Considering a move to Canada from US

[Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN]

I'm a 40 year old relatively new nurse here in America. I have 16 months experience at this point on a medical/surgical floor with solid organ transplant focus (6 months) and a cardiopulmonary stepdown unit (10 months) with telemetry and cardiac focus. I have been reading about the things they are looking for when deciding if a person can write the exam or has to do SEC. When people say "medical, surgical, psych, obstetrics and pediatrics", they are just referring to whether those things were covered in their education, correct? And whether it was covered as well as it is in Canadian schools, right? We definitely had components in all of these areas, moreso in med/surg. The psych, obstetric and pediatrics were all 5 week clinical sessions along with classwork. Since I have not worked as a nurse in any of those last three fields, and do not wish to, I would find it odd that I might be assessed as to my competency in those areas.

Also, we are not planning to move for another three or four years. I'm getting ready to possibly move into a new job focusing on wound care in a clinic, since this interests me greatly. I wonder how that will figure into everything...med/surg?

I'm considering completing my bachelor degree as well. I figure this can only help me as it will be more education and will look even better on my application. Are there any other things I might be able to do to "spruce up" my application so I won't have to do SEC. We are looking at the Fredericton, NB area for relocating. I read their School of Nursing website, and it didn't say anything about SEC. It said that as long as I had so many hours of work in North America (over 1100 or something like that) within the last five years, then I could apply.

Thanks for any advice or thoughts you can give me on this...do they have wound care clinics in Canada? Do they make the same as other RN's?

Cara

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Each application is decided on as a individual case so a lot will depend on what your transcripts state and what experience you submit.

[Fiona59]

You need to learn about Canadian culture as well.

Nurses here are highly unionized. Pay scales are pretty similar regardless of what your specialty is.

Seniority is the determining factor in many of the more desireable jobs (ie clinics because of the regular hours).

Most hospital position involve two shifts on each job line. I do know one nurse that works Days, Evenings, and Nights on her rotation and she has 15 years seniority. Just loves her area.