Mental health nursing in Canada

[RNcashy89]

Let me start with a huge preemptive thank you to anyone who can provide insight on this matter, it has been causing me a lot of stress.

My wife has been offerred a job to commence in Toronto in Aug/September 2015. I am an Australian Registered Nurse, with a background entirely within acute psychiatric settings. I have noted that many of the districts in Canada have specific certification of psychiatric nurses, but Ontario does not. Does this mean that I will need to write a general NCLEX examination to work within a psychiatric setting in Toronto?

Preparing for such an examination, with a background solely as a mental health practitioner is a daunting concept and it seems strange to asses my competence to work in a surgical/ICU setting if I am a mental health nurse.

Again, thanks for ANY input.

[loriangel14, RN]

Yes, to work as a mental health nurse in Ontario you would need to write the NCLEX. First you would have to meet the requirements of the CNO.Canadian nurses are generalist trained so your transcripts would have to show the required theory and clinical hours for adult, peds, OB/GYN and mental health nursing. You are applying for a Canadian nursing license so you would have to meet the same educational requirements as any nurse that was educated in Canada. Best of luck.

[Fiona59]

Reg. Psych Nurses in the western provinces are also educated in the med/surg/peds/maternity area. Not in depth but enough to be able to do a clinical placement on those units.

[RNcashy89]

In Australia - international nurses with a psychiatric background can received registration to practice only within a mental health setting. Hence my query.

[loriangel14, RN]

In Ontario you would need to pass the nursing exam which covers all areas.

[ivyRN987]

I would like to piggyback on this thread -- I am an American RN moving to Canada in the next few years (my husband is Canadian) and all of my experience (3 years) has been in psychiatric nursing. Here in the states, you can get certified in your specialty after a certain amount of experience and hours (which I'm not yet eligible for as I am part-time), but an RN is an RN, there are not specialized Psychiatric RNs as it seems there are in Canada. As such, would I be eligible for a psych RN job in Canada, or do you have to be a specialized Psych RN to be hired for a Psych nursing job in Canada? Thank you!

[dishes, BSN, RN]

It is only the 4 western provinces that have registered psychiatric nurses, the rest of the country is similar to the US, genralist trained nurses work in mental health and after RNs have two years experience in the speciality, they can write a certification exam through the Canadian Nurses Association. If you look at the psychiatric and mental health certifcation information on CNA's website, I think you will find it is similar to the American certification.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Most of the postings for mental health nursing positions will say "Registered Nurse/Registered Psychiatric Nurse" or will have something int he qualifications section of the posting in those provinces where there are Registered Psychiatric Nurses. Something like this, taken directly from an AHS posting for addictions treatment:

" Graduate of an accredited nursing program, Current CARNA or CPRNA registration, Current HCP-BCLS with AED certification"

Having experience will definitely get your application a look.

[loriangel14, RN]

The OP is looking at Ontario so this won't apply.

[RNcashy89]

Thanks guys. Anyway, Ill just have to satisfy the requirements for general registration prior to looking for a job.

[MHA_RN]

To clarify, would an RN from B.C. be able to work in MH in Ontario? Or would they be required to write an exam BEFORE being able to work in MH/Forensics/Corrections?

[loriangel14, RN]

Yes if you are a generally trained RN from BC you could work in MH in Ontario.