How to become a nurse in Canada
The very first step is for an IEN to have their nursing education background, work experience and nursing licenses authenticated through the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS). The NNAS will collect, verify and compile all of the documents on behalf of the Regulatory Bodies, and will put them into a single document known as an Advisory Report.
This report is then sent off to the Canadian Regulatory Body of your choosing. Who will analyze and evaluate if your education and work experience are comparable to Canadian standards.
Whether you have visited before-hand or have never been to Canada before, it’s most likely very different from your home country. It’s important that you also do some research about where you would like to potentially live and work. Canada is a country with 10 different provinces and 3 territories; and each of them have their own regulatory body.
The NNAS will most likely also ask you to submit proof of language proficiency. This can be done in two ways by submitting an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score or a Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses (CELBAN) score.
If you meet the minimum requirements, the Regulatory Body will invite you to write a competency assessment. This assessment is generally broken up into two parts: a computer based assessment and a skills assessment. Based on your performance on the competency assessment in combination with your advisory report, you may be asked to move forward on writing the NCLEX-RN. Upon successful passing the test, you will then officially become a nurse.
If based on your assessment and advisory report they identify any gaps, then you may be expected to complete bridging courses or remedial programs, before being able to write the NCLEX-RN exam. After completing the required programs or courses, you will then be able to proceed and obtain your license as a nurse in Canada!
It may not be an easy road to becoming a nurse in Canada but it’s absolutely worth it. Being a nurse in this amazing country is extremely rewarding, it will change your life and your family’s life.