Phil RN's as LPN

purplehippo · May 14, 2008

Just not true at all. I think I have posted before but I am a Canadian citizen who was educated in the US and took NCLEX PN but had to follow ALL of the requirements of a foreign trained nurse in order to get my LPN license in Canada including taking the National licensure exam. I am an RN now and am pursuing getting my license in Canada as an RN and I not only would have to take the RN exam in Canada to do so but I also had to provide a local US license before they would even accept my application. Just because an agency misinforms your friend does not make it so. They do not make up the laws and are NOT the regulatory body of nursing. Whether you friend wants to accept the truth or not she will likely not even be able to stay in the country if it is discovered she is practicing nursing without a license. The agency would definitely not be backing up your friend if it is discovered.

So... we'll just have to see, won't we? As it is she is practicing as an LPN already without having to write the LPN board exam and her contract is good for 1 year. As I have said, hers is not an isolated case.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · May 21, 2008

I've been told by an acquaintance who works with temporary foreign workers in Edmonton that this is not true. Any nurse who is planning to work here as an LPN is attending the LPN program at Norquest and will be required to write the CLPNE. Why they would be given immigration approval for that is beyond me, since there is no shortage of LPNs in Canada.

The first wave of RNs who have met the assessment criteria for eligibility arrived here yesterday. They are getting settled and going through orientation. I saw two of them here in our unit this morning. We do not employ LPNs in this unit for any purpose; these women were recruited directly by Capital Health and will be writing the CRNE in October.

purplehippo · May 21, 2008

I've been told by an acquaintance who works with temporary foreign workers in Edmonton that this is not true. Any nurse who is planning to work here as an LPN is attending the LPN program at Norquest and will be required to write the CLPNE. Why they would be given immigration approval for that is beyond me, since there is no shortage of LPNs in Canada.
The first wave of RNs who have met the assessment criteria for eligibility arrived here yesterday. They are getting settled and going through orientation. I saw two of them here in our unit this morning. We do not employ LPNs in this unit for any purpose; these women were recruited directly by Capital Health and will be writing the CRNE in October.

Then why is my friend working as an LPN already? She said that it is only during the time that she is going to apply as an RN that she will write the CRNE. She is not writing the LPN board exam at all.

These first wave of registered nurses you mentioned? Are they from the Philippines?

suzanne4, RN · May 21, 2008

Then why is my friend working as an LPN already? She said that it is only during the time that she is going to apply as an RN that she will write the CRNE. She is not writing the LPN board exam at all.
These first wave of registered nurses you mentioned? Are they from the Philippines?

Sorry, but even with reciprocity, and that does not exist with the RN exam and the LPN license by the way; one still must write a licensing exam. Even if an LPN in the US or an RN, they would need to write the Canadian exams to work there, same as a Canadian has to write the NCLEX exams for licensure in the US.

What you are speaking of is a trial program, and we do not know what will come of it. The nurses are only in Canada with temporary work visas as well, and they are not landed immigrant visas at all. It does not matter what the nurse calls herself there, but the fact is that they are not writing the exam or even applying for it, then if there are any issues that arise, they will be the first to be liable in a court of law and I am sure that lawyers would have a field day with this. The law on the books is still black and white and this is a grey area and no one knows how it will turn out.

LPNs are part of a healthcare team, the same way that the RN is as well as the MD and other members that also provide services. Each has their own duties. But as mentioned above, there are still many types of units that do not use LPNs as there is still a limitation on the meds that they can give via an IV, etc.

suzanne4, RN · May 21, 2008

And if they do not pass the exam on the first try, then chances are they will be on a plane back home as they will not be able to continue to practice at all.

And usually at their own expense, not the agency since it is assumed that they will pass.

purplehippo · May 21, 2008

Again, I agree that for one to practice in a licensed profession anywhere, she/he must write and pass the board exam for that profession.

I might meet her on the 26th...I shall ask if I can see her license and learn if she really IS WORKING AS AN LPN WITHOUT HAVING TO WRITE THE LPN BOARD EXAM as what she has been adamantly expaining to me.

suzanne4, RN · May 22, 2008

She can explain all that she wants, the fact is that there has not been a license issued and if any case goes to court, the attorneys will have a field day with this one.

Any way that you call it, it is practising without a license. And again, if reciprocity as you call it, does not work for an actual American nurse; why in the world would it work or should it work for someone from your country that did not even have the training as an LPN to begin with either?

And if there are any issues that come up with their practice, they will be placed on a plane back home rather quickly. Not a good scene to be involved with.

Remember that this is only a pilot program, and one cannot expect that it will continue possibly for the length of the contract. If cancelled, then they all have to leave Canada within a certain time frame.

purplehippo · May 22, 2008

I asked again my friend for the nth time and this is what she said: And I will just quote her (through chat in messenger so these are her exact words):

"Yup I am working as an LPN already, but still with conditional license. They are still waiting for some requirements from Illinois for verification of my passing the NCLEX then they will issue my license... no need to write the LPN board exam exam. I started in the hospital already, working as an LPN."

So there...

suzanne4, RN · May 22, 2008

I really do not care what she is stating, the RNs that work there as well as the Canadian LPNs have already chimed in on this topic.

Since this is no longer being productive and of benefit for anyone, will close this thread for the time being.

Again, it does not matter what your friend tells you, but we are aware of the requirements for working there. And she has a conditional license and that only. And again, this is a pilot program and no guarantee that it is going to work out in the long run either.

And my final two cents on this topic and then I am done with it:

If one goes to Canada to work as an LPN, it is not considered experience as an RN and will not count towards work experience in the role of the RN here in the US. And we are expecting that immigration is going to start requiring two years of work experience as most other countries are now doing. Then they will be completely out of luck as well.

purplehippo · May 22, 2008

Yup and I still stand with the right thing. To be licensed, one must write and pass the board exam for that profession.

suzanne4, RN · May 22, 2008

And wait until some of them have to face the winter weather there, they are not going to last long at all.

End of story.