Canada nursing

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I'm so frustrated here I need to vent. I have RN license and worked in the States, recently moved to Canada. However, obtaining RN license here is pain in the butt omg...why they require so much when I do have active RN license and it takes FOREVER. I got married to Canadian so i had no choice but to move here, but pay is low, dinasuar hospital, almost no positions available at the hospital, 3 shifts, no nursing assistants, and I paid almost 800 usd to get the license and this is only the first step!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh. There are only 2 big hospitals in the city and they are NOT looking for any RNs. U kidding me right now...

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At least you don't have to take the English exam for Ontario.. (any other province you would have had to take the English exam because unless your 1st language was English). Tons of Canadian hospitals have jobs depending on the area.. You might have to find jobs in other cities until you can find jobs close to home. My husband works across the border in the USA while trying to transfer his RN license up here (because yes it does take forever..) That may be an option for you in the meantime. Those "dinosaur" hospitals are government funded and they're probably old, that's why. It's not fancy but they do their job

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Specializes in Neurology/ER/ICU.

I agree with you its all stupid when its the same NCLEX and even more and less same work environment as well. Most of the books that are taught in the BSN programs in Canada are written by US nursing professors. I had to do the same when I moved from Florida to Ontario. Hang in there and I agree with the suggestion the above post mentioned of either cross border job, looking for a nursing agency or travel nurse positions in the meantime.

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On 6/20/2019 at 2:03 AM, dayandnight said:

At least you don't have to take the English exam for Ontario.. (any other province you would have had to take the English exam because unless your 1st language was English). Tons of Canadian hospitals have jobs depending on the area.. You might have to find jobs in other cities until you can find jobs close to home. My husband works across the border in the USA while trying to transfer his RN license up here (because yes it does take forever..) That may be an option for you in the meantime. Those "dinosaur" hospitals are government funded and they're probably old, that's why. It's not fancy but they do their job

Yeah..I live close to US Michigan border too(only takes 15 mins from here actually) I wish I could walk across the border too, but I only have PR in Canada and cannot work until I get Canada citizenship. I contacted some agency but they said i should be able to work flexible(they are going to send me new york, California, pretty much wherever) so... I do really want to work in the States

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On 6/24/2019 at 1:10 PM, deannahamid said:

I agree with you its all stupid when its the same NCLEX and even more and less same work environment as well. Most of the books that are taught in the BSN programs in Canada are written by US nursing professors. I had to do the same when I moved from Florida to Ontario. Hang in there and I agree with the suggestion the above post mentioned of either cross border job, looking for a nursing agency or travel nurse positions in the meantime.

Thanks.. I just have no status in the States ?

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You don't need to be a Canadian Citizen to work in Canada.

Are you still married to your Canadian husband? Isn't making your new life and marriage work important to you?

When my Mum moved to Canada, her credentials weren't recognized. She never nursed again. She raised us and went back to school to get an education in a more family friendly skill set.

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4 hours ago, soljhs said:

Yeah..I live close to US Michigan border too(only takes 15 mins from here actually) I wish I could walk across the border too, but I only have PR in Canada and cannot work until I get Canada citizenship. I contacted some agency but they said i should be able to work flexible(they are going to send me new york, California, pretty much wherever) so... I do really want to work in the States

Then how were you working in the USA before this? OPT only gives you 1 year working visa. (I studied BSN in the USA and never had a green card so I know..) At least you have PR in Canada. You can look into working as a caregiver or work in non-nursing related jobs while you wait..You can also make the most out of your time by making local connections, taking some extra nursing classes that can make you hirable, and give yourself time to settle as well.

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10 minutes ago, dayandnight said:

Then how were you working in the USA before this? OPT only gives you 1 year working visa. (I studied BSN in the USA and never had a green card so I know..) At least you have PR in Canada. You can look into working as a caregiver or work in non-nursing related jobs while you wait..You can also make the most out of your time by making local connections, taking some extra nursing classes that can make you hirable, and give yourself time to settle as well.

I was on OPT visa when I worked in the States. Yeah.. gotta make local connections here. Thank you for your opinion!

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Do you have any update? I just graduated high school, I live in Texas and I'm planning to go to nursing school. I really want to live in Canada and settle there in the future.

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10 minutes ago, rdacara said:

Do you have any update? I just graduated high school, I live in Texas and I'm planning to go to nursing school. I really want to live in Canada and settle there in the future.

I highly suggest you just go to a nursing school in Canada instead of the USA if that's what your goal is. Canadian nursing school clinicals are intense and will really prepare you for working in Canada. If not, I suggest you get some experience in Texas before coming over and find out how to immigrate and get your license transferred then. (By the time you get out of nursing school things may be quite different)

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4 minutes ago, dayandnight said:

I highly suggest you just go to a nursing school in Canada instead of the USA if that's what your goal is. Canadian nursing school clinicals are intense and will really prepare you for working in Canada. If not, I suggest you get some experience in Texas before coming over and find out how to immigrate and get your license transferred then. (By the time you get out of nursing school things may be quite different)

Will it take long to get my license transferred? How about taking my ADN here then find nursing program to take my BSN in Canada?

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Specializes in Neurology/ER/ICU.

Canada never had an ADN program. The had 3 year diploma program which was eliminated after 2005. Since then except for the province of Quebec all schools offer 4 year BSN. It's too late to get admission for September. Either you start a BSN in USA or you start BSN in Canada in September 2020. No college/University offer January start date.

Hope that helps.

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