IEN Registration in Alberta to become more difficult

World Canada

Published

You are reading page 5 of IEN Registration in Alberta to become more difficult

nosh pade

8 Posts

Lots of valid points in regards to supply/demand. On the other hand, there likely is a true need for nurses in the area. A family member nurse manages one of those rural Alberta teeny-tiny-town hospitals and is always understaffed, ready to get down on her hands and knees to recruit staff. I know there is a lot of uncertainty right now and people are stressed and nervous about work, however, I would not discourage an IEN who is planning on staying in Alberta from pursuing registration, especially if already living in an area that has a hard time recruiting/retaining staff.

In a couple years when the pendulum swings back there will be jobs, and sounds like it could take that long to get registration in order anyway :p

Thank You, codeteam. I am glad that at least there's someone who gave me some hope with my career and thanks for pointing out that they seem to be discouraging me because that is what I have been feeling all along. I know there is hiring freeze. I know the processing of my papers would not be easy. I also know that I do not have enough experience to be hired on a hospital. I know that you still have more hindrances to point out. I know that there is one in a millionth chance for me to become a canadian registered nurse. so what? All your inquiries were very very clear to me but I will not give up. I just want to be a nurse. What's wrong with that?

joanna73, BSN, RN

4,767 Posts

Specializes in geriatrics.

We aren't trying to discourage. We're being honest with you. Unfortunately, the news isn't pretty. In order to truly grasp how deep these cuts are, you need to have an understanding of Canadian politics and the history of nursing.

What is happening is nothing new, and those of us who have lived through this (1990-2000) can appreciate the gravity of the situation. Many of you either were not living here at that time or you're too young to remember the economic climate. Nurses and teachers were laid off in the thousands and there was a mass exodus. This is just the beginning.

CodeteamB

473 Posts

Specializes in Emergency.

Well, I'm in it now, so here's my two cents. As a first generation Canadian descendant of internationally educated nurses and physicians I have a slightly different perspective.

I do believe that the contributions of IENs are valuable to the Canadian nursing profession. The same reason that IENs must be appraised prior to starting practice is one of the reasons that they can enrich our workpool. Education is different to varying degrees around the world and different regions focus on different aspects of practice. If you take a pool of Canadian new grads and compare with a pool of Filipino or Indian new grads you will find that overall the different groups will excel in different areas of practice.

I do not fear IENs, I do not resent them, and I will never agree that we in this country make immigration "too easy." People immigrating to Canada work very hard to make it happen, often leaving loved ones behind and making other sacrifices. There is still institutionalized racism in the process to immigrate to Canada and many of the lovely, strong women I have worked with over the years have stories that would break your heart.

I get the anxiety over our workforce and the current political and economic climate. When people are afraid for their livelihood things can get adversarial. In reading this thread I have perceived emotions of anger, fear, anxiety and jealousy from both sides. Again, I get it, it's not easy for either Canadian or International nurses right now.

All I can say is that the surplus or shortage of nurses in this province is almost wholly a construct of our government's priorities (or whims). It is difficult to predict what is going to happen in the next year, never mind beyond.

I hope those of you reading this who are working towards your goal of nursing in Canada persevere and are successful.

I wish nothing but good things for my fellow Albertan nurses.

I hope we can all learn to see the value that each nurse, regardless of origins, can bring to the table.

Above all I hope that someday we will live in a province that recognizes the enormous importance of healthcare and the equally vast contribution of nurses and other frontline workers to our society.

joanna73, BSN, RN

4,767 Posts

Specializes in geriatrics.

This has absolutely nothing to do with fearing IENs. As I said, they will make their own decisions. He/she asked....we answered truthfully based on current market conditions. It's as simple as that.

If you believe otherwise, that's fine too. However, I would suggest you do your own research on the matter. What do I know?

CodeteamB

473 Posts

Specializes in Emergency.

We can agree to disagree, but for the record I am not uninformed or too young to remember what it was like in the 90's "nurses and teachers" describes my family pretty much perfectly. Things aren't sunshine and roses in Alberta but if I based my opinion solely on the comments of Alberta nurses on this forum I would have a lot more anxiety than I currently do.

Mine is a different opinion, no less valid for being unique here, and I read a lot of fear and anxiety in many of the posts by several nurses on this forum. If I am incorrect then you have my apologies.

As to the original topic of this thread, since I did not make it explicit in my other posts, I disagree with closing down the MRU program and with defunding it. Our government has been flying by the seat of their pants for as long as I have been nursing, making short sighted and reactionary decisions. We have obviously not learned from our history, and you know what they say about that.

I will process my documents on clpna..

These are the requirements of clpna..

IF ALL OF THE BELOW STATEMENTS are TRUE, use the IEN Self-Assessment Tool to determine if you are likely to meet CLPNA's registration requirements and eligible to apply for registration as an LPN in Alberta.

Eligible applicants must:


    [*=left]Have registration as a nurse outside of Canada.
    [*=left]Have never been registered as an LPN in Canada.
    [*=left]Have successfully completed a nursing education program outside of Canada.
    [*=left]Have nursing practice hours in the past four years or have graduated from a nursing education program in the past four years. (In order for worked hours to qualify as nursing practice hours, you must have been registered, hired, and paid as a nurse. Practice hours do not include sick time, vacation or volunteering.)

I'm an RN in the United States and I'll be sitting for the CPNRE in May. I don't have a bachelors in nursing to practice as an RN in Canada, so I'm aiming to be an LPN. If I do pass this exam, my concerns will then be to find employment as well as obtain a visa. Until that happens, I will stay in the U.S. until I can find an opportunity to work in Alberta.

Fiona59

8,343 Posts

I'm curious, why do you want to live in Alberta? We have lousy winters. Potholes that you can lose a small animal in when the thaw hits.

A conservative government that could screw up a stag night in a brewery.

Lousy sports teams.

And the male eye candy isn't that good.

It can't be a spouse or you'd already be here freezing your bits off.

I'm in Edmonton right now. Im visiting my fiance. The weather is pretty similar to the weather at home but a little more intense. We don't get this much snow at home. The pot holes have been horrible here as well. I would like to visit Calgary one day as it seems more vibrant than Edmonton. Edmonton is okay but I feel sorry for anyone who has never left to visit places outside of Edmonton .

Trishrpn80

272 Posts

Specializes in AC, LTC, Community, Northern Nursing.
Potholes that you can lose a small animal in when the thaw hits.

Off topic.. Hahaha i just stepped in one of those this morning as we are starting to have break up here... Couldnt help but giggle

Ok back to your regularly scheduled thread :)

Ilze

3 Posts

Wow, so interesting to follow! I am a international trained RN. I am interested to work in Canada. Not because I am desperate or fleeing my country. I am young and want to travel and see the world. I really feel our training and practical experience are some of the best in the world. Good to hear some personal experiences, this is not what you hear from agencies "promising a 100% success rate". Like many other young professionals I dream of traveling the world and to experience different cultures, and although I am sure it is not all bad, boy oh boy... I really do not want to be treated as a "foreigner who took a possible job from born and bread Canadian". Thanks for reality check, and CodeteamB thanks for your honest opinion though positive outlook towards the future. I will pursue this dream... by the way... no intention of any institution paying for anything, I can do it myself. Now just to decide where shall I begin with my dream. As for the potholes and crappy weather, that is crap! But if you haven't experienced snow and like the thought a something with big wheels, why not!

royalRN88

5 Posts

Hello

i just received nnas report of saying my study is somewhat comparable to canada for both lpn and rn. Now i m applying to nursing regulatory. Clpna has self assessment questions that are 42. Can anybody has done those? I AM HAVING HARD TIME TO WRITE THOSE. STILL NOT SURE IF THEY LL GIVE ME PERMISSION TO WRITE EXAM OR LICENSE. EVEN THOUGH I M ALREADY RN IN NEW YORK, USA

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist

NotReady4PrimeTime, RN

5 Articles; 7,358 Posts

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Unfortunately, if your English language skills make it difficult to answer the self-assessment questions, you're likely going to struggle at every step. I'm not sure how anyone could help you evaluate yourself.

Side note: This is a 5 year old thread, so it's not likely many people will see your post.

+ Add a Comment