MrsL22

Just had my PR issued for Canada so I can Finally live with my husband again.

I finish University here in August with a bachelors of nursing. I've researched into the CRNE exam for Manitoba and it says if I have graduated with 2 years of the exam date, I do not need any practice hours, although these would be beneficial. So I'm unsure wether to move in September or get an RN job in UK for 3-6 months (to be honest I don't want to be away from my hubby any longer!). If I do move in September I would get ANY job until I pass the exam. I've worked in retail and also as a HCA part time through university. Anyway, I just wondered if anyone had any practical advice on this???

Silverdragon102

Be aware generally UK training does not meet Canadian training. Your transcripts must show clinical and theory hours in Paeds, Mental Health, Obstetrics and Adult. Also check with the college as most require IENs to go through some form of assessment.

No reason why not to move and start process once you graduate but do not be surprised on the long process and hoops that have to be jumped over

MrsL22

Many thanks for your reply. I am very aware of how long things will take and I'm more than prepared to get ANY job in the meantime.

I have contacted the registrating body in Manitoba with regards to this and they have said they need to evaluate my paperwork before they will know if I can sit the CRNE right away.

I have however completed a module and placement in Mental Health (Prison environment where I then went on to work as a HCA) & Maternity.

Paeds would be the area I would be lacking.

Did you emigrate and transfer your registration?

Silverdragon102

Yes I emigrated to Canada and although I trained back in the 80s as a enrolled nurse and bridged to RN in the 90s I still had to do some courses to satisfy NS college

Jo Trick

Hey BritishBec,
I emigrated from the UK 3 years ago and it's been a long, long road here to get nursing (am still waiting).
I didn't have a degree but 20 years of nursing experience and was a ward manager as I left.
I had to wait a long time for my transcripts etc to be assessed then had to wait another year to sit the SEC assessments where I was assessed on med/surg, mental health, obs and paeds.
After this I still had to do 3 courses.....ACH had to be done in order and sometimes they course didn't even run if there were not enough candidates. I complained to CARNA and they did help a little.
Then I had to wait another 6 months to sit the CRNE exam and I'm waiting results. You also have to acrue 225 nursing hours and an exam pass before you can be an RN.....if we had know this we would not have emigrated.
It's crushed my confidence to be honest and I've done health care work since Aug 2011 when I got my perm residency.
After all of this I am on the move again so may have to go through it all again but have to work very hard a my NMC runs out next year.
I wish you lots of good luck!!!

lozkina

Hi guys is there a demand for nurses as my wife is a RMN and has been for over 3 years i too work in mental health, can anyone point us in the right direction, Thankyou

Silverdragon102

Only 5 provinces accept RMN so will need to check them out but expect with current economic situation may be hard finding employer willing to go the TWP route, nurses no longer on federal skilled list

Supermum1

Can't say I found the same as others on here. It was smooth, they do recognise our quals as an RN at least, because nursing here is very similar to the UK, and though I am adult trained, and it's more 'general nursing' here, I guess passing the exam with paeds mixed in was good enough, plus my transcript did cover all the subjects they required. I guess it depends where you trained in the UK and at what level. If you are a graduate as I was it will be smoother, because all RN's here are degree trained. They have RPN's which is like our enrolled nurses they phased out in the UK, a friend of mine failed her exam in Canada 6 times so she can't work as an RN but they let her work as an LPN. Another friend of mine who was a head and neck specialist in Central London at a Neuro hospital failed her exam more then two times, and is not allowed to nurse, she has a job in clinical research but wants to nurse. Last things she told me was she has one more chance to pass as the college here told her, after that she can't sit the exam again.

Jo Trick

Hi Supermum,
I've just started making enquiries here and hoping I can get a HAAD licence at some point!
I had to some extra training in Canada and worked as a grad nurse but did pass the CRNE thankfully so can get my RN licence even thou. Have now relocated to AD. The CRNE exam was very hard to pass!
I hope I can work here as this is the only profession I've ever worked in and would hate the thought of loosing it!!

Silverdragon102

Seeing more and more UK nurses not meet requirements as many do not have clinically and theory in an area. Also seeing more provinces requiring IEN's to go through some form of assessment before decision is made for either CRNE or further study. Surprised your friend was allowed to sit 6 times as all provinces are 3 attempts with special consideration for a 4 th or last attempt after that they have to re sit nursing program before being allowed to sit exam again.

Supermum1

Where is AD? You passed the exam, that's the main thing and most important, then it's the college of the area you are in to get processed with. I passed first time too, it was the 6 hr sitting on bum that killed me, I did 5 hrs then went skiing and thought I'd failed, but passed. Am sure my two friends that failed more than once hate me for that.

It's not getting easier though, the regulations changed with the college *nursing body, in Ontario recently, so now unless worked the past 2-3 yrs as a nurse here they won't just let you nurse but will be sent on a return to practice course first, which is another thing my friend will likely have to worry about as it's been that long since she nursed and she's doing a research job instead currently (not as a nurse). Every province is different though with their rules, but similar and still a process (irritating one initially as it's never done in a day). And yes as Silverdragon says, it's getting harder not easier with the requirements with the different colleges in each province. Keepng your clinical skills and knowlege up to date will help a lot too, and not being out of nursing too long.

Supermum1

I was pretty shocked too and not sure how she'd have been allowed to sit it 6 times, her now ex-husband informed me of that while they were still married, believe me, she is in BC. She was lucky to get so many chances I think and even one more chance would have been generous I found it hard to sympathize too on hearing she had not one but 6 chances! not to sound bad or anything I just think something is wrong there She came from the Phillipines to nurse in England and worked as an RN there, but in Canada she failed her exam and isn't allowed to. I get my full fledged benefits, but employers in BC are cutting back with that, to save themselves, the employers, money. Work economy in BC is not as good as Ontario for RN's, many are moving to Alberta as it is good there and pays a bit more, I am happy where I am, though did consider Alberta, don't think my arthritis would cope with that much colder weather though.

I think it will have been 3 chances max for the nurse specialist friend here in Ontario. I don't dispute what you say at all. Where I trained was pretty tough and thorough, much as I found it tough at the time I soon saw the benefits after, when a friend in UK with me working in London at the time I was didn't get jobs as easily as I did, she woke me up to it pointing out it was alright for me due to where I trained, but not where she trained, which I did not realize until she made me aware of that. Can't say getting jobs is that easy here as an RN compared to what I found in the UK, unless it's casual nursing but who wants to work like that, they're more harsh and sack people on the spot too, which they obviously can't just do in the UK. The job I am in now is not so harsh like that, likely as they need us more than not though it too hires more RPN's than RN's as my manager informed me as they pay them less and get away with it obviously, but other jobs take less qualified RPN's as they're cheaper to hire and pay and as we know not full fledged so not going to get the full quality care.

I got offered a relocation package by a hospital at Kingston, Ontario initially when I first visited for a holiday. Then while working in the UK about 3 yrs later, I applied online to two hospital jobs in Canada and they both offered me a job, I think that helped a lot that I had a job lined up before I left, the process with immigration in UK with the medical etc, was a pain, and not cheap, but the relocation package from the UK to Canada via the new employer at the time was helpful and I got my Perm Residency up within a year, the sacrifice was working full time shift work with no leave for a year! Can't say I'd ever want to go through that again tbh and the hospital I worked at was awful too. Most of us Brits left after we did our year there, and moved on to another nursing job elsewhere.

To anyone that has not moved to Canada yet, it's worth applying for a job first and getting that relocation package etc, I think it makes for a bit of a smoother ride, though it was hard work in the job but that's as I didn't find it the most supportive of hospitals, the second one that offered me I wish I'd taken instead as it was a better hospital but I didn't know that at the time, and it wasn't easy to transfer to them after.

As to that exam. I didn't study via that CD Rom as they advised for such a lengthy time under exam conditions, instead I did about 20-30 mins of it a day after work in the week, and checked my average result each time, which turned out to be above average, and then I relaxed a bit and felt I'd be okay, admittedly I didn't find that exam easy either, it was multiple choice so I knew to eliminate what it isn't to get to the right answer on the qu's I struggled with.

MrsL22

Hi everyone,

This was originally my thread but I've managed to lock myself out of my username after I changed my email.

I'm now in Canada and I've just started my intent to apply with CARNA. Does anyone have any tips for studying for the CRNE?

Jo Trick

Good luck!!
Get the books that they advise to study from!
I used these and the test questions are very real to the exam questions. It's also worth buying the CRNE exam questions online.
Best of luck!!

charlottyb

I did test paper after test paper for my CRNE exam, and I passed first time. I think that helps teach you the techniques and also revision over the topics.

Best of luck.