Steps in Becoming a RN in Alberta as a IEN

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 31, 2012

You will still need to meet PN requirements and pass their exam and like the CRNE it is sat 3 times a year. Suggest you contact the college not board for LPN and request application. You can also start your application for RN the college will not review it until complete so less worry about the English exam however there may be a time limit on getting everything to them

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 31, 2012

Also changing title of threads applying to be a RN not CRNE

ianmiyoh11 · Jul 31, 2012

Hello! is it the same with the RN application? I have to contact a school of nursing before I apply for the CRNE? or I just have to pass the application form to CARNA?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 31, 2012

What does the college website state? I know some provincial colleges request you contact them for application and some you can download online

itsmejuli · Jul 31, 2012

College of nursing equals board of nursing here in Alberta.

ianmiyoh11 · Jul 31, 2012

oh so that's why! thanks juli! :)

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 31, 2012

CARNA = College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta

There is no "better/fast" way of gaining registration in Canada either as an RN or a PN. You're planning to arrive right as every member in the province is renewing their registration and all of the successful June CRNE writers are obtaining initial registration. Your paperwork will be put at the bottom of the pile. As silverdragon102 said, your application won't even be looked at until it is complete, meaning that all of the documentation required has been received. Credentials assessments cannot be 'fast-tracked' because the stakes are just too high. The safety of patients and their personal health care information are the ultimate goal of registration in the first place. Gaining registration as an LPN won't be any faster and it may be an easier path for you if you work first as a nursing assistant to gain local experience and practice your English.

The possibility that you would enter false information on your application sets off a lot of alarm bells. ( "I've been thinking if I can just tick on "English is my first language" box as English is the language of instruction in UST and besides, textbooks, lectures, and quizzes are always in English. But I don't think that'll do but I'm hoping for a slight chance." )

CARNA would be highly suspicious of that due to the huge number of Filipino nurses they've assessed over the past 5 years. There are only 8 CELBAN testing centres in the entire country. Calgary and Edmonton both have one and both are close to Red Deer, about an hour's drive in either direction. The earliest Calgary could test you would be the end of October, and for Edmonton it would be mid-November. The date on your CELBAN assessment cannot be more than 6 months prior to CARNA receiving your completed application. You must take the basic CELBAN test, and not the institutional version. You cannot combine test scores from IELTS and CELBAN. The fee for the test is $320. The practice test is available online and is free; a paper version is also available for $67.50. There are no review centres; CELAS wants to ensure that candidates are linguistically functional in the workplace and not just preparing to pass the test. Speaking and writing are perhaps the most essential areas for nurses when it comes to communicating with their coworkers and with their patients. If a person is unable to clearly communicate their concerns regarding a patient's condition or adequately document their findings and interventions in the legal chart, it makes it difficult for those who come after to know what's happening with the patient and what their ongoing needs are. I work with individuals from all over the globe. When I tell you that language barriers are a significant concern, I'm being quite honest. Understanding what is being said is vital to both the patient's well-being and the nurse's career. CARNA is very big on accountability. We all are 100% accountable for our actions and if we don't accept responsibility for our continuing competence, we stand to lose our registration and our livelihoods. And this extends to language skills.

You have to be prepared for this process to take you at least 6 months. You left it rather late to be looking into these details if you're arriving here in a matter of a couple of weeks. You need to be prepared to take any job that will allow you to survive while you work through the assessment process. Best wishes.

Fiona59 · Jul 31, 2012

Working as an LPN isn't any easier than working as an LPN. The line between the two is very fine in most facilities.

Along with Jan, I cannot stress how important the use of spoken English is. We have several nurses from the Phillipines on my services and their English is often hit and miss. It's on the one area our patients express their concerns about the most. They don't understand what the nurse has said to them. In report many of our overseas nurses get the sex of the patient wrong. Honest, everyone they report on is "he" or "she" when they are talking about prostate surgery it's a bit off to be saying "she had a quiet night and she voided".

Working as an LPN shouldn't be regarded as a stepping stone while waiting for CARNA to approve you. LPNs in Alberta are responsible for their own practice just as RNs are. Communication skills are just as important.

ianmiyoh11 · Aug 13, 2012

Thanks everyone! Your comments have greatly helped me. I've already arranged all necessary documents that needs to be submitted. Will just mail it from here while I'm still in the country. Thank you , thank you, thank you :)

kristyle · Sep 3, 2012

hello! i would like to ask queries as to what documents have you submitted prior to taking CARNA. i am sure you can help me on this, please do enlighten me. thank you!

Hello friends! I'm an RN here in the Philippines and will be going in Alberta, Canada this August as an immigrant. I want to get a job immediately but of course, as I have read from the forums, and having read the application for CRNE, I've realized that I have to go through a lot of things before I become an a Canadian Nurse. I'm confused as of the moment and I definitely need guidance regarding this very important matter to me.
Here are my concerns:
1) So while I'm here in the Philippines, I've taken my IELTS exam in Manila, and much to my disappointment, I lacked 0.5 grades on the areas of writing and speaking (imagine the frustration). I really don't want to blame the IELTS examiner for giving me scores like that, but just imagine the frustration of lacking 0.5 grades. I know this will slow down my application for CARNA 'cause I don't think CARNA will reconsider my grades even if I have good grades in listening and reading. I've researched that CELBAN is an alternative to IELTS and I find this more advantageous as this can prepare me in the Canadian way of working and communicating with patients. Now my problems are: I can't find any CELBAN review centers in Red Deer (where I'll be living) and I have no idea how much I'll pay for the review center and the test fee.
I've been thinking if I can just tick on "English is my first language" box as English is the language of instruction in UST and besides, textbooks, lectures, and quizzes are always in English. But I don't think that'll do but I'm hoping for a slight chance.
2) Regarding my application for CARNA. I've already requested my school and PRC (Professional Regulatory Commission) to fill up on the required parts. I'm stressing on the date on when I should send it to Canada because as I've said, I have to take CELBAN first and indicate in the application form that I will request the testing center to give CARNA a copy of the results. Is it really needed to be within 6 weeks? And is it okay to call them up and ask if I can extend the period for my english proficiency exam result?
3) I am also interested in working as an LPN while waiting for my application to be processed. I heard that it takes a long time for CARNA to process application forms. I'm thinking that being an LPN will orient me in the health setting of Canada before I become a CRN. I looked on the how to apply as an LPN page and I saw that I just need to go to the board of LPN in Alberta. They don't have online application form available. Does becoming an LPN in Alberta still require me to take classes and a board exam?
These are the things that I'm worrying for now. I hope to hear and get good guidance from here. Recommendations and suggestions are very welcome! If there's a better/fast way to approach this problem please tell! Hoping to hear from you guys soon!

cimi · Jun 14, 2014

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[TD=class: windowbg2, width: 85%, bgcolor: #F6F6F6]I am International RN as well and I'm considering to write the celban instead of IELTS. However, I cant find any information or aditianal preparation materials except of readiness test on the official site and the same advertisements regarding K** K***.

Please please please share your experience with me. I really appreciate it! This is the last requirement to meet with the CNO and I am so frustrated

Cimi[/TD]

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