CanadianGirl79

No way to expedite it. It takes however long it takes. The CNO (not Ontario Nurses Board) states up front that it can take UP TO 15 business days. Doesn't mean it will, only that they give themselves that much time. They have lots to do right now, and aren't a huge operation, so be patient. I totally appreciate being the bread-winner in your family, but in this case you need to just sit tight and wait for it to come in. For your new job, can you start orientation and just do the part where you aren't working on the floor? Sometimes you can do the classroom orientation while you are waiting on the registration. Hope it comes through soon, but again - no way to expedite it. Lots of other people are in the exact same boat as yours, so to the CNO, your application is in no way more important, and will be processed in the order in which it was received, and take however long it takes. More importantly, congrats on passing AND on finding a job! :)

Not to nitpick, but take care not to refer to yourself as an RN - you aren't an RN until you are registered with the college, and a college could take issue with someone using the protected title of RN when not registered. Not trying to be a downer, but this is a public forum, and as such it's probably best to not use that title until you are actually registered to protect yourself and future career. :)

As Notready4primetime mentioned earlier in the thread, typically the smaller provinces such as PEI get results a bit earlier, and Ontario is generally last, although in June a good number of people in Alberta were still waiting while most of Ontario writers had their result. There's not real way to predict, unfortunately. I know if feels like it's taking forever and a day, but the results WILL arrive, and it shouldn't be too much longer. I know waiting sucks, but look at it this way: the wait is almost over - you've gotten past the "hard" part. :)

Depends on the facility. Where I work, ANYONE hired has to have 3 witnessed, successful starts during orientation. Even if they've been a nurse for 30 years.

I wrote in June, on the 4th, and results were mailed out from the CNO on the 9th of July, 5 weeks to the day. This seems to typically be the case, so as others have said, the results will probably be out the later half of next week at the earliest. Some years it takes longer.

Glad to hear that the interview went well! Sorry to hear about the other one.

Relaxingbath, I think you're pretty well covered in terms of cardio-specific things. Plan out some answers to more general questions like: -what would you say is your biggest weakness? -What is your biggest strength? -Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult patient/coworker and how it turned out. -Tell me how you would prioritize care for a full load of patients -Why do you want to work here? -Why did you go into nursing?

From the CNO's site: "I have already written the NCLEX-RN and passed. Do I need to write it again? On September 18, 2014, the Council of the College of Nurses of Ontario passed a motion to accept successful NCLEX-RN exam writes from the beginning of 1982 to the end of 2014. If you are a current RN applicant who applied to the College before that date, and you can show the College you successfully wrote the NCLEX-RN within that timeframe, then you have met the examination requirement. If you started your application to the College after Sept. 18, 2014, then you will have to successfully complete the NCLEX-RN to satisfy the examination requirement."

I thought so! I went there too. :)

Vintage, are you at Mac?

I am both an RPN and an RN. Honestly I feel like I graduated with a degree in paper writing more than anything else. We didn't have a lot of clinical placements, and had no skills classes because there were no new skills to learn. As an RPN, I practiced autonomously. I did not run my care decisions by an RN, as my college recognized me as capable of making my own decisions. The RPN program is the old RN diploma program. Yes, there is less theory, less discussion of research and its implementation in the workplace, as well as less leadership discussion. However, there is plenty of patient care and practice. A degree doesn't automatically give someone the ability to recognize when a patient is going south. Experience does that. Patients IRL don't often look "textbook" and regardless of how long you have studied, it is only after actually being out there doing it, and taking care of patients that it really "clicks". Much of what SK is proposing seems to be just bringing them in line with how things already are in other provinces. For example, in Ontario RPNs can give IV push. Not all meds, but many. To say that a practical nurse "probably cannot see patients care from RN point of view" comes across as terribly condescending.

If you want maternity as an RPN, start doing your post-grad maternity certificate. You can put that in your cover letters and on your resume, and it will give you a leg up. Competition is stiff for maternity, and there are only a handful of hospitals in the GTA that allow RPNs to work to their full scope in maternity. Oakville Trafalger, Credit Valley, Mississauga, Brampton Civic and McMaster hospital all have RPNs in maternity. As far as I know, none of the down town hospitals have RPNs in maternity yet. As others have said, however, be prepared that it will be stiff competition so make sure you have good references, a great resume and a great cover letter!

It's normal to question if you passed or not. :) I hope the wait passes quickly for you!

1) **************** edited 2) Speaking as someone who is both an RPN/LPN and an RN, I can assure you that at the basis, we are very much on the same footing. Having been through both programs, I can tell you that the difference is not related at all to nursing skills, or patient care. It's about research and paper-writing, and leadership. The BScN program focuses not just on the role of nurse at the bedside, but in other settings as well. It also focuses on evidence-based practice (though more and more PN programs are doing so as well these days). RPNs/LPNs are every bit the equal of RNs. I can say this with certainty, as I am registered as both, and proudly so. Yes, taking the bridging program can be frustrating at times, mostly because you have to deal with people saying things like "when you're a nurse" when you already ARE a nurse, but it can also be rewarding, as your clinical experience and professional nursing expertise will serve you well in your classes and allow you to help the straight BScN students know what to expect from the "real world" of nursing once they graduate.

Doing the RPN route first, while it will take you longer, would not be a bad option, IMO. I did it that way, and believe that I gained great experience in doing so. Being an RPN is great, and very fulfilling. I am proud to be one! My reasons for going back to do my RN were: 1) the fact that currently, I cannot work in NICU as an RPN in Ontario (though some provinces allow LPNs in NICU, so far I haven't found any in Ontario that do). 2) Money. I topped out as an RPN, and was still making less than the lowest paid RN in my facility. 3) Teaching. Some day I think I'd like to teach. I'll have to do my masters for that most likely as well. 4) I love learning and enjoy school.