All Rns Moving Join Together!!!

markjrn · May 10, 2005

Hi guys!!! I think I may get stuck in Can after july 24 which means I will have to do the visa screen! Soo I want us all to be able to help each other wtih any info I find the board confusing sometimes to go through. Anyone preped for the NCLEX? I am taking mine in early June as soon as I finish my wedding planning. Although I havent studied yet! I have that NCLEX made easy book which I aslo used for my Can RN's. Okay start the info flowing!

I lived and worked in the US for about 8 years before coming back home. I'm fed up with lousy attitudes here, so I'm preparing to go back. I'm just about to send off my Visascreen app, and it seems pretty painless, you just need to have your ducks in a row and some bucks. The people I spoke with at CGFNS were snotty but helpful. :stone

I wrote the CNATS and NCLEX in 1996. Didn't study for either - was sick of studying by that time. Anyways, both went off without a hitch.

Hopefully the Visascreen remains painless...but I've heard horror stories.

markjrn · May 10, 2005

I am Canadian. I have everything in place. I am just waiting for the TN Visa. Is the TN visa screen , the TN visa? I was told it was but still am unclear. I was hopeing to know more about the process once I receive this certificate in the mail. Then what do I do? Thanks

When you have your NCLEX, visascreen and license for the state you want to work in, you can find a job. Before starting work, you must get a visa - in this case, say a NAFTA visa. You go to the border with $56 US, your visascreen, diploma/degree, nursing license, petition letter, maybe a contract, proof of citizenship (I've never owned a passport, but they're supposed to be implementing that in the future). It is a good idea to pick the crossing you want to use, call them and ask them what THEY want (they can differ - right now the one closest to my home does not know anything about the visascreen). Get the person's name, and always try to deal with the same person to eliminate any future possible confusion.

It's not hard to get a TN, you just need to be organized. When I travelled, I sometimes changed companies frequently to get assignments that I wanted. This meant I had to change my visa frequently. US immigration and customs was almost always very pleasant to deal with, Canada immigration and customs was almost always miserable.

beausud · May 11, 2005

I lived and worked in the US for about 8 years before coming back home. I'm fed up with lousy attitudes here, so I'm preparing to go back. I'm just about to send off my Visascreen app, and it seems pretty painless, you just need to have your ducks in a row and some bucks. The people I spoke with at CGFNS were snotty but helpful. :stone
I wrote the CNATS and NCLEX in 1996. Didn't study for either - was sick of studying by that time. Anyways, both went off without a hitch.
Hopefully the Visascreen remains painless...but I've heard horror stories.

hey markjrn, how are you? i'm planning to go back to CAN (for school), i was just wondering if you can give me a little insight of how the nursing is back home (at least in your part of the country); i've been travelling for about 5 yrs. i unfortunately will have to look for a part time job while im in school. hopefully my future work "atmosphere" will be more pleasant compared to yours. good luck w/ the Visa Screen process. thx for your time.

markjrn · May 11, 2005

hey markjrn, how are you? i'm planning to go back to CAN (for school), i was just wondering if you can give me a little insight of how the nursing is back home (at least in your part of the country); i've been travelling for about 5 yrs. i unfortunately will have to look for a part time job while im in school. hopefully my future work "atmosphere" will be more pleasant compared to yours. good luck w/ the Visa Screen process. thx for your time.

Hey, welcome back. I love Canada, don't get me wrong, but the work conditions here (SK) are...difficult. I'm in the ICU. While the ratios are good, I think there are serious quality of cares issues. The ratios on the floors are horrendous - I've heard up to 13-16. These RN's are pretty tired. I think the hardest part is watching the lack of available care to the public, in general, and adjusting to the (new to me) attitudes of RN's. It seems (to both my wife and I) that RN's have become less concerned about patient care and more concerned that they get all of the money, seniority and benefits they can. It's obnoxious. My wife refuses to work for the Health Region, and we've gone through hell trying to get her decent healthcare - and we're still trying.

So, we're going to head back down to the US where we have a good friend who is an MD. We might return someday, but probably to Alberta. As of late everyone is moving to Calgary.

If you have any questions, just let me know.

beausud · May 11, 2005

Hey, welcome back. I love Canada, don't get me wrong, but the work conditions here (SK) are...difficult. I'm in the ICU. While the ratios are good, I think there are serious quality of cares issues. The ratios on the floors are horrendous - I've heard up to 13-16. These RN's are pretty tired. I think the hardest part is watching the lack of available care to the public, in general, and adjusting to the (new to me) attitudes of RN's. It seems (to both my wife and I) that RN's have become less concerned about patient care and more concerned that they get all of the money, seniority and benefits they can. It's obnoxious. My wife refuses to work for the Health Region, and we've gone through hell trying to get her decent healthcare - and we're still trying.
So, we're going to head back down to the US where we have a good friend who is an MD. We might return someday, but probably to Alberta. As of late everyone is moving to Calgary.
If you have any questions, just let me know.

hey thx for your reply, i have a feeling i might encounter similar situations in montreal. im already looking at other options for work when im in school. after 5 yrs of traveling, i think its time for me to go back. at least for a little while. good luck to you both.

markjrn · May 11, 2005

hey thx for your reply, i have a feeling i might encounter similar situations in montreal. im already looking at other options for work when im in school. after 5 yrs of traveling, i think its time for me to go back. at least for a little while. good luck to you both.

Thanks.

We need to go back to school, as well. We were going to do it here in SK, but the system and instructors are so archaic, we weren't really interested. So I guess we'll have to look in the US. Not sure what kind of funding we could get down there.

I did consider picking up some overtime at the prison here, to escape the hospital politics. They say it's a decent job. That might be one avenue you could consider, if it interests you. Apparently, you mostly pass meds and handle any stabbing, etc, and the prisoners are usually pretty nice because you've got the drugs! lol

I'm hoping we can go up to Quebec if we ever get to Maine. I hear it's very nice.

beausud · May 12, 2005

Thanks.
We need to go back to school, as well. We were going to do it here in SK, but the system and instructors are so archaic, we weren't really interested. So I guess we'll have to look in the US. Not sure what kind of funding we could get down there.
I did consider picking up some overtime at the prison here, to escape the hospital politics. They say it's a decent job. That might be one avenue you could consider, if it interests you. Apparently, you mostly pass meds and handle any stabbing, etc, and the prisoners are usually pretty nice because you've got the drugs! lol
I'm hoping we can go up to Quebec if we ever get to Maine. I hear it's very nice.

i love montreal (and quebec city too)... ofcourse i am biased. but anyhow. i have chosen to go back to school in canada cause ill get more bang for the buck sort of speak (compared to doing it here). i still have yet to apply... still in the process of saving $$. hopefully i will save up enough to live and goto school w/ doing the minimal amount of work hours. i had a co-worker at duke who worked in the prison system there, he said that he liked it. im not quite sure if i would be comfortable doing that, but who knows.

i was back home over the christmas holidays and met an RN. she echoed almost the same sentiment that you did about the work conditions/pay situation. at this point i'll have to make do w/ whats available when i get there. my feeling is that most CAN RN's are heading to the US, even though you have to jump through more hoops to get your papers; well been there done that :uhoh3: . my Visa Screen is good for 5 yrs. i have until that time to decide wether the US lifestyle or the Canadian lifetsyle best suits me over all. i dont want go through that costly and time consuming process unless i have to. we'll i guess ill just have to wait and see where the wind will take me. :)

Artis · May 12, 2005

Thanks this helps! Another question, when you change jobs do you have to change your visa??what to you mean by this? THanks

When you have your NCLEX, visascreen and license for the state you want to work in, you can find a job. Before starting work, you must get a visa - in this case, say a NAFTA visa. You go to the border with $56 US, your visascreen, diploma/degree, nursing license, petition letter, maybe a contract, proof of citizenship (I've never owned a passport, but they're supposed to be implementing that in the future). It is a good idea to pick the crossing you want to use, call them and ask them what THEY want (they can differ - right now the one closest to my home does not know anything about the visascreen). Get the person's name, and always try to deal with the same person to eliminate any future possible confusion.
It's not hard to get a TN, you just need to be organized. When I travelled, I sometimes changed companies frequently to get assignments that I wanted. This meant I had to change my visa frequently. US immigration and customs was almost always very pleasant to deal with, Canada immigration and customs was almost always miserable.

Artis · May 12, 2005

Thanks for the info. What does this mean? I dont understand, they say they need nurses. Do they mean they dont sponsor for a green card?

ok when you get that document, you can go look for jobs in the US. either as a travel position OR as staff. for a travel position, your company will write a contract w/ you. once you have that contract in hand, *double check the details of the contract: pay, hours, time off, night shift/day shift, rotating, contract start and end date etc. you must also apply to the nursing board of the state that you want to work in... follow the instructions in their application packet; you will prolly have to send them a copy of you VISA SCREEN (depends on which state you are applying to) and ofcourse your NCLEX certification (amongst other documents). once they issue you a lisence.. you then take your contract along w/ your VISA SCREEN and your US *state* lisence to the border and tell the agent that you are applying for a TN VISA. he/she will direct you from there. some borders take cash only! i.e. the airport in montreal. my last TN VISA cost me $50 US (?)... i dont remember.
PS:i've always had a passport. in my humble opinion that having it w/ you even when crossing the US/CAN border helps alot. especially post 9/11. the steps/proceedures described above may vary... but you do need a state lisence, NCLEX, and visa screen to get your TN VISA. your company (hospital, if you are going as staff) should help you w/ all these steps. good luck.

beausud · May 12, 2005

Thanks for the info. What does this mean? I dont understand, they say they need nurses. Do they mean they dont sponsor for a green card?

hey, if you stay w/ the same company, you don't need a new TN visa. the TN Visa allows you to work for one company. *you need another TN Visa for each company you sign up with. i.e: if companyX offers me a contract in San Fran, i might sign up w/ them... but if companyA offers me a better deal, ill have to go to the border and have them issue me another TN Visa for companyA. when they issue you your TN Visa they write the company you work for on the back of the document. from my understanding, one company per TN Visa. i dunno if there is a limit on how many TN Visa's that you can have.

to get your green card you need to have done the VISA SCREEN. its part of the green card process from what i have read. some hospitals will not sponsor you.. this means that they will not help you get your GREEN CARD. BUT if you have your Visa Screen, you will have done part of the process already!

suzanne4, RN · May 12, 2005

Thanks for the info. What does this mean? I dont understand, they say they need nurses. Do they mean they dont sponsor for a green card?

A TN Visa can be gotten in just an hour or two with the proper documents and you can begin work immediately..........the green card takes at least a year or two to receive, but you can be working legally during that time........

Only RNs from Mexico and Canada are covered under this NAFTA Agreement.

Hospitals "sponsor" for temporary work permits, they "petition" for green cards. Big difference in paperwork for them. I wouldn't worry about that. If you want to work in the US, you can............. :)

markjrn · May 12, 2005

i love montreal (and quebec city too)... ofcourse i am biased. but anyhow. i have chosen to go back to school in canada cause ill get more bang for the buck sort of speak (compared to doing it here). i still have yet to apply... still in the process of saving $$. hopefully i will save up enough to live and goto school w/ doing the minimal amount of work hours. i had a co-worker at duke who worked in the prison system there, he said that he liked it. im not quite sure if i would be comfortable doing that, but who knows.
i was back home over the christmas holidays and met an RN. she echoed almost the same sentiment that you did about the work conditions/pay situation. at this point i'll have to make do w/ whats available when i get there. my feeling is that most CAN RN's are heading to the US, even though you have to jump through more hoops to get your papers; well been there done that . my Visa Screen is good for 5 yrs. i have until that time to decide wether the US lifestyle or the Canadian lifetsyle best suits me over all. i dont want go through that costly and time consuming process unless i have to. we'll i guess ill just have to wait and see where the wind will take me. :)

Yeah, I know how you feel - I'm not sure if I'd be too happy working in a prison either. I try not to look at it that way, but I know my wife would be a nervous wreck every time I went to work. I'm a little concerned about tuition prices in the US, but figure I'll worry more about that when I get there. I could still maybe consider doing Canadian Athabasca courses through distance, I think.

It's too bad that the situation isn't any different in Montreal. I was secretly hoping that things were better elsewhere in Canada, so I could go and live there. :) Maybe it's a country-wide phenomenon, but I hope not. Unfortunately I don't see change in the near future.

I'm sending the paper work for my Visa Screen today. Not looking forward to all of this. I have my ducks in a row - dotted my I's, crossed my T's - I'm just worried about everyone else doing their job. We're in about the same "place" - I'm just riding life out right now, to see where I want to live. I'm a Canadian at heart, but really miss a few places in the US. I think about it too much, and it makes me tired! lol