American Nurses who moved to Ontario, what was your compensation?

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Specializes in psych, community, peds, LTC/subacute.

Hello! I am a dual citizen who would like to move to Ontario (Toronto, preferably) or Quebec province. Recently, I learned that ONA (Ontario nurses association) establishes pay rate by years of experience. The starting salary is concerningly low. 

My question is, did your American experience assist in your pay rate or were you "low balled" and considered a "new nurse" due to lack of Canadian experience? Secondly, is all nursing experience counted or just acute hospital care? I've worked bedside subacute, home care and community. After 10 years of nursing, I want to know if my experience will provide a liveable (5-10 yeared nurse) wage?

Thanks in advance!

Hey, 

I don't have any insight on whether your American experience would count. I would assume that yes it would, though! 
Also, the livable wage for Toronto is $22/hr so you will not be in any danger there, even if you did start at out the new grad rate.

This doesn't really answer your question sorry but I was wondering the same. I'm trying to move to Quebec province but I don't want to be a staff. IDK if Canada has travel nursing or if I should just maintain dual citizenship and travel nurse in America. 

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Specializes in Medical - Surgical/ General Surgery/ICU.

The RN wage cap in Ontario is barely ~50CAD/hr based on some ONA contract with ON hospitals. A 10year RN experience should be almost there. 

I left Ontario for the US in 2019. Currently living in NH, the approximate wage/hr based on year of experience is kinda similar but of course different currencies & healthcare expenses.  

When I transferred from assisted living to acute care hospital in 2018 in Ontario, I needed to request record of employment w hours from my previous employer to adjust my current rate.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
Jouba said:

This doesn't really answer your question sorry but I was wondering the same. I'm trying to move to Quebec province but I don't want to be a staff. IDK if Canada has travel nursing or if I should just maintain dual citizenship and travel nurse in America. 

We don't have travel nursing and you would have to be fluent in French to work in Quebec. 

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