Temporary Registration for BC.

AirforceRN, RN · Jul 15, 2007

My best advice would be to call the CRNBC directly (604.736.7331) and ask them. They may even have someone available that speaks Russian, although if your english is very poor you may have trouble finding a job anyway. These people will be able to answer all your questions properly and completely.

cwl191 · Jul 20, 2007

My best advice would be to call the CRNBC directly (604.736.7331) and ask them. They may even have someone available that speaks Russian, although if your english is very poor you may have trouble finding a job anyway. These people will be able to answer all your questions properly and completely.

Hi,

Just have a silly question. I failed in the RN exam in ontario, and thought maybe I can apply for BC temp. license if I have a job offer from there. Any thoughts?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 20, 2007

You can apply for a position anywhere, but they will expect you to rewrite the CRNE at the next possible opportunity and pass. You'd be working as a grad nurse, and have a lot of conditions applied to your practice until you have that precious "pass" in your hand. They won't issue you with a temporary license, because you aren't eligible for licensure until you pass; you'll have a certificate of graduation from an accredited nursing school and that's all.

soundbites21 · Jul 22, 2007

You can apply for a position anywhere, but they will expect you to rewrite the CRNE at the next possible opportunity and pass. You'd be working as a grad nurse, and have a lot of conditions applied to your practice until you have that precious "pass" in your hand. They won't issue you with a temporary license, because you aren't eligible for licensure until you pass; you'll have a certificate of graduation from an accredited nursing school and that's all.

where do you get a job as a grad nurse? and can IEN's also apply for it? I want to have a temp license, problem is I can't find an employer

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 22, 2007

In Alberta, IENs can certainly obtain grad nurse positions while awaiting their CRNE. Our unit has hired two nurses recently form the UK who did this. I don't know how you would go about finding an employer who will provide you with that option though.

soundbites21 · Jul 22, 2007

In Alberta, IENs can certainly obtain grad nurse positions while awaiting their CRNE. Our unit has hired two nurses recently form the UK who did this. I don't know how you would go about finding an employer who will provide you with that option though.

ohhhh.. ok. i am in vancouver... and being an IEN it is very hard to get employed as a grad nurse here. it's very frustrating - sleeping at the day, studying at noon till evening, then working at the graveyard shift doing odd jobs.. makes me re think my decision coming here at all.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 22, 2007

I'm sorry you're having this trouble. It might have been wiser to have secured employment before you made your big transoceanic move...

Because health care professions are now covered by legislation in most provinces, the requirements for registration have become very specific and non-negotiable. You may have seen the term "substantively equivalent" on other threads here; it refers to the educational preparation a nurse has recived in his or her home country and how it compares to the educational preparation received in the province one is trying to register in. The sad fact is that if your educational preparation isn't considered adequate, you will have many hoops to jump through, and may not ever get to the desired end. Each province does things in their own way and what Alberta does won't necessarily be what BC does, or Ontario does, or Newfoundland does. And employers are all very different as well. Regional health authorities will have their own policies and protocols about hiring, and they might be very different in health regions that border each other in the same province. It really pays to do one's homework so as to avoid the kinds of things you're experiencing.

soundbites21 · Jul 22, 2007

I'm sorry you're having this trouble. It might have been wiser to have secured employment before you made your big transoceanic move...
Because health care professions are now covered by legislation in most provinces, the requirements for registration have become very specific and non-negotiable. You may have seen the term "substantively equivalent" on other threads here; it refers to the educational preparation a nurse has recived in his or her home country and how it compares to the educational preparation received in the province one is trying to register in. The sad fact is that if your educational preparation isn't considered adequate, you will have many hoops to jump through, and may not ever get to the desired end. Each province does things in their own way and what Alberta does won't necessarily be what BC does, or Ontario does, or Newfoundland does. And employers are all very different as well. Regional health authorities will have their own policies and protocols about hiring, and they might be very different in health regions that border each other in the same province. It really pays to do one's homework so as to avoid the kinds of things you're experiencing.

i understand. but what confounds me the most though is this - why did they gave me permission to write the exam this october if they deem my education inadequate? they assessed my transcript, and they didnt require me to take a refresher course. all they wanted was the ielts exam, which i passed with flying colors. i already passed my exam forms and paid my bills, im scheduled to take it this coming october. i can get my interim permit provided i get an employer. but the employers here want me to get a paper proving i'm an interim nurse... isn't that weird? it's like they are pointing fingers at each other.

anyway, i will do my best to pass this CRNE exam. but... i think the government will tell me to take a course or something before i get employed even if i pass, as they will point out to me that i wasnt educated here. i really hope not, but seeing how rigid and strict the system is, i won't get surprised if it happens.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 22, 2007

Hi,
Just have a silly question. I failed in the RN exam in ontario, and thought maybe I can apply for BC temp. license if I have a job offer from there. Any thoughts?

If you fail the exam the first time that you take it, you will not be able to even work as a graduate nurse in another province until you pass that exam. You are considered a Graduate Nurse only until you take the licensing exam. Once you test, you lost the GN status. If you pass, you get the RN after your name. If you do not pass, you are usually unable to go back to the Graduate Nurse role. That is meant only as a temporary bridge until you take the exam. At least this how it is done in every other country that I am aware of, and definitely how we do things in the US.

Suggest that you contact the province directly and get their take on it.

soundbites21 · Jul 22, 2007

If you fail the exam the first time that you take it, you will not be able to even work as a graduate nurse in another province until you pass that exam. You are considered a Graduate Nurse only until you take the licensing exam. Once you test, you lost the GN status. If you pass, you get the RN after your name. If you do not pass, you are usually unable to go back to the Graduate Nurse role. That is meant only as a temporary bridge until you take the exam. At least this how it is done in every other country that I am aware of, and definitely how we do things in the US.
Suggest that you contact the province directly and get their take on it.

one question - is graduate nurse different from licensed graduate nurse? because these are the only categories here in bc

(from CRNBC)

Member Type:

RN = Registered Nurse

RNP = Registered Nurse Practitioner

LGN = Licensed Graduate Nurse

ST = Student

STRN = Student RN

STLGN = Student LGN

APRN = Applicant RN

ANP = Applicant RNP

ARNNP = Applicant RN & RNP

APST = Applicant Student

i am currently an APRN. do hospitals employ APRN's?

suzanne4, RN · Jul 22, 2007

Not sure how they call things specifically there, but I do know that a nurse before they write their licensing exam is a graduate nurse, once they have graduated from a nursing program but have not tested is what I call a Graduate Nurse; not sure what they are calling "Licensed" there either. Looks to be like the LPN role in the US. And this applies to RNs and LPNs. But the graduate nurse is only a graduate nurse until they write the exam. Then it goes by the results of that exam, they do not go back to being a graduate nurse in that role, but one of being an unlicensed assistant, not passing any medications or doing anything that requires a license to perform it if they do not pass the exam.

That is why a nurse that does not pass the exam in one province cannot usually go to another province and get to play the Graduate Role again, it no longer exists for them. They need to wait until they can pass the exam to work in that role.

As far as Advanced Practice RNs there, not sure about the specifics for the different provinves at this time. Ontario does have them but I do know what the others do. Check directly with them.