RN or RPN career as a traveling nurse from CAN to US

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I just graduated from high-school last year and will be going to George Brown college this fall to take pre-health science, which is a preparatory program for any health science program. I wish to become a traveling nurse in the future, but unsure which nursing program to take, whether RN or Practical Nursing. I know PN is shorter and easier but I dont want to sacrifice work opportunities or other benefits as an RN. Any thoughts?:uhoh21:

There are many universities that have bridges for LPN to RN. They are usually full time programmes. You have to check in your local area.

Nursing education works very differently up here than in the US.

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If you became an RPN and wish to bridge it to RN, do you have to take another test or something?

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.

Are you talking about a registered psychiatric nurse or a registered practical nurse?

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practical nurse

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registered practical nurse.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

You would have to take bridging program which would involve at least a couple of years of university.

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I am currently in a similiar situation. I am enrolled in the second careers program through Employment Ontario. I am currently in my second semester for Pre-Health. Second careers only pays for 3 years of schooling (1 upgrade course and 2 years of career training). I have applied for the RPN course as second careers will cover that because it is only 2 years. I am thinking about finishing my RPN and working part-time while finishing my additional 2 years to get my RN degree. I was thinking about transferring down to the States (Texas, California or Florida) to work in any of the following departments: Maternal and Newborn, Labour and Delivery or Neo-natal. I have heard there is a high demand for nurses down in the States because of our aging population.

Any suggestions?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

If you check the posts on the home and general forum, you will see that many new RN grads are having a tough time finding any nursing work at all, never mind the specialty areas like L and D. The reason for this is because the U.S. economy is in a very big recession which is reducing the available funds to pay for healthcare. With many layoffs, people are losing their medical coverage which thus results in less money in the hospital budgets.

In the past decade, there were many nursing jobs for Canadians in the US, but this has really changed in the past few years. I am hoping it gets better but who knows. I would check the forums and ask questions about what opportunities are available in your area of interest and preferred geographic area. I don't mean to be negative but nursing is not a guaranteed job anymore as cost cutting is now permanent new reality.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
If you became an RPN and wish to bridge it to RN, do you have to take another test or something?

It takes 2-3 more years in university, depending on the program.

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