JohanneJF

I am just wondering if there is anyone out there who is interested in coming to Canada and working as a nurse? What questions do you have about the process? What are the benefits of coming to Canada as opposed to staying and being a nurse in your home country? What are the challenges of coming to Canada?

Hi there, I don't think the situation is as dire as most people say it is. If you look at external job postings on the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority and the Fraser Health Authority web sites, there are tons of job postings for RN's. Obviously the unit managers want to hire someone with experience in the related field, and there are a lot of RN training schools in Vancouver alone which pump out approx. 60 graduates per school, maybe 2-3x/year. So obviously, there is a lot of competition, and the unit managers will hire those who fit best to the job description. The key is to apply for every posting that you come across that might interest you. Also, be persistent after the interview process...send a thank you note, a week after call them back and ask them how the hiring process is going. Yes, there's lots of changes going on in the health care system in BC, but RN jobs are still to be found! :)

Hi, I took the RN program and found it very, very challenging! If I were you, I would probably stop working, if you could financially manage. The RPN program is very intense, and working will def. interfere with your school work. As for studying, I found the use of cue cards very helpful with my learning. Although it is very time consuming, they are a great tool for memorization. Also, I found if I wrote something out over and over and over again, it stuck with me and I was able to recall the information on tests. In addition, study groups are great too...more heads are better than one! Also, don't be afraid to ask questions...as the stupidest question, is the question that you don't ask and you end up harming your client/patient/resident! Good luck! :)