christmasoompa

OK, thanks for clarifying. So just checking, but if you trained in the UK and are newly qualified, you’ve spent enough time in Canada (or are living with a Canadian spouse?). Just wanted to check you have kept your PR status. I’m sure you’re fine and well aware of it all, but we sometimes have people that don’t realise what their residency obligations are to maintain PR status so thought I’d flag it just in case.

Legally_olive

christmasoompa thank you for your response. I applied by myself through the express entry and only recently obtained my PR in March 2022 - which means I can still live outside Canada for another 3 years before I move permanently there to fulfill the 2 years (730 days) out of 5 years requirement to maintain PR status. However, since finishing my nursing, I have been travelling and will be travelling back and forth Canada and those days too will count.

christmasoompa

Ah, perfect. Just wanted to check! Hopefully you'll get your registration sorted before the 3 years is up so have plenty of leeway.

aftabahmed112

Hello, well now you have to get through NNAS, and start asap. make sure u apply for both LPN and RpN. so you can work as LPN along with RN license journey.

As I am going through express entry at the moment ,on what basis did u apply for PR through EE? on HCA? experience?

Legally_olive

Yes NNAS will be my next step now. No I applied EE-FSW as a corporate lawyer who then went on to train as RMN. I've got my bachelor and masters in law.

mdonald1987

Hi 7inBC - it's great to have an RPN on the forum whom is actually working over in BC. We're part way through the process and my Wife is hoping to sit the RPNC exam once NNAS/NCAS have assessed her. I'm curious as to the type of work she can expect to find once registered with the BCCNM. Right now, she works in Primary Care, assessing those presenting to their GP surgery and will liaise with the GP commence on an anti-depressant, or signpost them to other services within PC (psychological therapy services, drug/alcohol services, social prescribing etc.), or refer to Secondary Care services. Before that, she worked in the Perinatal Mental Health Community Team supporting perinatal clients with anxiety/depression. She isn't keen on returning to inpatient services due to the unsociable hours and repetitive nature of the work, but she's also aware that she may have to start from the ground up again and spend some time on a ward. Is the pathway from ward to community-based work easy enough? Are the opportunities there? We're hoping to move to the Okanagan (Vernon possibly) if that makes any difference?

7InBC

Vernon is lovely, about an hours drive from, and roughly half the population of Kamloops where I live and work in a provincial tertiary mental health facility. There are community services in Vernon, though I would guess much more limited than here in Kamloops, or in Kelowna (Vernon is roughly half way between the two). Vernon Jubilee Hospital, Kelowna General Hospital and Royal Inland Hospital (in Kamloops) offer psychiatric inpatient services and often transfer to my facility for a longer stay/escalation of treatment. RIH also employs RPNs in the emergency room (I would guess Kelowna does too, not sure VGH is big enough, but possibly). Services in all three towns are run by Interior Health Authority. Typically new grads (as I was due to my career change) will start out in a hospital setting or long term care. This is a good grounding and consolidates skills, but it sounds like your wife has experience in buckets. Moves to community are seen as desirable for many of the reasons your wife identifies, though mostly to avoid shift work. Pay in the community is less overall though as there are no unsocial hours payments or stat holiday pay, which can be lucrative. Interior Health operates on a seniority based model when it comes to job awards (and things like leave allocation etc) which means that once you have met the eligibility requirements for a job posting, you will be awarded based on length of service. If a job is posted in my facility, I have a three day window to apply before it is posted to the rest of interior health authority, and then after a set time if it remains unfilled it is posted externally. I don't know how seniority would work for an out of country applicant though. What I will say is that right now, as in the UK, there is a shortage of nurses. My facility has multiple open lines, though if you look online, not all are posted for some strange reason. We have seen a number of staff move to the community as there has recently been an expansion of those services. Because of the job posting process, people already working in IHA will have first access to community jobs, and I would argue fewer of them sit open for long (if any), so being employed in any setting will greatly increase your chances. Casual work can mitigate the shift work if you don't like nights, but you have to work a set number of hours before being eligible to purchase benefits/pension (though the cost of benefits is refundable at year end). When you are ready, it may be useful to reach out to the IHA recruiter for your chosen area or you can look on the IHA website - room to grow - that also lists career opportunities. Worth noting, my relative works in my facility and worked as a metal health nurse in the UK in a psychiatric hospital, he says that the scope of practice here is less than he was used to in the UK, ie he does less for more money (pay is better here, though many people consider BC an expensive place to live in comparison). He moved over ten years ago and at that time IHA were actively recruiting IENs and so he had a job lined up before arrival, just had to sit the exam after landing. Those days are long gone, but I wonder if we may see a smoothing of the path for IENs in the near future as staffing shortages are a real issue here. Good luck in your journey.

JD1990

Hi everyone, just an update... I finally have my nursing licence! (British UK adult nurse applicant)

- Applied to NNAS Jan 2021
- IELTS taken and passed may 2021
- NNAS report comparable Jan 2022
- Applied to CNO Jan 2022,
- CNO deemed me as comparable and allowed me to sit NCLEX without additional bridging Feb 2022
- Passed Jurisprudence exam Jan 2022.
- NCLEX attempt on May 2022 - Fail
- NCLEX exam attempt 2 Feb 2023 - Pass
- CNO sent confirmation of NCLEX pass march 2023
- RN title with restrictions added April 2023 - this means I can apply for jobs in Ontario but am not allowed to practice until I submit evidence of residency to CNO which is fine.

I have no idea how much it has cost me in total, I dread to think but it's in the thousands with postage, travel, NCLEX fees, IELTS fee, registration fee etc etc but I'm finally at the finish line, just the job offer then visa to go. let me know if you have any questions

J

Rosieisadarling

Congratulations

Rosieisadarling

That’s so good to know. Starting the process and I hope it works out. Will look into Kamloops when looking for a job 😊

AirborneDan

Does this have to be done inside Canada or can it be done online from UK?

AirborneDan

Hi everyone, it’s been a few years since your posts. How did everyone get on? An update on all your progress would be interesting

eiete

Hi JD,

I am an RN here in the UK currently applying to NNAS to be able to sit for NCLEX with CNO. Please where did you get resources to study and hence sit for the Jurisprudence exam? Also what was the process like in your university sending across your transcript to NNAS?