusty high school French, it seems that anyone desiring licensure in Quebec must write OIIQ's qualifying exam unless they'd written and passed the CRNE prior to 2000. I would assume the exam is entirely in French, since their website only has very minute snippets translated to English. Then there would also be the French language exam required by l'Office de la Langue Francaise. I hope your command of French is really good, because the level of difficulty on the OIIQ website is very high... when I had Google translate some of the pages, they didn't make much sense. Bonne chance, mon ami!

Anaphylaxis · Aug 3, 2007

Yes, that's what I made out on the site as well and I was hoping I was wrong. I cannot imagine re-wrting the CRNE in French unless I took some French medical course first. It's one thing to speak French and another to know all the medical lingo.

A fine challenge!

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 3, 2007

I'd rather have a root canal. You have my utmost respect for even thinking about doing it! I'm not sure, but I think perhaps the OIIQ exam is a little more nursing knowledge based and less psychobabble based, or I hope it is! As I said before, bonne chance!

Teachchildren123 · Jan 7, 2008

Anaphylaxis, you can call the OIIQ office, but I am pretty sure that the exam is offered in English also. But the deal is that you have to pass a French test. Easy for me to do the nursing in English (I do not know the metric anymore and... the abbreviations in French, being educated in NY).

As for the French exam, well I am bilingual. I, feel that it is an unfair deal to have a French test. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of all languages, but... you will learn it on the job!

It's annoying that they have to make it so complicated!!!

sheck · Apr 15, 2012

whats the first step to become an Rn in Quebec? can anyone help me.. please

lau&usopp · Apr 19, 2012

if you are a nurse in other province, you must find an employer first here in quebec before oiiq issue you a temporary license, you cannot just come here right away and switch license as far as i know, i came from BC too and now i am working in montreal since sept.2011. so the step would be like this...

find an employer first and get hired-> email oiiq and they will send you the forms-> send them back the forms, signed and paid-> they will send you the temporary license-> you have 3 years to pass the french exam, oiiq will accept crne so you dont have to worry about the oiiq exam, just the french.. my processing time took almost 4-5months, others took 2-3months, i dont know why but that's how it works :-) peace and goodluck