Acousins1

Hi all! I'm a UK trained nurse with only 9 months acute medical experience. I have moved to Saskatchewan with my husband and child last summer and I'm on day one of maternity leave. I'm overwhelmed with how difficult it seems to be register as an RN here.... Are there any UK nurses working in Saskatchewan that can give me advice on time lengths, costs etc. I'm hoping to return to work as a RN and not a medical receptionist which I've been currently working as.

Acousins1

How long did it take you to hear back re- NNAS report?

Tirytory

Congratulations on the birth of your baby! Have you already started the process off? When did you move?

Acousins1

Thank you, but the baby's actually not born yet,lol! Any day/moment though hopefully. My hubbie came over last Feb, and our daughter and I followed last June. So I've a open work permit. I'm really scared about this whole nursing process, it seems crazy! I've looked into it a different times but with working full time, pregnancy, etc I've just not started the process. Id love to know time lengths if u possibly could know??

Tirytory

So you haven't worked since last June? May? Ok, you need to get cracking as you now run the risk of timing out of the whole process I.e. You must have completed all elements of registration required within three years of recent practice.

Firstly start your NNAS application off now before the baby comes!!

Acousins1

I haven't worked as an RN since end of June 2015. Since being here I've just been working as a medical receptionist.... I'll def apply for NNAS report this month, and is it about 3months to here back? Then I'm sure I'll have some course to do in Paeds etc, since I done the 3yr adult nursing degree. Then it's the exam? Is it unrealistic to think I'll have all this done before the end of this year??

Silverdragon102

From my dealings with CRNNS they are usually quick to give answers so you could always email them and ask

kasiadoran

In my case it didn't take too long...when did you qualify in UK?

Shakyuk

I see the original poster of this thread hasn't been online since the 17th December.

While there seems to be a large number of nurses commenting in the thread. Have any of you had experience with mental health nursing in Alberta? My girlfriend is a mental health nurse, degree qualified in the UK. I'd assume the process of registration is similar to general nursing?

Have people had their qualificiations assessed? If so was it with the nursing board or is it like other qualifications where you use one of the bodies suggested on the CIC website?

Tirytory

Yes, it probably is unrealistic.... The process of collating information for NNAS and assessment and a result, then registration with a provincial college, what they ask you to do based on your education so maybe an OSCE, or more courses, then after all that you need to do an exam etc, bear in mind that each stage will take months to complete. For instance, I was advised I could apply for the exam in September but the next exam date is not until the second week of January, then a five week wait for the result- that part alone has covered a five month period and that's just one aspect. That's why I said about timing- you need to treat this as a priority.

Shirtback

Oh WELL DONE!!

(Stinks about the language proficiency)

Shirtback

Internationally educated applicants | CARNA

telgar32

I qualified in 2003 and so have 12 years experience behind me. I hope this pays off as well as my qualifications! I'd like to qualify as an RN and get a job as soon as possible. Depending on how much training I need to do as to whether I get job doing something different and attend college or is go to college full time. Can I ask how you managed it?

telgar32

I think you will find the process is the same for mental health nurses as it is for general nurses. you first have to apply to NNAS to get your qualifications assessed and once you have a report from them submit this to the regulatory body in the province you wish to practice in. In your case alberta. I started my NNAS application at the end of May 2015 and only got my report yesterday so it does take time. On two occasions they would not accept documents sent from my university because the envelopes were not signed and sealed properly. They knew about one of these on 26th October 2015 but did not tell me they couldn't accept it until 3rd January. I complained saying this was an unacceptable level of customer service and they speeded things up after that.
I would just advise that you keep them on their toes! Good Luck!

kasiadoran

From recent experience it appears that the programme differences are too great and you will be asked to do some extra modules: for example mother and baby nursing as in ns they do not have midwives as such so midwifery is part of your foundation programme...when I had OSCE last year my scenario was to deliver a baby on maternity ward...i said well I would call the midwife... then further down the line for the same scenario I was meant to deliver health visitor like care and advice...another one that you may need to do is children and then mental health - depending on your background in UK...basically they spend 4 years at uni so cover a lot more than we do...that's for RN...some if the staff is online some you need to attend...for LPN I was told to complete an online module which I am starting on Monday...it is community aspect with focus on mother and infant...then happy days I can apply to sit an exam...so the plan is to get LPN reg first and then once settled try and work up towards RN registration...it took me since April 2014 to get where I am now but it was initially towards RN licensure