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Czech nursing students. (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).
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.
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:
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.
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
Government of Alberta provides a flowchart for the nursing registration process, as well as information about accreditation and requirements.
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.
Bow Valley College offers a Practical Nurse Diploma for Internationally Educated Nurses Program, for IENs wishing to work as practical nurses in Alberta.
Saskatchewan:
Manitoba:
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.
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.
New Brunswick:
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.
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.
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.
Nova Scotia:
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.
Newfoundland and Labrador:
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.
Nunavut:
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.