lauriet465

To be fair, I have already completed NNAS and would need to go back to apply for NS. I don't have the money to do this right now nor the time to wait. Our visa will be issued in the next couple of months & we plan to move straight away. Also doesn't take away that I have ZERO adult training as I specialised in paeds from the beginning of my course. Who knows, maybe it would have been different going there first but I've invested too much time and effort in ON now.

Siouxie

McMaster is in Hamilton, Ontario.

lauriet465

Ah right ok. My NNAS is non comparable though so there's no chance I'll be able to just pitch up and get registered. Apparently CNO have sent me a letter detailing the process to registration which should arrive in the next 2 weeks.

Siouxie

Perhaps something to keep in mind, that McMaster employs neonatal nurses though.

It's always useful to check links given, they can contain helpful information sometimes.

lauriet465

I don't disagree however I can't work there if I am not registered with CNO. So surely I need to be registered first before I can apply.
I've been in nights so I'll check out your link when I get a chance. I'm going away next week on holiday so I'll try look before we go

lauriet465

So I got a letter from CNO before I went on holiday last week, they haven't said much other than I need to do the following and then they will assess my application:

1. Provide references from employers detailing my role and responsibilities.
2. Send a form to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, the UK regulatory board) and have them fill out the type of training I did and the type of registration I hold.
3. Fill out a form myself which details the hours I have worked and summary of practice.

They have also said that my General Training IELTS I have sat for my Visa is not accepted so I need to sit the Academic Training. However, on their website it has a list of other ways to meet the language proficiency so I have enquired to them about this as one of the options in a nursing or non nursing course which was completed in English or French, which mine was. I sent the email yesterday so hopefully it won't take too long for someone to get back to me.

Any more loop holes they want to fling at me?!

debbie2801

Don't forget there are so many beautiful areas in Canada. We originally planned on Alberta but went to an emigration show in London and 'found' Nova Scotia. A wonderful place to live, a small city but everything we need but within 20 minutes we are living on a lake and 10 minutes from the ocean. Something that would never have happened (without a lottery win) in the UK. The people here are amazing and the lifestyle wonderful. Not to mention 5.5 Hrs direct flight back to Blighty when needed.

I was also an RN for many, many years prior to coming here and specialised in education. However, didn't fancy sitting the exams again, so got a job within healthcare as an assessor - You could be doing this, or something similar, whilst waiting on your exam process. There are many options in lovely places, housing not always mega expensive. Take a few trips if you can to get a feel for the place. Good luck, I'm sure you'll love wherever you fetch up!!

lauriet465

We originally looked at Nova Scotia but then decided to start off somewhere bigger where I could nurse in different places. In all honesty, I don't fancy sitting all the exams again, I certainly am pretty fed up with all the loop holes I'm having to jump through - especially seeing as most of it is duplicated from place to place. NNAS has references and my NMC record, now CNO want the same except they are meant to be linked?! So time consuming. But I'm not ready to quit nursing just yet because I love my job and part of the reason we are moving to Canada is for me to experience nursing somewhere else and somewhere new.

So, what exactly does being an assessor involve? I'm always open to job suggestions until I know how long it will be until I can get my registration.

lauriet465

Just jumping in here to update- passed my jurisprudence exam on Wednesday. I am still waiting for further updates from CNO, heard nothing since sending the references they asked for in February. Why are they so slow?!?!

Sassie001

Hi,
I'm looking at moving from the UK to BC. Are there any UK nurses that have moved to BC recently and if so how long did it take?.
I'm a RN with 10years post registration experience 7 of which in the community setting. I'm also wondering if there are many community based primary care positions and what work life balance is like?.

lauriet465

I'm not in BC but I did just move to Ontario in the summer.
My Permanent Residency application from start to finish took 14 months (we had a couple of small delays and our wedding within that time),
My Nursing registration application is still in process, I began the application in August 2017. I applied to NNAS, recieved my report in January 2018, applied to CNO. CNO have had my application since January and I was told in August they are assessing my education and practice which could take up to another 6 months, which would be February 2019.

Aside from that I can't offer any other information as I am not in BC, I don't know if the process is the same (NNAS is but I don't know what CRNBC is like for their timing on completing Registration applications). I also am not working as a nurse yet to comment on the work-life balance.

Good luck in your plans to move. Living in Canada for 6 months has been amazing, absolutely no regrets at all. I just wish there wasn't so many loopholes to jump through to Nurse again.

Sassie001

Hi thanks for your reply. Did you get a visa before getting your nursing qualifications transfered ?.

scilly

BC nurses are heavily unionized, and I believe the same happens in every other province.

The Nurses College in each province is responsible for assessing and admitting all nurses.

Because it is a unionized job, then everyone seems to start at the bottom, ie in on-call or substitute or part-time positions. As you gain seniority so your choice of positions and time worked improves.

It doesn't seem to matter how long you have worked, or the seniority, in previous positions in another country, you have to work your way up here ................ unless you have been recruited and the employer is willing to go through the process of getting an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) for you demonstrating that there is not any Canadian resident or citizen qualified for the position. That means advertising across Canada for certain period of time, and the company/hospital/board paying around $1,000 to obtain that visa for you.


As far as work/life balance .............. many (if not all??) nurses seem to work 12 hour shifts, 3 days on 4 days off. From what I hear in the media from the BC Nurses Union, overtime seems almost obligatory in many areas of the hospital.

We have one nurse in the extended family who lives in another province, not only does she do the 12 hour 3 days on 4 off, but she has to alternate night and day shifts .............. so she'll do one or two sequences of the 3 days on 4 off on daytime, then has to do nights. She has enough seniority (about 20 years!) to get either Christmas or New Year off, but not both. She earns quite good money, and obviously enjoys her work but does find it hard at times.


There are community based nurses attached to the Health Boards in BC, and I received good home care over a period of about 10 days after having an operation some years ago ................ released from hospital the day after, and then dependent on the Community Nurse.

There are also private organisations such as the Victoria Order of Nurses (VON), which is a not-for-profit organisation, and Nurse Next Door

lauriet465

My qualifications are yet to be transferred. I hope to hear around February 2019 how I can become registered. I already know it will involve some courses at college.
My PR came through in May 2018, so yes, my visa came first.

Sassie001

This is most helpful thank you. I would definitely be looking for a community post. Does anybody know if I could still get a visa whilst applying to have my skills/qualifications transfered?.