Lpn here in texas, wanting to nurse in canada

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Oct 25, 2009

It is a little more complicated than that. CNO will want you to submit all your documentation to them for assessment. They'll decide if your education meets their standards. If they're satisfied they'll then give you authorization to write the Canadian Licensed Practical Nurse Examination, which is a pencil-and-paper exam written only 3 times a year. The results of the exam take about 6-8 weeks to be communicated and registration approval issued. There will be $$ attached to each step and a lengthy timeline. So not exactly simple.

jneeley07 · Oct 25, 2009

It is a little more complicated than that. CNO will want you to submit all your documentation to them for assessment. They'll decide if your education meets their standards. If they're satisfied they'll then give you authorization to write the Canadian Licensed Practical Nurse Examination, which is a pencil-and-paper exam written only 3 times a year. The results of the exam take about 6-8 weeks to be communicated and registration approval issued. There will be $$ attached to each step and a lengthy timeline. So not exactly simple.

Yep, that's what I was thinking. I'm sure it costs a fortune to write the exam too. If the CNO ends up deciding my education isn't up to their standards, are there classes I can take in Canada to get up to date? Or will I be able to take more classes here in the U.S.?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Oct 26, 2009

The exam fees for LPNs are much lower than those for RNs. In Ontario the current rate for the CLPNE is $236.25. (The CRNE is $431.79...) They'll tell you where you're lacking and you may be able to take a couple of community college courses in the US to top you up, or you may want to do the same here. But you'll pay more here. My best advice is to submit your application and find out what the want, then figure out how to give it to them.

Fiona59 · Oct 26, 2009

Jan add in the cost of the actual practice permit to the exam fee.

http://clpna.com/Members/FeeSchedule/tabid/84/Default.aspx

A new grad to write and obtain the permit is looking at $600. I remember paying around $450 for my exam and permit a while back.

I'm not sure what Ontario's rates are but they are probably close.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Oct 26, 2009

Ontario does their registration a lot differently than all the other provinces, Fiona. CNO is CHEAP compared to any other college. They charge an application fee ($171.37), the examination fee and a registration fee. Registration is $171.73 regardless of whether you're an RN or an RPN (LPN). CARNA charges $210 for their application fee, $519.75 for the CRNE and $472.50 for registration. CLPNA charges $105 for the application, $600 for the CPNRE and $250 for the registration. Huge differences!

linzz · Oct 28, 2009

If you are coming from the US, depending on when you graduated, and of course citizenship issues being settled, you will have your education assessed and you get up to two years to complete the upgrading, after which you can write the exam.

The CNO website also stated that they wil soon be changing the RPN (LPN) requirements, so keep checking.

british columbia LPN · Feb 9, 2010

HI it is true, just go to the governing body for LPNS in ontario and they will assess your transpcripts and tell you what you need. You can take what ever component you need here in canada to be sure it is what they want. On another issue, I have been told that they are phasing LPNS out of hospitals in Texas and only use them in nursing homes. This I was told by a recruitment individual from Texas who was at a nursing fair in Vancouver BC. having said that I don't know if the nclexLPN is national in the states because I have heard it is a hard test. If each state has their own test then maybe Texas would be easier and the training would cover less that our provinces here since I have heard they are not utilizing LPNS to their full potential in Texas. Don't know, not trying to cut your training down at all just trying to be helpful.( because I don't know what your training entails. ) It's just that you may need to do a particular component, which is no big deal. At any rate it is not a hard process, but I know in my province the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia do take a very long time to decide if you can take the test. Hope this helps

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 10, 2010

NCLEX PN in the states is a national exam and is the same for everyone that sits it regardless on state they apply to, all questions come from the same pot and depends on how you answer it to what you get.

Fiona59 · Feb 10, 2010

NCLEX PN in the states is a national exam and is the same for everyone that sits it regardless on state they apply to, all questions come from the same pot and depends on how you answer it to what you get.

Those of who've been around a while know that. It's the fresh, new nursing students that don't know it.

british columbia LPN · Feb 10, 2010

I doubt you would have to do much upgrading for the Canadian exam since the nclex PN is National. I know Canadian's who have written and said it's very difficult so I would assume that it would be more than enough to pass our test. I didn't find our test very difficult, mind you, I have been an LPN for 17 years so I'm sure it has changed many times since then.

Fiona59 · Feb 10, 2010

I doubt you would have to do much upgrading for the Canadian exam since the nclex PN is National. I know Canadian's who have written and said it's very difficult so I would assume that it would be more than enough to pass our test. I didn't find our test very difficult, mind you, I have been an LPN for 17 years so I'm sure it has changed many times since then.

Two things: we haven't heard from the OP in a very long time, so we don't know if they even completed their education.

PN education in the US is very different from up here. Ontario and AB have two year diploma entry for LPNs. Many US programmes are far shorter than Canadian and do not include the required First Year transfer credits that Ontario requires. PN education differs across Canada and traditionally each provinces CLPN evaluates education to determine if an out of province graduate meets their standards. A few years back, PNs from BC were required to upgrade their A&P courses to work in AB due to differences in scope of practice in the two provinces. CNO has lately been granting PN permits to RNs from areas that have dissimilar degree programmes or who have only two year educations.

It's true that both countries national exams are written so that graduates of the shortest and longest versions of the educational courses can obtain their practice permits. CPNRE is a psycho social type exam while from what I've heard NCLEX-PN is more lab/disease process based.

So ultimately it's entirely upto the provincial governing agency to determine if an out of country education meets standard.