Immigration Canada: Career Resources for Newcomer Nurses

Miss Haxby is holding a newborn baby that is in an incubator at the Toronto Western Hospital in Toronto, Ont (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You got your education and became a Registered Nurse. You worked in this challenging field, giving your skills and talents to help your patients. Now you've immigrated to Canada. How can you get back to work in your chosen profession?

The following is a directory of resources for newcomer nurses who want to get back into the practice of nursing. Each province and territory has different resources, and different governing bodies that control licensing of nurses. The country as a whole also has a national association, and a national exam, the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination, which all registered nurses must pass in order to be licensed to practice in Canada.

There are some resources here for practical nurses and psychiatric nurses, too; more will follow. All involve help to get your qualifications in line with Canadian requirements, so you can get back to working in the nursing field.

All of Canada:

The Canadian Nurses Association provides information for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to practice in Canada, and sells an Examination Prep Guide to help you get ready to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE).

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials has information on requirements for Internationally Educated Nurses who want to work In the field in Canada.

Ontario:

The College of Nurses of Ontario has pages of information devoted to Internationally Educated Nurses, with information on how they can qualify to register for practice in Ontario.

HealthForceOntario has a special section of their website for nurses outside the province who want to practice, including requirements, immigration information, and other useful resources.

The CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses is an organization dedicated to helping IENs bridge their qualifications and successfully enter nursing in Ontario. They offer workplace-specific language courses, networking, job shadowing, workshops and exam preparation classes.

The Government of Ontario website provides information, career maps and links for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to practice in Ontario.

Mohawk College offers the Bridging for Internationally Educated Nurses (BIEN) Certificate Program, to integrate your skills and safe practices with Ontario standards as required by the College of Nurses of Ontario. The program includes nursing-specific language courses.

Centennial College has a Practical Nurse Bridging Program for Internationally Educated Nurses who do not wish to pursue baccalaureate nursing education in Canada.

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario is a professional association for the profession in the Province, with information and multiple links to help for IENs wishing to practice there.

Fanshawe College offers the Bridging for Internationally Educated Nurses (BIEN) Certificate Program, to integrate your skills and safe practices with Ontario standards as required by the College of Nurses of Ontario.

George Brown College offers an Academic Pathway for Nurses Graduate Certificate Program, which provides Internationally Educated Nurses whom the College of Nurses of Ontario have assessed as needing to meet designated theory and clinical elements.

British Columbia:

The College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia is the governing body of the profession in the province. In addition to information, they provide a registration application package especially for IENs.

The Internationally Educated Nurses Assessment Service of British Columbia provides IENs an opportunity to demonstrate their professional knowledge, skills and abilities, supporting the completion of registration requirements.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University offers a Graduate Nurse, Internationally Educated Re-Entry Certificate Program to enable IENs to bring their qualifications into line with those of British Columbia, and preparing them to write the CNRE.

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia is the governing body for Practical Nursing in the province, and has information for IENs wishing to be registered in practical nursing.

Thompson Rivers University offers transitioning courses, which Internationally Educated Nurses may use to support their Canadian licensure.

The HealthMatch BC website has a Frequently Asked Questions section for IENs wishing to practice nursing in BC.

Alberta:

The Alberta Learning Information Service offers occupational profiles for different kinds of nursing in Alberta.

The Government of Alberta provides a flowchart for the nursing registration process, as well as information about accreditation and requirements.

The College & Association of Registered Nurses in Alberta has information and links for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to practice in the Province, as well as this set of Instructions for Internationally Educated Applicants.

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta also provides information and links for IENs wishing to work as practical nurses in Alberta.

Mount Royal University has an Internationally Educated Nurses Assessment Centre, whose purpose is to provide Substantially Equivalent Competency (SEC) assessment services which support the completion of nursing registration requirements.

The Live and Work in Alberta website has an extensive page with information about how IENs can qualify to work in the Province.

Directions for Immigrants provides information and links for IENs who want to work as practical nurses in Alberta.

Bow Valley College offers a Practical Nurse Diploma for Internationally Educated Nurses Program, for IENs wishing to work as practical nurses in Alberta.

Saskatchewan:

The Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association has information and links for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to practice nursing in Saskatchewan.

The Government of Saskatchewan has resources to help IENs become licensed and practice nursing in the Province.

The Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses details the steps for IENs to licensure for practical nursing in the Province, with helpful links and downloadable forms.

The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) offers an Orientation to Nursing in Canada for Internationally Educated Nurses Certificate Program, designed to bring your qualifications into line with the province’s specifications and prepare you to write the CRNE.

Manitoba:

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba has a page of Frequently Asked Questions for IENs wishing to qualify to practice nursing in the Province.

Red River College has a Bridging Program for Internationally Educated Nurses which will prepare you for working as a Registered Nurse in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Nurses Union offers programs which help IENs improve their English skills and cultural knowledge related to Canadian nursing, as well as a Diversity Coordinator who can help you learn what you’ll need in order to practice nursing in Manitoba.

The Government of Manitoba provides a Resource Guide for IENs immigrating to Manitoba who want to practice their profession in the Province, as well as a guide to the Licensing Process http://www2.immigratemanitoba.com/browse/work_in_manitoba/profession/list/rn.html.

The College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Manitoba has information and links for Internationally Educated Psychiatric Nurses who wish to practice in Manitoba.

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Manitoba provides credentials assessment and resources for IENs who want to work as practical nurses in Manitoba.

Québec:

CEGEP John Abbott College offers a tuition-free Professional Integration Nursing in Québec for Internationally Educated Nurses attestation program, to prepare IENs to integrate into nursing in Québec.

Ordre de infirmières et infirmiers du Québec is the governing body of the nursing profession in Québec, and provides information for IENs wishing to qualify to work in the Province.

The Government of Québec (Immigration-Québec) provides much information for IENs who wish to practice nursing in the Province.

New Brunswick:

The Nurses Association of New Brunswick offers information and links for IENs wishing to practice nursing in the Province.

The Nursing in Atlantic Canada website is specially dedicated to helping Internationally Educated Nurses pursue nursing careers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Atlantic Connection for Internationally Educated Health Professionals is a website devoted to helping IENs and others internationally educated in the health care field qualify to continue their careers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

Prince Edward Island:

The Association of Registered Nurses of Prince Edward Island provides this downloadable application form for Internationally Educated Nurses http://www.arnpei.ca/images/documents/Registration%20-%20internationally%20educated%20nurses2011.pdf who wish to practice in their field in PEI. The Association requires that prospective nurses who are IENs have their credentials assessed by World Education Services (WES) http://www.wes.org/ca/arnpei.asp.

Capital Health Registered Nurses Professional Development Centre has an Internationally Educated Nurse Assessment Centre, which helps IENs obtain qualifications to work in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Nova Scotia:

The College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia is the governing body for the profession in the Province, and provides information for Internationally Educated Nurses planning to practice in Nova Scotia.

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia has information for IENs who wish to work as practical nurses in Nova Scotia.

Health Team Nova Scotia offers steps for IENs to follow for registration and licensure in the Province.

Newfoundland and Labrador:

The Association for Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador is a professional association for nurses, which provides information for IENs wishing to register and practice in the Province.

Practice Newfoundland Labrador has a Resource Guide for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to practice in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador provides information on licensure to practice the profession in the Province.

Nunavut:

The Registered Nurses Association of Northwest Territories and Nunavut is the licensing body for the nursing profession in those Territories, and has licensing information for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to pursue the profession there.

Northwest Territories:

Yukon:

The Yukon Registered Nurses Association is the licensing body for the nursing profession in the Territory, and has licensing information for Internationally Educated Nurses wishing to pursue the profession there.

We hope these resources have been of help. If you find more that you believe we ought to include here, feel free to let us know!

Source: http://www.cnmag.ca/work-in-your-field/102-medical-professions/nursing/1396-resources-for-newcomer-nurses

Immigration Canada

Career Resources for Newcomer Nurses