Canadian RN- US Nurse Residency Programs

vince_reads, BSN, LVN, RN · Jun 16, 2020

I am not Canadian. But yes, I started with one of the New Grad Programs here, and let me tell you... it's very competitive! I assume that a U.S. hospital in any U.S. state prioritizes those new grad applicants who have done their preceptorship in that specific hospital and they'll put you in the clinical area where your last preceptorship was. Some hospitals do a point system where they consider you based on having some clinical or patient care experience like working as a certified nursing assistant, paramedic, monitor tech and so on. Then some will also add your GPA and so on. The whole shebang! For real. They will look at everything you have that you can offer.

Let me say an example... I applied to the Nurse Residency program at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California. That hospital is like one of the best in our region, in California and in the entire U.S. They always have residency program all throughout the year, and applicants are also around the nation. I didn't get chosen or hired, hahaha, I already knew that but I still applied, hahaha, no harm in trying, right? Hahaha. So I applied at other hospitals as well that are offering residency programs. At that time, I just wanted to get into a hospital to begin a career aside from applying at SNFs (skilled nursing facilities) too. I prolly applied like 3-5 hospitals with residency programs, and around 2-3 SNFs. But I was able to get in to my current workplace now. Paperwork will require you for your employment eligibility. My hospital required us to have the U.S. citizenship requirement or lawful permanent residency before even starting to work, and the SSN (social security number) as well. They weren't accepting working visas, and as far as I know until now.

So in my point of view, I am not Canadian, but what I can suggest is you finish your nursing degree, get the RN license from your preferred U.S. state or terrritory, and from there, you start searching for hospitals for residency programs that are accepting working visas.

BushDr · Jun 24, 2020

On 6/7/2020 at 8:32 PM, HappyGuarantee123 said:
Hello,
This is probably a premature post, as I haven't started school yet, but I'm wondering about US Nurse Residency Programs and if you are able to apply for these as a Canadian RN. I have a previous BSc degree and will be completing a 20 month accelerated BScN program in September. I have heard a lot about Nurse Residency programs in the US and they seem like an excellent way to begin your career, especially after doing an accelerated program where you may not have as much experience starting out. We don't seem to have these types of programs here in Canada, aside from a few similar programs at very few hospitals.
I know there is quite a bit of work involved to work in the US (applying for state license, visa etc) and that this would still need to happen to begin a nurse residency program, but I'm looking for some insight on these programs in general & if anyone has any experience doing this as a Canadian.
Thanks!

Hi, I'm in the same shoes as yourself. I'm not sure what the poster above is on about. Yes, they are competitive but are Canadian nurses being recruited by the day? Absolutely. If you're in Toronto, there are recruiters from all across the US at job fairs actively recruiting Canadian Nurses. You can either go through an agency or apply directly, and I remember reading from a nurse here who is starting with an hospital in Maine. If I see the handle again I'll post it. If you are a Canadian Citizen, you definitely do not need a Green Card/Permanent Residency to work in the US. Canadian nurses cross to work in Detroit daily. As we take the NCLEX now, it has also made things a bit easier too. Heck, before the NCLEX, states like North Carolina have had reciprocity with the CNO license for ever.

So, I believe you'll need a TN visa, Visa screen, CGFNS cert. validation, etc. I'm not sure about all the specifics. Choosing how to go about it is a matter of convenience, working about it yourself, or using an agency. Again, once I see that handle of the New Grad RN from Canada in Maine, I'll post it so you can follow their thread.

prettyheadache, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2020

Great question. I'm also interested in pursuing this path.