Nyc, USA RN working in Vancouver, Canada

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Hi Everyone,

I am currently working as an RN in a NYC hospital. I have been working at my current position for a little over two years now. My experience is in NICU area. I attended a 2 year nursing program and graduated with an Associates Degree. I am considering of moving to Vancouver, Canada in the near future and have some questions regarding working there as an RN. What is the transition like for those who moved from USA to Canada and specifically for those with an Associates Degree. I am concerned that I will not be able to practice as an RN with the degree that I have and might have to further my education but I am not sure on the specifics.

What is the average income with my experience and education? What do the benefits include (pension, medical, etc.). Also I am concerned about job availability, particularly in NICU. I know the downturn in the economy is worldwide and everyone is affected. I would like to know is there a hiring freeze or is there still some hiring going on.

Thank you for any help/advice anyone might have. If anyone would like to correspond with who went through the same process that would be great.

Thank you.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Okay, technically this thread should be posted to the International Forum but it contains enough CanCon that we could let it stay here...

I'll refer you to the Cross-Country Comparison that the Canadian Federation of Nursing Unions has prepared and keeps updated for answers to your questions about salary and benefits: Cross Country Comparison You may not be aware that a huge majority of nurses in Canada are in unionized workplaces.

The College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia is responsible for determining standards and setting requirements for practice in that province. Their website is http://www.crnbc.ca/ and that is where you'll find out what educational requirements they have and how to become licensed there. Your associate's degree may meet requirements, but you'll have to contact the CRNBC to find out.

Many hospitals in the Greater Vancouver Area are under an unofficial hiring freeze. You can look at employment opportunities for the GVA here: http://careers.vch.ca/find_a_job. I took a quick look and there's only one position that pops up using "NICU" as the keyword for external applicants.

Cost of living is another consideration. Real estate in the GVA is VERY expensive and the vacancy rate is low for rental accommodations. So keep that in mind when making your decisions.

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Specializes in education.

Starting salary in BC is just above $29 per hour and it maxes out at about $35. This is for the bottom level of responsibility which is direct care to patients and no responsibility for formal supervision of others.

janfrn has given you the best links to find out more.

Health care is public here and so the availability of nursing positions waxes and wanes with the pot of money available to pay them. However, there is always work, it just might not be the exact work you want. Not all nurses work in hospitals so there is other work that might be available.

Hiring freezes do occur but they are always temporary.

A university degree is an entry level requirement however, if you graduated before 2002 you might be able to get permission to write the CRNE without a university degree because it was not required before then.

Contact the CRNBC as suggested in the previous post.

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It's taken me 148 weeks to get my RN registration in BC and now they're on a "hiring freeze" - don't do it! It's not worth the stress and heartache

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
It's taken me 148 weeks to get my RN registration in BC and now they're on a "hiring freeze" - don't do it! It's not worth the stress and heartache

Why, pray tell, did it take you nearly THREE years to complete your registration?

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it took me three years because i had to complete a theoretical and practical component in maternal/obstetrics nursing.... the one and only theoretical course that the CRNBC recommended was through Thompson Rivers University. when i applied to do it they informed me that the course was under redevelopment and not available. I contacted the CRNBC with other universities that offered similar course content, but they informed me (& i have the emails to prove it!) that the one through Thompson University was the ONLY one they recommended. So i had to wait 9 months for the course to be available. Then it came time to do the practical component - same freakin story - the course was under redevelopment and not available so i had to wait another 9 months to do the practical. oh and that's only the start!!!!!

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Hi Chameleon. I am in the same boat as you 6 months ago and I wanted to know how your application went. I am a US ADN RN in FL and applied 3 weeks ago for RN license in BC. Could you please let me know what to expect? thank you

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Specializes in Home Care.

I'm a Canadian citizen living in FL with a FL PN license. I want to go to Alberta. I received the Alberta LPN application and figured out that I don't have enough education to meet Alberta LPN requirements. So, after I complete the ADN RN here in FL I should meet Alberta LPN requirements.

I took a look at the BC licensing site above. Unfortunately, it doesn't state education requirements as clearly as the Alberta site. For Alberta, RNs are required to have a BSN.

I want to return to Alberta, I'll be happy doing that as an LPN. I'll see what happens with my FL college credits when I apply to an Alberta university for BSN.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.

I havn't looked at the site and I'm not affiliated with CRNBC in anyway, but it is my understanding that any newly registered RN in BC must have a BSN. There are diploma RNs working, but they were grandfathered in when BSN become mandatory in *I think* 1998.

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I have three questions to ask if I may..

1) I sort of plan to get CRNBC certification and sit for CRNE in a year's time if poss. I have a RN-BSN degree. I already started my papers sent to schools, DOH, and former employers.

My question is the prospects of getting a job in BC after passing CRNE.

I am thinking I need to look for a RN job at nursing homes, rehab centers in areas far from the center of the city... where they need more nurses because most RNs prefer big cities and big hospitals...

Pls give me any feedback...on this...

2) I am also thinking about applying for master's degree in nursing in BC, Canada... Then, after graduation, it may be easier for me to get a RN job. I guess so... Any input or feed back on this. Appreciate it..

3) University of BC , does it have good reputation? Or any other universities with good reputation with easy communte to residential areas???

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for any kind help and feed back.. ML25

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Are you a resident/citizen of Canada? If not you will have to pay international student fees at UBC, which are usually about double the regular fees.

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I have three questions to ask if I may..

1) I sort of plan to get CRNBC certification and sit for CRNE in a year's time if poss. I have a RN-BSN degree. I already started my papers sent to schools, DOH, and former employers.

My question is the prospects of getting a job in BC after passing CRNE.

I am thinking I need to look for a RN job at nursing homes, rehab centers in areas far from the center of the city... where they need more nurses because most RNs prefer big cities and big hospitals...

Pls give me any feedback...on this...

2) I am also thinking about applying for master's degree in nursing in BC, Canada... Then, after graduation, it may be easier for me to get a RN job. I guess so... Any input or feed back on this. Appreciate it..

3) University of BC , does it have good reputation? Or any other universities with good reputation with easy communte to residential areas???

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for any kind help and feed back.. ML25

You really don't know much about the Greater Vancouver area or the province of BC by your questions.

Question 1: Where do you plan on working? Vancouver, Burnaby, New West, Surrey, Richmond, virtually border right onto each other. Every community has nursing homes, some rehab and large hospitals. If you move out of the GVRD to centres such as Kamloops, Vernon, Kelowna, Prince George, they all have nursing homes and a descent sized hospital.

Question 2: Masters degrees are usually done by those doing the NP route.

Question 3: UBC is one of Canada's premier universities. Where are you planning on living? The GVRD has a pretty good public transit system. There are times I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than deal with the Vancouver rush hour

You really need to research BC and determine where you want to live and work. The province is huge with much of the population concentrated in the GVRD/lower mainland.

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