Pilot project to speed foreign nurses to Alberta

Published

"Joselita Aguilar is an intensive-care nurse from the Philippines who upgraded her skills to get licensed in Alberta next year. She said the cost of coming to Canada and not knowing if you're qualified is daunting.

"The cost of doing assessment is quite less now and it will be much easier for the nurses to come here doing only the bridging program and the assessment already," she said."

The federal government is giving Alberta $530,000 to fly officials overseas to assess foreign nurses as part of a pilot project to speed up recruitment. Ottawa announced the funding Tuesday for Alberta, which needs several thousand nurses to fill existing vacancies.

.....continue:http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/12/18/nurse-assess.html

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"Joselita Aguilar is an intensive-care nurse from the Philippines who upgraded her skills to get licensed in Alberta next year. She said the cost of coming to Canada and not knowing if you're qualified is daunting.

"The cost of doing assessment is quite less now and it will be much easier for the nurses to come here doing only the bridging program and the assessment already," she said."

The federal government is giving Alberta $530,000 to fly officials overseas to assess foreign nurses as part of a pilot project to speed up recruitment. Ottawa announced the funding Tuesday for Alberta, which needs several thousand nurses to fill existing vacancies.

.....continue:http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/12/18/nurse-assess.html

Are they accepting new RN's even without working experience?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thank you Hoss for that info. But I can't find the info on how we can be part of that recruitment.

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Canada requires passing of the NLE exam and experience, they do not take new grads directly in for their licensed immigrant status in the role of the RN.

That is the same for all provinces in Canada. Remember that licensure and immigration are two very different things and the Canadian exam is only offered three times per year and they do not have instant results.

And they are just looking at the prospect of bringing over foreign nurses, just the first step. It is not going to be something that will happen overnight.

There are many RNs from the Philippines working in Canada but only getting paid about $8 per hour in the care giver role. Not what they were promised at all.

Please be very careful before you sign anything.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

stsinner based from my own experience, I think its better if we work abroad with experience at least 1-2 yrs. Trust me! I'm currently working in an infectious unit and there are alot to learn! Even just the basics! I already have lots of mistakes just for less than a month of working. But I'm learning from them.

We can look for info on how we can work abroad, but we should also make sure that we are fully equipt before living. We can also look for employers to help us, but be reminded that we still need work experience. Even just the basics....

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i heard of an initiative by a college in alberta that wants to create a bridging program for philippine nurses to enable them to work as graduate nurses in canada.

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may we know which college in Alberta is this?

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I heard that Alberta accepts nurses from foreign countries under a 2 year supervise training where nurses are being paid salary during this period. After two years, these nurses will challenge the nursing exam and after passing, then they become a full pledged nurse in Canada. Is this true? Where can foreign nurses apply for this kind of program?

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For nursing information in the province of Alberta, Canada you must meet the requirements as listed here:

http://nurses.ab.ca/Carna/index.aspx?WebStructureID=1277

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I heard that Alberta accepts nurses from foreign countries under a 2 year supervise training where nurses are being paid salary during this period. After two years, these nurses will challenge the nursing exam and after passing, then they become a full pledged nurse in Canada. Is this true? Where can foreign nurses apply for this kind of program?

Please take the time to do some reading on this forum. This has already been much discussed. There is no job title in Canada called an auxillary nurse, you will be paid as a nursing asst and only about $8 to $9 dollars per hour, nothing near what the RN makes their in that role and you will find it quite difficult to pay your bills just for living expenses with that just for you.

And you do not challenge the nursing exam, you will have had to meet the requirements to be able to sit for it. Challenging it means that you never had any training for it, and are trying to pass the exam. This is not permitted anywhere in Canada or the US, you must complete and approved nursing program from an approved school of nursing to be able to sit for the exam. And from your country, it means also having the BSN.

Please be aware that with this program, if you do not pass the CRNE, your visa will become voided and you will be required to leave Canada since you are being brought over to work in that role when you get thru their program.

Would recommend that you go for licensure thru the normal protocol and go over with already being able to work in the role of the RN, not as an asst for two years.

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Suzanne, thank you very much for your very enlightening reply. May there be more people like you and may God bless your good heart. :cheers::cheers:

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