Advice please Psychiatric nurse wanting to work in Canada

[Hollymary]

Hello, not sure if anyone can help me...

I am a UK registered mental health nurse. I have been qualified 14 years now and worked in all settings but primarily child and adolescent mental health. My jobs have covered extensive areas, from crisis to teaching education staff. I am just about to submit me and my family's VISA request via EE, PN (Alberta hopefully) and also the healthcare pathway as you can be under multiple pathways. Our points are average but we hope to gain PN. 

To the point. I am going through the NNAS process. It's been an absolute headache and although with my experience and attending one of the most prominent universities I am being realistic about likely getting a not comparable report. I wanted to know;

Has any Mental health nurse been through this system?

Has any mental health nurse come back with comparable or somewhat comparable on their NNAS?

Has anyone managed to get a registration to practice in Canada? If so how long did it take and what did you need to do. 

Also what jobs did you do in Canada whist waiting for all of this to happen?

I love being a psych nurse but also know this is going to be a multi year process! So looking for some practical tips for life and work out there. This has been our dream for years so I am happy to consider any work in a related field! And another nurse mentioned a psychiatric technician role as a possible option. Anyone know about this? 

Thanks in advance nursing family

[La la]

Hello did it work out for you?

 A mental health nurse in Uk and want to go to USA 

is it possible?

[Liisa444 BSc]

I don't believe so, as they don't recognize psych nurses. 

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Search this section for the multiple threads about UK nurses who aren't general trained trying to get work abroad. Sadly, it's rarely possible.

The UK, as has been said here before, has a history of handing out health care qualifications which mean nothing internationally: SEN, RMN, RSCN, RFN, RNMH, ODA etc. Most countries seek what they have themselves: general trained nurses who have done a module each in paeds, psych, obstetrics and community but who's training has essentially been one in adult general nursing.   

The UK was crazy to maintain training nurses who were just mental health qualified or just paediatric qualified. Someone once suggested here that it was a deliberate strategy to stop specialist nurses emigrating, and that frankly wouldn't surprise me.

As ever, check where you stand with the regulatory body of the country/province/state where you want to practise. My general advice to any UK nurse who wants to travel is to get yourself general trained, and if you're starting out - do the adult general branch if you think you'll ever want to work overseas. You can always specialise with further training later on.

Good luck. Let us know if you do make any progress!

[Liisa444 BSc]

I used to live in the UK, which is strange. Only a couple of provinces in Canada recognize psych nurses, while in the others, you need a BSN. I was going to get my psych nurse degree but decided against it. With an RN, you can work anywhere and still work in mental health. 

[DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN]

Liisa444 BSc said:

 With an RN, you can work anywhere and still work in mental health. 

That's exactly right. Here in France I could work in paeds, psych, learning difficulties, wherever I wanted because as an RN you're considered comprehensively trained. That's how it is in most countries.

I would say to UK would-be student nurses, only consider doing the mental health or paediatric branch first off if you're absolutely 100% sure you'll never want to work abroad.