Good Critical Care Nursing Programs in Canada

[Hopeful Angel]

Hi all! I am a Registered Nurse currently employed outside of Canada. I've been an RN for 6 yrs and i've been working in ICU for almost a year. However, my country only has 1 ICU program and it's not very reliable. I'm interested in pursuing my certification in Critical Care nursing in Canada but i'm lost as to which schools are the best. Can anyone help me?

[dishes, BSN, RN]

The admission requirements for most Canadian critical nursing programs is proof of registration as a RN in the province in which the program is located. Do you have Canadian registration?

[Castiela]

here is the list of schools according to the Canadian association of critical care nurses which offer the critical care programs:

AlbertaMount Royal University

British ColumbiaBritish Columbia Institute of Technology

ManitobaWinnipeg Critical Care Education Program

New BrunswickUniversity of New Brunswick

Université de Moncton

Nova ScotiaRegistered Nurses Professional Development Centre

NewfoundlandCentre for Nursing Studies

OntarioCentennial College

Conestoga College

Durham College

Georgian College

Mohawk College

Bloomberg School of Nursing, University of Toronto

School of Nursing, University of Windsor

QuebecIngram School of Nursing, McGill University

Hopefully this will help direct your research into which program you are interested in and what the admission requirements are

[Hopeful Angel]

No i do not have Canadian registration. But i am Registered in my country. I was just hoping to study and then return home to serve the ICU here better.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Another country's ICU course will not necessarily be relevant to your country's ICU practices. The program within your country is based on the technology, equipment that is available in your country. The practices are based on the standards and laws of your country and it makes more sense to take a course in your own country.

[Hopeful Angel]

i understand this and i had hoped to do the course in my country. However, there is only 1 course in the country and there has been no instructor for the past 5 years and the course has been cancelled every year including this year. There is also a large shortage of ICU trained nurses and my hospital is under some strain. Some of the older nurses were trained foreign as well as we have many foreign nurses working in our ICU and while there are differences in teaching, they use the differences to better the system. So i'm hoping that i can at least gain the clinical knowledge and experience to better serve the ICU.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Is there a reason why you would want to take a course in Canada? Have you looked at the admission requirements for the schools listed in castiela's post?

If you are not able meet the Canadian schools' admission requirements, maybe you can look into joining the American association of critical care nurses as an international member. Find out if you can take online courses through the American association and/or attend their conference.

[Hopeful Angel]

I have started going through the list and some have options for international students. If i need to be registered, i'll take the exam. I chose Canada because i have family there and the system in my country uses more of the Canadian heath systems than American. I just wanted to get some feedback on which schools may be the better ones. If at the end of the day I can't get into a school in Canada, i'll try American or other options.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

IENs have to go through many steps to become registered in Canada, the first step is to have their education assessed by NNAS for equivalency to Canadian nurses. Most IENS education is not comparable or somewhat comparable to the Canadian entry to practice competencies. Many IENs need to undergo further competency assessment and some need to take a bridging program before they reach the point where they are would be allowed to sit the NCLEX exam. If they do not have permanent residency in Canada they will not be granted the license.

[Hopeful Angel]

Good to know, thank you. You were right, most of the schools require full Canadian Registration to apply. However, i found 2 schools from the list that did not require full registration: Alberta Mount Royal University and Conestoga University. I will still email both schools just to be sure. And i will continue searching. I know i have a lot of reading up to do. I appreciate all the information you have provided. I accept any assistance i can get

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Are you sure that Mount Royal doesn't require registration with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA)? and that Conestoga doesn't require registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)? It seems unlikely that a school would forgo proof of registration as an admission requirement, as it a patient safety concern and makes it possible for fraudsters to enter the program.

[RN_Pro]

Also beware that many Canadian colleges are currently keeping their doors open via international student fees. It has become quite a large business. Niagara College for example has nursing courses that land students absolutely nowhere except in debt. You might also find some good and accessible schools in the Caribbean. Getting a license in Canada is likely not worth it if you only intend to use it to study. Trust me, it's expensive and it's hell. Just being honest.