Hi, we landed last September 2011 as permanent residents, we had to come back to the UK in March due to money and personal reasons.

I qualified as an adult nurse in Sept 2011 and I sent off my application to Ontario Nursing, I have just had my assessment and as suspected I do not meet all the requirements, I can now give details of how I do meet some of the competencies required or just have my application assessed as it stands and be sent a letter of direction.

I am OK with this we are in no rush at present, my question is whether I should work here in the UK as a nurse - I am in a lucky position that I do not have to at the moment - but would it better in terms of future applications for jobs in Canada? I am not sure as I know I will be doing a bridging course with practical time in Canada.

So to work here while we wait, or just relax till we get back to Canada - what is the advice?

Many thanks

personally I would say if you can work then work. They usually ask how much nurse work experience you have in 5 years and if you don't meet requirements have to do further coursework to what you are having to do

I agree with the post above.

It is all hours of practice that need to be met.

Good luck

As someone stuck in canada not being able to work as a nurse, my advice would be to work, keep your skills up and gain some experience. It is going to take the CNO a very long time to assess your qualifications.

Initial application sent to them Nov/Dec 2010.

Received letter stating they wanted more information from my university, also wanted my work history, references and boards i had been registered with, Feb 2011.

All information required by CNO received and application put in line for assessment, Aug 2011.

Still awaiting assessment! If I had the hindsight to know how long this would take (and knew i would be marrying a Canadian and moving to Canada) and I would of applied as soon as I qualified ;-)

Still don't know if I will have to do some kind of bridging course (adult trained), and this cannot be determined until I am assessed. Would like to do this asap, if i have to, of course. Have been out of nursing now for 2.5years. Very unhappy about that and can't believe it can take so long.

Unfortunately my situation required me to move to Canada and apply for PR from here, to be with my partner. You are in a different situation and any experience is good experience, in my opinion. It'll help you when you come to nursing in Canada and help gain you employment.

Good luck!

There's a thread in The Maple Leaf about your favourite swear words...any interaction with the CNO causes me to use them and some more!

I have never dealt with anyone as rude and unhelpful as the staff who answer their phones

I have found a bridging course at York Uni for IENs; in addition to the assessment they require a letter from the CNO to say that I was a Registered Nurse in the UK. The CNO refuses to supply one..." We don't supply that service Madam". I tried to explain that it was a condition of entry...same response.

The Uni says they want it and that CNO will provide it, CNO say they won't...what do I do?

I have emailed York again and am going to meet with the course assisstant to see if we can resolve it.

I am still waiting my assessment results ...by the time I eventually requalify I shall be nearly ready to retire

Everyone I talk to in the profession tells me they really need good nurses...the CNO needs a bloody big kick up the a***

Couldn't agree with you more! I try not to contact them too often as it always leaves me so frustrated, I could cry! Having previously registered in 2 other countries, with no hassle whatsoever, I cannot possibly understand what can take so long.

I too, would of been willing to do the necessary bridging course in the meantime, as why would I want to sit here wasting any more time than necessary, but ran into the same problem as you have. I would rather not miss the start of the university/college year this year (due to their slow assessing pace), if i do need more training. If I have to wait another year to do a course before i can qualify, I don't think I could mentally cope! I just don't know what I would do from there.

Hope you get some good news from the university. Let me know if you do! May have to try that approach myself!

Good luck!

Hi,

Thanks for the good wishes but I'm not getting too excited...I just had a reply from my email to York; I need to wait until the assessment and then go and see them. So, back to waiting...sound familiar?

Best of luck to you too

Hi Deeny, would they not accept your NMC registration? I didn't bother getting registered here as I thought I would have retired by the time it was completed!!!
Good luck

Hi,

Sadly no, they want proof from the CNO. I have a drawer full of certificates and past NMC cards...all worthless!

I feel like giving up sometimes but I'm stubborn and am not going to let them grind me down, besides it appears that I will need a degree or diploma to do just about anything here. I saw a Housekeeper position that needed the relevant certificate; the job description was basically putting linens and other supplies in the relevant cupboards

Did you manage to find work in a relevant field or start afresh?

And so the saga continues......

I know what you mean about other jobs. My mother in law works in a nursing home. I put an application in, just for PSW work. She told me that they wouldn't take me on because I don't have a 6 month course certificate as a PSW! Of course I don't, I have a Bsc in Nursing! I had applied to lots of nursing homes around my area and hadn't heard any replies. Got wondering why they wouldn't take on an RN to do a PSW role, as why wouldn't you? MIL answered that question. I find that decision absurd.

Luckily, I am in a position where I don't have to work and after that, frankly, I don't want to. I'm an RN. I didn't bust my butt going back to university, as an adult, to get myself my degree, for me to now work as something else. I too am stubborn and I refuse to give up just because they have made it so difficult. It doesn't stop me from being completely frustrated most of the time and it has honestly put a dampener on my new life here in canada. I love my job, i'm a fabulous nurse and canada would be lucky to have me!

Welcome to the frustrating country that is Canada! I find the whole thing a joke, and it seems the same no matter what province you're in. I had the exact same problems in BC. I think they must miss out on some amazing nurses due to all the crap they put people through!

They sure are! Luckily, I didn't know how much hassle it would be. If I did I would never of left Australia, where I emigrated to, to follow my Canadian partner home. Then I wouldn't be married to him now with a child on the way! So, ignorance was bliss in my circumstances! I try and concentrate on that part of it as much as possible.

Personally, along with the long wait time, I don't like the way I have been made to feel that my training and experience aren't good enough. I have the 'new' UK training ie I am adult trained. I have accepted I may need to go back and do some training in other areas here before they register me. Thems the breaks! I will never use this training. I want to work in the capacity of an adult nurse and technically (i don't want to offend any canadian trained nurses but the years i studied adult nursing compared to the years they study adult nursing speak for themselves) am better trained in that area than a 'general' trained new nurse. I am a fairly new nurse myself, with only 2 years post grad experience therefore I would be competing with newly trained nurses here for similar posts. I don't understand why it isn't left up to the hospitals that hire you, to note your training and see that your skills and training match their needs. It's not rocket science! Not like i'm in canada trying to apply to nurse children, i don't have to 1st clue -
and that's because I have no interest in doing that.

It's kind of like they want you 'canadian trained' to some extent and don't value that we have a perfectly good training system in the UK and other countries.

Just because you say you aren't going to use it doesn't mean UK is better than Canada in training. Canada trains general for a reason and I trained general back in the UK many years ago and to be honest I think it gave me a better round view of nursing because not all stay in one area. I used to look after mental health patients on medical wards and even did obstetrics on medical and having a bit of training in that area helped. Not all provinces takes a long time to go though the process but a lot now require some form of assessment regardless when you trained.

At the end of the day if you want to work as a RN in Canada you have to meet requirements of the college. I had to do some courses and was fortunate to be in Canada and the courses where paid for but this actually gave me insight into Canadian nursing helping me to pass CRNE first time

I have to say, there's pro's and cons.
I was trained in paediatrics, so I have had to go back to university to do a one year full time course in "general" nursing (but it's all adult, really). I have to do placements on elderly wards, but this seems ridiculous to me, as when I started my training in the UK I did my first foundation year in adult wards doing this. Then I bridged over to paediatrics for the 2nd and 3rd year. So I've done adult in my training, but they still want me to be a general nurse.
But like you, I want to go straight back in to my speciality. I don't like nursing adults, never have, I love paeds and wouldn't want to do anything else.
Once this course is finished, I apparently may need to continue in college by doing a post-grad course in speciality paediatric nursing which I'm just outraged at! And I have to say, the course I'm on is good as in it's giving me an insight into the Canadian hospitals and health care system, but I'm with people who speak very basic English so the learning is also very basic stuff that I did as a first year student.
But it is what is right, and hopefully everything they put you through will be worth it!

I am merely stating the facts that as I trained in adult nursing for 4 years, I have more educational training in that area. I also stated that I have no experience of the other areas of nursing, therefore Canadian nurses and the old UK system trained, are better trained in those areas than myself. It's not a case of who's better trained, really that has no baring on me getting registered here. I have far less post grad experience than alot of nurses too, canadian and british. I will be applying for posts, that require minimum experience in adult nursing, as will all new canadian trained nurses, who want to go the adult route. Therefore, since I have studied adult nursing for longer, I feel I am entitled to say I have more experience in that area. If I was applying for jobs against other canadian nurses who have years of adult experience as well as general training then no, I do not feel that i would be better qualified for the job. It's all circumstantial.

I am more than aware and willing to undertake the required training to be registered (We would not still be in this country otherwise as I had a wonderful job in Australia, who I know would be more than willing to take me back). I think it will help me understand the canadian system better. nursing is nursing but the healthcare systems workings vary from country to country, as I encountered when I worked in Australia. However, it does not stop me from having the opinion that the system has kinks and our training and experiences should be better considered. In adult settings, my adult only training has also never stopped me from being able to look after people who have mental health problems. Could I do it better if I had more training in that area? Possibly. I can't comment on obstetrics or child nursing as I have never had to deal with that in my line of work.