INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL NURSES APPLICANTS ABOUT NURSING IN CANADA

Where can I find out how to obtain a visa to work as a nurse in Canada?
Contact the Canadian Consulate nearest you for information regarding immigration or visas. It is very likely that an offer of employment will be required.

Where do nurses work in Canada?
Canada has had a publicly funded system of hospital and medical care since 1968. The majority of nurses work within the publicly funded sector of health care, a minority work in the private sector and a small number of nurses are self-employed.

Because health is a provincial jurisdictional area, the health care delivery system is not centralized and there is no one place where nurses can apply for work. They must apply directly to individual employers. The Canadian Hospital Association publishes a large directory that lists and gives addresses for hospitals, health centres, nursing homes, health associations and health education programs. This directory may be available through a public library or Canadian Consulate.

What are the employment prospects in Canada?
The nursing employment situation in Canada is improving after several years of health care restructuring and hospital downsizing. Nurses with skills and experience in specialty areas (e.g., emergency, critical care and operating room) and those willing to work in smaller communities or isolated communities are in the most demand. The Canadian Nurses Association is predicting a continued shortage of nurses for the future.

Where can I obtain information about becoming licensed to practise nursing in Canada?
Unlike many other countries the registration of nurses does not occur at the national level. In order to practise nursing you must be licensed or registered in the province or territory in which you will work. Click on Registering and Licensing Authorities to request application forms. Licensing or registering bodies can also provide information about employment opportunities. They may have a referral service or be able to direct you to appropriate journals to find advertised positions or employer contacts.

Will I need to write an examination to become licensed to practise in Canada?
Canadian provinces and territories, with the exception of Québec, require that you write the Canadian Registered Nurses Examination as part of the registration or licensure process. At present, this examination can only be written in Canada on the recommendation of a provincial or territorial nurses association. The Canadian Nurses Association publishes The Canadian RN Exam Prep Guide, which you will find useful in preparing for the exam. Québec nurses have their own exam.

For further information, contact Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec.

What languages do I need to know in order to become a registered nurse?
You require language proficiency to become registered or licensed in Canada. Bilingualism (French and English) is an asset. Candidates must have knowledge of French to practise in Québec. In New Brunswick, Manitoba and Ontario, candidates must be proficient in either French or English. Employment and nursing education programs for unilingual French speaking nurses are available in Québec and in certain areas in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Ontario. In these provinces the Canadian RN exam may be written in either French or English. In the other provinces and territories of Canada proficiency in English is the requirement.

Can I work as a psychiatric/mental health nurse?
In Canada, registered nurses provide psychiatric/mental health services in a variety of settings. These nurses often have post-basic education and may also hold Canadian Nurses Association’s specialty certification in psychiatric/mental health nursing. Registered mental health nurses from other countries may not have the broad education required for licensure as a registered nurse in Canada.

LIST OF COLLEGES OF REGISTERED PSYCHIATRIC NURSES

Canadian nursing education takes place at the post-secondary level. The nursing programs include classroom theory and supervised practice for nursing roles and responsibilities including: disease prevention and health promotion; the nursing care of sick children, adults and the elderly; mental health and psychiatric nursing; and maternal-child (or obstetrical) nursing. The programs also include general arts and science courses. For further information about nursing education programs in Canada, please click on the link.

Can I practise midwifery?
Midwifery is a recognized profession in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Other provinces are considering legislation. For further information, please refer to the list of Colleges of Midwives.

For prior learning assessment, please click on the link for Registering/Licensing Authorities.

LIST OF COLLEGES OF MIDWIVES

Regulation of Nurses

Provincial and Territorial Regulatory Bodies

A nurse must hold individual membership in one of the provincial or territorial nursing associations which make up the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) in order to belong to CNA and the International Council of Nurses. The organizations listed above, except those of Ontario and Québec, are all members of CNA.

Nurses in Ontario wishing to belong to CNA should join the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.

Those in Québec should join the Yukon Registered Nurses Association or become an associate member of the Nurses Association of New Brunswick.

For complete information, please visit the Canadian Nurses Association and the respective regulatory councils’ websites.

(note: We are not connected with the Canadian Nurses Association. Nurses World Directory only hopes to show you where to get the proper information)