Danish nurse (studying) seeking clinic work in Canada - HELP!

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I have the option of taking part of my 6th semester in another country, I would like that to be in Canada. My 6th semester is a clinical semester (hospital work) which has a 3 month duration. This is the time I'd love to come and work in Canada.

I am thinking students in Canadian nursing schools do clinical work as well alongside their theoretical studies, and was wondering how to go about a foreign-exchange option so I can get to try this?

My hope is to live and work in Canada once I am done with my education, but I would love to sample it by using my 6th semester there.

My school counselors don't have any contacts in Canada, and has asked me to try and set something up myself.

How can I go about making this happen, and who should I contact?

If anyone has experience or information, I'd be greatly appreciative. :)

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

I would be very surprised if this sort of thing could be arranged. "Canada" is a pretty broad target, and the time frame required to get the ball rolling for an endeavor of this magnitude is very long. Where in Canada would you like to go? What will your needs be when you're here (ie lodging, transportation, etc)? Will your education up to now be equivalent to a Canadian student? These are some things for you to think about.

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Thanks for the reply.

It IS a large endeavour, and that's why I am inquiring about it now :)

It will be in the summer/fall of 2011, so 1½ years from now.

I should probably have specified that we are mainly looking for British Columbia, the Vancouver area.

And yes, my education is recognized on the same footing as a Canadian, and Denmark is a fully-qualified foreign-exchange country. The government even pays us for our studies abroad, but there are no current deals between a Canadian college and my college, which is why I need to do some legwork.

I was hoping this community would be a good place to start. :)

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Over the years, we've seen a lot of students want to do this but none have ever returned to the boards to say there were successful.

The problem you have to look at is the reality that many hospitals are only able to take x number of students at a time from local schools. I know that time is a big issue. We are now seeing students on the weekends and more on the evening shift than we did five years ago. It's due to the numbers that in school right now. Preceptors are burning out in the hospitals. They finish with one student and then by the start of the next month they are being asked to take another.

So, you have to find a nursing programme able to accomodate you, then the programme has to find a preceptor that is willing to take you.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

I think in Ontario preceptors get a whole $1.00 more per hour when precepting. No wonder they don't want to do it.

I hate to say this, but right now in Ontario, nurses are fighting to keep their hospital jobs, not sure about BC, maybe it is better there.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Things are probably not better in BC. The OP is advised to contact the schools of nursing in Vancouver and establish a connection. The schools will be able to determine how likely it is that she could do this exchange and how to make it happen. The contact information is available on the web through a Google search.

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