Practical Nursing in Canada for 2 years

Published

Hi, I am a registered nurse in the Philippines with no work experience. I enrolled at a 2-year practical nursing program at Centennial College in Toronto Canada. I already have a student visa and will be leaving this November but my classes will start on January.

My question is, will CNO allow me to take the Practical nurse licensure exam on a post-graduation work permit? I read on the Canadian Immigration website that students who graduate from a course 8 months and longer are eligible for a post-graduation work permit which will be valid for as long as the course they graduated from. I was wondering if CNO would allow me to take the licensure exam with that permit.

Thank you so much. I'm new here and registered just so I could ask this question. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PP, Pediatrics, Home Health.

I am a Practical Nurse here in Ontario Canada and I am not sure about the answer to your question.Your best be would be to call the CNO and ask how it would work once you graduate from the program and if you would be able to write your exam after finishing school since you will be on a work permit.They know the ins and outs to nursing here in Ontario.

They are pretty helpful and know alot! :) Good luck with your schooling as well! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you so much.:) I'll call CNO and ask them myself later tonight. I have been meaning to call them but the time difference makes it a bit difficult for me.

If you don't mind ma'am, I'd like to ask you a few questions regarding Practical Nursing in Canada. First is, if you graduate PN from an institution in Ontario, can you also register and work at other cities/provinces such as Manitoba or Saskatchewan? Next is, are there plenty of job openings for PNs in Ontario? Can I also get specialization training like in dialysis or footcare once I'm licensed?

I'm so sorry for the bombardment of questions. Thank you so much. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

so you are already an rn in the philippines? that means you have a bsn degree, correct? why do you have to go back to school in canada to become an lpn? can't you just write their rn or lpn exam without going back to school?

i know your bsn degree in the philippines is equivalent to bsn here in the u.s. and all you have to do is take the nclex-rn. not too sure about canada though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
so you are already an rn in the philippines? that means you have a bsn degree, correct? why do you have to go back to school in canada to become an lpn? can't you just write their rn or lpn exam without going back to school?

i know your bsn degree in the philippines is equivalent to bsn here in the u.s. and all you have to do is take the nclex-rn. not too sure about canada though.

yes i am.. but the problem is that i don't have any job experience due to lack of employment opportunities in my country. job experience is required if i am to work in the us or in canada. even if i take the nclex or an exam in canada, without an actual degree in the country itself, immigrant status or an employer willing to hire someone with zero experience, i won't be able to stay in work in canada/us. so instead, i'll study again on a student visa, get a post-graduation work-permit and find a job as a practical nurse. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

... if you graduate PN from an institution in Ontario, can you also register and work at other cities/provinces such as Manitoba or Saskatchewan? Next is, are there plenty of job openings for PNs in Ontario? Can I also get specialization training like in dialysis or footcare once I'm licensed?

Once you've passed the CPNRE you're eligible for registration in the other provinces. Job openings vary considerable from location to location. Ontario is the most populous province in Canada and prospects may be good in some communities and dismal in others. And yes, you may obtain specialized training as a PN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Once you've passed the CPNRE you're eligible for registration in the other provinces. Job openings vary considerable from location to location. Ontario is the most populous province in Canada and prospects may be good in some communities and dismal in others. And yes, you may obtain specialized training as a PN.

Thanks! I hope by the time I need to look for a job, it won't be too hard to land a job as LPN. I have a long way to go since I still have to go to school and hopefully pass the exam.. I hope things turn out alright. :)

Your replies are greatly appreciated.:heartbeat

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in education.

If you have graduated as a nurse in the Philippines you should not have to go to school again.

You should be able to apply for registration as a PN through the College of Nurses on Ontario.

They will asses your eligibility to take the exam (CPNRE).

I am not sure why the work experience is an issue?

Everybody starts somewhere even Canadian graduates.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
If you have graduated as a nurse in the Philippines you should not have to go to school again.

You should be able to apply for registration as a PN through the College of Nurses on Ontario.

They will asses your eligibility to take the exam (CPNRE).

I am not sure why the work experience is an issue?

Everybody starts somewhere even Canadian graduates.

You see, I am after the visa status. I can't register as PN without a status in Canada such as being an immigrant/citizen/work visa. Unless I already have an employer (which I think would be very difficult to get without a registration with CNO) I don't think I would be qualified.

I have tried before to register with CNO in order for me to be able to take bridging programs for RNs. They turned it down saying I needed a masters degree and some work experience. I honestly don't get CNO that much. Somehow, this student visa path I'm taking is just a way for me to enter Canada. Taking a 2-year Practical nursing course doesn't require registration with CNO before they enroll me, so I took the opportunity thinking that I could get registered with CNO after I graduate.

If you think how I understood everything is wrong, please do feel free to correct me. Thank you!:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
you see, i am after the visa status. i can't register as pn without a status in canada such as being an immigrant/citizen/work visa. unless i already have an employer (which i think would be very difficult to get without a registration with cno) i don't think i would be qualified.

i have tried before to register with cno in order for me to be able to take bridging programs for rns. they turned it down saying i needed a masters degree and some work experience. i honestly don't get cno that much. somehow, this student visa path i'm taking is just a way for me to enter canada. taking a 2-year practical nursing course doesn't require registration with cno before they enroll me, so i took the opportunity thinking that i could get registered with cno after i graduate.

if you think how i understood everything is wrong, please do feel free to correct me. thank you!:)

please make sure you will be able to obtain a working visa once you finished the lpn schooling in canada. i kinda understand that you are after the visa but be 100% certain that you will be able to do this if you go in this path. you don't want to spend all the money and time and find out in the end that you won't even be able to obtain a working visa.

just to give you an example, there are many lpn schools in the philippines promising students they will be able to go to the united states and work as an lpn. so the students finished school and successfully passed the nclex-pn then find out they cannot use the lpn title to get petitioned by the employer. only bsn nurses are accepted for employer based visa. so these students wasted time and money and for nothing.

i wish you luck and i hope everything works out for you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
please make sure you will be able to obtain a working visa once you finished the lpn schooling in canada. i kinda understand that you are after the visa but be 100% certain that you will be able to do this if you go in this path. you don't want to spend all the money and time and find out in the end that you won't even be able to obtain a working visa.

just to give you an example, there are many lpn schools in the philippines promising students they will be able to go to the united states and work as an lpn. so the students finished school and successfully passed the nclex-pn then find out they cannot use the lpn title to get petitioned by the employer. only bsn nurses are accepted for employer based visa. so these students wasted time and money and for nothing.

i wish you luck and i hope everything works out for you.

thanks for that. you see, international students who graduate from a course that is more than 8 months in length in canada (centennial is included in the list of schools) is eligible for a post-graduate working permit. this permit's validity will be as long as the duration of the course. so since mine is 2 years, the permit's validity will also be 2 years in length. it does not require an offer of work from any institution, just for the student to have graduated from a full-time course. my plan is after my studies, i'll apply for that permit and hopefully during the 2 years duration of the post-grad permit, i could pass the lpn exam, register at cno and find me a job as lpn.

lpn is part of the jobs that can be granted a canadian experience class immigrant visa. an international student who then works for at least a year with a job qualified in the noc is eligible to apply for an immigrant visa under that class. hopefully if everything works out, i"ll be able to get that.:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sounds like a good plan. Hope it works out for you. Best wishes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion