What is nursing like in Toronto?

RGNonthemove · Jun 18, 2017

That's strange because NNAS and CNO are very particular about nursing education and that's why it's so difficult to be licensed in Canada. If employers are going to look for Canadian education anyway, there is no point in the process.

Sunshine_AB · Jun 18, 2017

Dishes, I agree but I do work with foreign trained nurses who had to endure a difficult process and they decided to go back to school for one reason or another perhaps it was to gain confidence in order to practice in Ontario. I know that coming to Ontario as a foreign trained nurse or any profession is not easy. The one that is back in school now is a wonderful person and I wish her the very best and this is what she has shared with me she has 8 years experience as a nurses from back home and they did not accept that experience she decided to go back to school when she came to Ontario she is now finishing up in the mean time she just works in the healthcare setting gaining experience. Her goal is to work as a nurse in Ontario.

dishes, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2017

she has shared with me she has 8 years experience as a nurses from back home and they did not accept that experience she decided to go back to school when she came to Ontario she is now finishing up in the mean time she just works in the healthcare setting gaining experience. Her goal is to work as a nurse in Ontario.

Who are they, that did not accept her experience?

Seems like you are making assumptions based on a minimal knowledge of one persons experience. Your colleagues' experiences may not be relevant to the OP's situation.

Fiona59 · Jun 18, 2017

Who are they, that did not accept her experience?
Seems like you are making assumptions based on a minimal knowledge of one persons experience. Your colleagues' experiences may not be relevant to the OP's situation.

In a way it does relate to the OP. The OP decided to migrate with minimal research into the actual job market in Canada, didn't establish permanent residency in the U.K., where it sounds like she had a pretty good life. No idea where the country of origin is, but OP doesn't seem to want to go there.

No they are again relying on the internet and forums to tell her how the labour market is andwhere to apply for work. Jobs in remote or northern communities would be difficult because of limited knowledge of culture and patient specific issues in those communities

dishes, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2017

The reasons some people migrate before they know what the results of their credential assessments are is because the information on government websites doesn't give the whole picture. For example, CIC 's website requires the IENs to have their education assessed by WES, but but it doesn't explain that in spite of a positive WES assessment, most IENs will have a negative NNAS assessment and the NNAS assessment is the only one that matters to the nursing regulatory bodies.

The regulatory bodies are not explaining why they are inconsistent in their interpretation of the NNAS results or why some regulatory bodies will require an IEN to undergo a bridging program while another regulatory body will not require that same IEN to undergo further education. This is what happened to RGNonthemove and is the reason why she is not staying in Alberta and is moving to Ontario.

IENs are getting the message that there are job opportunities for nurses from government health care recruitment websites such as; healthforceontario and healthcareersinsask, if government funded websites are not adjusting their websites to reflect the changes in the job market, it will be difficult for IENs to determine a realistic picture of the current job market.

RGNonthemove is moving to Ontario because she will not need to undergo a bridging program in order to become registered with CNO, I don't see how RPN_student's comment that her colleague's foreign work experience was not recognized and they returned to school is relevant to the RGNonthemove's situation.

RGNonthemove · Jun 18, 2017

Fiona69, there are many factors to consider when deciding to migrate. In my case, my husband and his entire family are settled in Canada. It doesn't make sense to uproot him and ask him to go to the UK where I was living alone. This was more than just a foolish career decision.

If I don't rely on the internet, what would you have me do instead?

I checked government websites like healthforceontario before moving here and they talk about shortages. Of course I believed them.

Let me quote from the RNAO website.

"Don't let misinformation sway your decision to become a nurse. Nursing job news is often loaded with mixed messages. You'll hear from some that it is a tough job market. From others you'll hear that certain sectors are understaffed. Can you believe what you're told? Here we address a few of the facts and projections for the nursing job market.

If no policy interventions are implemented, Canada will be short almost 60,000 full-time equivalent RNs in 2022, according to the Canadian Nurses Association."

Link: The Truth About the Nursing Job Market | Careers in Nursing

If you read the article, it also talks about job prospects (supposedly good) and how new grads can get jobs (just not in their areas of choice).

When I first moved to the UK, a lot of people said there were no jobs either especially for new grads

Fiona59 · Jun 18, 2017

I do understand migration. My family moved her 50 years ago when there was no internet and no inexpensive means of communication.

Canada House said there were loads of jobs. My Dad was a journeyman in his trade and my Mum a NICU nurse. Sounds like it should have been easy, right?

Nope. My Dad was laid off three times in three months. He wasn't in the union for his trade and he didn't have ties. My Mum? Her credentials weren't recognized. Retrain at her own expense. My Dad couldn't afford that and my Mum never returned to nursing.

Eventually, he found work in his trade and stayed with the company until he died. Mum? She took what she could find and retrained once us kids were all in school.

It was pretty much the same story for most the kids I grew up with. Families came from Europe expecting one thing (as sold to them by Canadian Immigration officers across Europe) and found a very different reality. Most stayed but it took several years until they reached the standard of living that they had left.

RGNonthemove · Jun 19, 2017

Dishes perfectly explained it all. It's not just about immigrants not being diligent in their research. It has much to do with conflicting information coming from the government/government funded websites too.

RGNonthemove · Aug 15, 2017

I just thought I'd share this. These are the types of articles that add to the misinformation discussed earlier on this thread.

Nursing at top of best job prospect list in Ontario | Ontario | News | Toronto S

Mahalya93 · Nov 10, 2017

What other provinces would you suggest? I'm applying through NNAS and i chose Ontario as destination, but I'm changing my mind based on what I've read so far.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 10, 2017

What other provinces would you suggest? I'm applying through NNAS and i chose Ontario as destination, but I'm changing my mind based on what I've read so far.

You really need to look at the big picture. Your choice can't be made solely on the basis of where the process goes faster or easier. You need to factor in cost of living, affordability (and availability) of accommodation, community supports, climate, life-style, and perhaps most of all - likelihood of obtaining employment - in your decision... because you'll have to live there.

When looking at the types of articles described by RGNonthemove where nursing shortages are being predicted, it's important to understand that population studies and academic analysis don't translate into actual jobs. Governments are in a unique position in Canada as both the provider and the controller of health care. Here's a little insight into what's happening on the frontlines right now: System Dangerously Disrupted I believe this is the thin edge of the wedge.