bizzymum919

The US does NOT accept dual citizenship. The US is very nationalistic and when you apply for citizenship, they want you to renounce your former country. You can do it verbally, but it is not official until you write the governement of your former country. If you leave the US and take on citizenship of that country, you lose your American citizenship even if you were born and raised in the US. I am a dual citizen of the UK and US, but the US does not recognise the UK citizenship, but the UK recognises the US. I am looking to relocate to Canada also. I hear that British citizens get preferential treatment in regards to immigration since Canada used to be a colony of the UK. Is this still true?

I am starting this thread because I would like feedback on the positives about nursing in Canada. I hear so much about people moving to the US and I would love to hear from those who are staying, living and nursing in Canada. Cheers,

It is distressing to find that so many Canadian nurses are so unhappy with their work conditions. I know of a few Brits who have moved from the UK to Canada because the conditions in the UK were so bad and they find Canada a lot nicer. I cannot see myself staying here in the states especially not Virginia. Since I passed the LPN boards and now working towards my RN, the LPN jobs are few and far between and I am finding that a lot of places are not very flexible. The RN schools have extensive waiting lists and a lot of red tape to get into. I would like to hear some good things about working in Canada as a nurse.

LPN's are getting phased out in many positions and they are mostly "grandfathering" the ones already on the units. If you want to specialize in a certain area it is best to go for your RN. I am going into the bridge program (LPN -RN) so that I will be more marketable. With a RN, or even in some cases a BSN, you can go anywhere and not really worry about qualifications. :balloons:

It is funny how the nurses from the UK are coming to Canada and the US and the US nurses are wanting to come to Canada and the UK. Some people here in the US are willing to forgo the pay and the perks of working here so that they can have the way of life that is offered in the UK and Canada. The US way of life is not that popular with the Americans at the moment and it has been on a steady decline for the past 10 yrs. Many fellow nurses talk about if they could they would pack up and leave the country in a heartbeat. I keep hearing how the provinces outside of BC and Ontario are the way to go for nursing. :balloons:

The Dallas area has some of the best salaries in the country. The cost of living is not too bad and nurses do quite well financially without having to work themselves to death as in other states where the nurses get paid a lot less in a high cost of living area. You will enjoy working there.

I did not know that US nurses are covered under NAFTA, but I know that NAFTA only applies to temporary work. I do know that the "score" to gain entry as a skilled worker is now 67 as opposed to 75 as it was before. I took an survey and I scored a 71. I would have scored more if I had family who lived in Canada, or a job offer, but that will come in time therefore my score will be even better.:chuckle I am looking at more of the middle provinces like Saskachewan, Manitoba and such mainly because of the high cost of living in Ontario and BC. I am hearing that those areas are not limiting US nurses to having only BSN's. I hope that is true.

Canada is a lovely country, but the immigration is such a bother. I thought it would not be hard to emigrate there if one was an RN, but I have heard that there are not enough permanent jobs for immigrants and there are only temp/agency work and Ontario was only taking BSN's. I thought being from the US, or being from the UK would be an advantage to relocating there, but I have heard different. You would think due to the nursing shortage that Canada would be recruiting like mad to the US and UK, but the immigration redtape and opportunities for stability seem to be lacking. Am I wrong?

It makes one wonder what sort of people are taking care of our loved ones. :uhoh21:

With all the talk of Wales and it may just bypass my home country England and go a bit more west of the country. There is a show called Location, Location, Location and they show places outside of the "normal" parts of the UK. I have just finished my LPN school I plan to take those boards in the next few weeks when the paperwork is finished. Then... I am off to finish an RN program in the quickest way possible to get back to the UK quick. My goal to relocate is 2007 before I hit 40. I just hope I will not be too old to start nursing in a new country. Wales seems like such a nice place, though !

SueIP, How is Wales in regards to the nursing shortage ? I have heard of a lot of English residents moving to Wales to get away from the rat-race. A lot of people have moved into the countryside so that they can also live off the land and live the "good life". Wales is so underrated and overshadowed by the other British countries so any information you can share will be great. :) :balloons:

Wow ! Wales and the Isle of Man. I bet that was an experience. Excuse my ignorance, but I was afraid if I went to those parts of the UK, that I would stand out like a sore thumb. :imbar How was the nursing environment in those places in regards to nursing practices and progress and of course, how did the local and professional people perceive and receive you? Also it is good to know that there are PICC nurses in the UK. I would like to get experienced with that since I worked in the Interventional Radiology dept and was quite impressed with the skills involved. Sometimes I feel that the more versed and skilled I become the more people will see past my skin colour. It is just what I have experienced here in the US. With affirmative action people feel that you got job soley because the employer had to hire you because you were black and not based on your skill and qualifications, but when people realize that I am quite qualified and then some, they are not as resentful, but then they may mock you for being "too smart". It is a vicious cycle, but a reality here in the US.

Houston has some of the best hospitals on the country due to the private organizations that fund some research areas of medicine. The pay and job market in Houston is also quite good. I understand that nurses from the UK and other countries are coming to the US due to the pay. When a starting LPN can make $35,000/yr with $2-5,000 sign on bonuses to start in some states and a RN can make $45-60,000/yr to start with and $5-10,000 sign on bonuses, how can anyone pass that up. There are so much research and specializations for nurses. Do British RN's insert PICC lines in patients ? I know that some hospitals in Australia have RN's that do so. Nurse practitioners have nearly complete autonomy here in the US, but he/she must pay and arm and a leg for malpractice insurance. Also nurse anethetists also must retain VERY high malpractice insurance. RN's and LPN's do not need as much. A nurse with any sort of specialization/certification such as oncology, neurology, radiology can pretty much write their own pay cheque and the hospitals will gladly pay. Also Britons are going for the warmer climates. TX, CA, FL and HI are getting flooded with Brits. I love the snow ! :balloons:

Not to leave anyone out. I thank everyone for sharing what they see in their hospitals.:kiss It seems that most hospitals are trying to do proactive measures to keep racial tension down to a minimum and also letting people of colour express themselves and not feel shut out of the system. There are thousands of hospitals to choose from in the UK and where some are laggging behind it seems that other are making strides in leaps and bounds in respect to diversity and providing a friendly work environment for everyone. I am looking for both a friendly work environment AND home environment. In my opinion, I feel I am more likely to find them in the UK rather than in the US. I have met so many friendly Northerners (esp Yorkshire and Birmingham areas) and I even have not ruled out Scotland, or N. Ireland as a possibility of places. I know there is shortage of nurses there also. :) :balloons: