Become a Registered Nurse in Canada
registered nurse canada

www.registered nurse canada.com

www.registered-nurse-canada.com is the first nursing website by a registered nurse in Canada completely devoted to exploring and explaining the uniqueness of the nursing profession in Canada.

What is a nursing career like in Canada?

There might be lots of jobs in nursing but what is it like to practice as a nurse in Canada?

On this website all the unique features of the nursing profession in Canada are explained including:

and other things a Canadian registered nurse should know about such as

Yes there is nursing shortage in Canada.

....and that means lots of jobs in the nursing profession. That fact alone is enough to make entering a Canadian nursing career attractive.

However, there are many other reasons why you might want to become a RN in Canada. Some of those reasons will be because of the unique nature of the nursing profession, but some of those reasons may be because of the Canadian values and beliefs that form the foundation for the Canadian way of life.

The nursing profession exists worldwide but nursing practice is always influenced by the social context of the country and the role of the RN within the country's health care system.

registered nurse

registered nurse
The nursing profession in Canada is unique.
It deserves it's own presence on the world wide web.

Here's Why

Thinking of entering the nursing profession in Canada?

  • Nursing shortage
  • Representation by labor unions
  • Variety of challenging and well paid nursing jobs
  • Ongoing demand for nursing services
These are all good reasons to consider a nursing career in Canada.
  • the nursing profession exists within the publicly funded Canadian health care system

  • with the exception of Quebec, baccalaureate education is now the requirement across the country for entry to a registered nursing career.

  • at some point in life, every Canadian will require professional nursing services.

  • the RN is a respected member of the health care team

  • most doctors are self-employed and not employed by hospitals. When a nurse has to "call the doctor" this literally means picking up the phone and making a phone call.

  • there are lots of Canadian jobs in nursing. Canada has never been able to produce enough nurses to meet the demand and a nursing shortage of 78,000 nurses is predicted by 2011. By the year 2018 the nursing shortage is expected to be so severe that there will be about 113,000 unfilled Canadian jobs in nursing.

  • the nursing profession exists within the Canadian social context of equality and rights of access to health care.

  • Canada has a federal law that regulates how health care must be delivered.

  • a nursing career offers a wide variety of interesting and challenging jobs in nursing that exist in hospitals, communities, and the private sector.

  • the nursing profession is a diverse, multicultural population like the Canadian population itself, especially in the urban areas such as Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario.

  • jobs in the nursing profession are well paid and comparison of the payscale for a registered nurse across the country shows that some parity for a registered nurse salary has been achieved across the country.

  • most Canadian jobs in nursing are represented by labor unions who negotiate salary and working conditions on behalf of the members.

All this information and so much more about the uniquely Canadian way of practicing as a registered nurse.

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Site Updates for Registered Nurse Canada
Site blog for registered-nurse-canada.com. This page constantly updates with the newest information about the nursing profession in Canada.

Salary Information for Nursing Jobs in Canada
Salary information for nursing jobs in Canada. Job salaries for nursing as a career might increase above these levels if the registered nurse assumes other duties and responsibilities besides direct patient care.

Registered Nurse Salary Information for Nursing Jobs in Canada
Registered nurse salary information for nursing jobs in each of the provinces in Canada shows that registered nurse salaries have not achieved parity across the country. Registered nurse salaries are usually expressed in dollars per hour and across the country the number of hours for full time work varies.

Licensed Practical Nurse Salary Information in Canada
Licensed practical nurse salary information for each Canadian province is provided in table format showing the dollars per hour, the number of steps on the pay scale, and the number of hours per year for full time employment.

Registered Nurse Salaries in Canada
Registered nurse salaries are determined by labor union payscale which uses years of experience and the nursing job classification to determine your annual registered nurse salary or hourly rate.

Becoming a Nurse was Always My Goal
Becoming a nurse was always my dream and a nursing career in education was always in my plans. I was able to make my dream of being a member of the nursing profession come true and you can too.

Beverly Hansen OMalley
Beverly Hansen OMalley (registered nurse) Curriculum Vitae

Internet Privacy Issues
Internet privacy issues are of concern to everyone. Your privacy on the web is important and protected on at registered nurse canada.com

The Canadian Government
The Canadian government must be understood by the foreign trained registered nurse planning on becoming a nurse in Canada. The laws that regulate the Canadian health care system and the Canadian values upon which those laws are based provide the context for the nursing profession in Canada.

English as a Second Language - Requirements to Become a Registered Nurse in Canada
If you have english as a second language and you want to become a registered nurse in Canada, your english language learning must go beyond the understanding of medical words. You must be able to competently read, write, speak, and listen to clients and colleagues in your role as a registered nurse in the Canadian health care system.

Nursing Research Contributes to an Evidence Based Practice
Nursing research advances the specialized knowledge base of the nursing profession. An evidence based practice is only possible if the registered nurse can read, analyze, and interpret nursing research.

Labor Unions in Canada
A brief history of labor unions. Canadian labor laws guarantee the right of workers to form a union and to conduct a union strike. The Canadian history of labor unions shows that the Rand formula is uniquely Canadian.

The Labor Union and Registered Nursing Jobs in Canada
The labor union movement has been negotiating contracts for registered nursing jobs in Canada for over 40 years. The vast majority of nursing jobs in Canada are in the public health care sector and the provincial labour union negotiates on behalf of registered nurses in each province.

List of Labor Unions Representing Nursing Jobs in Canada
A list of labor unions representing workers in the registered nursing profession.

Nursing Ethics and Nursing Practice in Canada
Nursing ethics are a requirement for nursing practice in Canada. A registered nurse is required to practice in a safe, competent, and ethical manner. Ethical guidelines for the nursing profession are contained in the CNA Code of Ethics.

Nursing Organizations for Registered Nursing in Canada
The regulatory nursing organizations in Canada regulate the nursing profession in the public interest as required under the nursing laws for that province. The provincial regulatory nursing organizations for registered nursing are listed.

Get a Nursing Job in Canada
You can get a nursing job in Canada if you complete the requirements to become a registered nurse. Employment opportunities are usually plentiful and more RN jobs will become available in the future because of expected retirements.

Types of Nursing in Canada - Three Different Types of Professional Nursing Practice
There are three types of nursing in Canada. Registered nursing, psychiatric nursing and the licensed practical nurse make up the three different types of nursing. All nurses are regulated by nursing laws set by governments in the public interest.

NCLEX
The NCLEX exam preparation materials may not be enough to prepare for the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam. The nursing entrance test for the US does not test all the competencies required to become a registered nurse in Canada.

Canadian Holidays - Double the Registered Nurse Salary
Statutory Canadian holidays are referred to as statutory because there is a law that declares the day to be a holiday. A registered nurse who belongs to a labor union would earn almost three times the regular nurse salary for working on Christmas day.

Canadian Immigration for a Registered Nurse - Nursing Employment in Canada
Canadian immigration policy includes several programs for skilled workers such as the registered nurse. Nursing employment in Canada is highly probable if you are already a registered nurse in another country and have at least one year of experience in registered nursing practice.

A Nursing License in Canada is Required for All Types of Nursing
Getting your nursing license in Canada means you have permission to call yourself and nurse and work as a registered nurse or one of the other types of nursing.

Nursing Careers - A Variety of Nursing Jobs in Canada
Nursing careers can be diverse and challenging in Canada. Nursing jobs in Canada can occur in a variety of settings. A registered nurse will work with a variety of clients from many diverse cultures, across the lifespan and across all social and economic stratas. As your nursing career progresses it can be in any of the four domains of nursing practice.

Registered Nurse Jobs
Registered nurse jobs require the knowledge, skill, and judgement of a registered nurse. The nursing labor union classifies a nursing job based on the level of decision-making, and responsibility.

Clinical Nurse Specialist - Advanced Registered Nursing Practice in Canada
The clinical nurse specialist is a registered nurse with advanced education and expertise in a nursing speciality. It is an advanced nursing practice role but within the nursing scope of practice for registered nursing.

Registered Nursing Shortage in Canada
The registered nursing shortage in Canada is predicted to worsen. Many jobs in nursing go unfilled because Canada does not produce enough registered nurses to meet the demand.

Canadian Registered Nurse Exam - Nursing Profession Entrance Test in Canada
The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam is the nursing entrance test for the nursing profession in Canada. If you want to become a registered nurse in Canada you must pass the CRNE in order to obtain a nursing license.

Nursing Entrance Exam for Canada
The nursing entrance exam for Canada is called the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam. The structural variables include the taxonomy, number, and context of the questions. The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam is based on nursing competencies for entry level nursing practice in Canada.

Nursing Scope of Practice - Defined for all Types of Nursing in Canada
A nursing scope of practice statement defines the boundaries of professional practice for all types of nursing. Scope of practice statements form the foundation for nursing curriculum, nursing standards of practice and nursing job descriptions.

Licensed Practical Nurse
The licensed practical nurse works under a narrower nursing scope of practice than the registered nurse. In all provinces the nursing laws define the nursing scope of practice and identify whether supervision or direction is necessary for the LPN.

Individual Health Insurance in Canada
Individual health insurance must be provided under the Canada Health Act. Private health insurance plans are used to provide extra coverage for services not insured under each province's individual health insurance plan and are most often a part of a benefits package negotiated by a labor union.

Canadian Blood Services-the Blood Transfusion Authority in Canada
The Canadian blood services manages the Canadian blood supply. Blood plasma, platelets and stem cells are among the blood products maintained and distributed by this non-profit Canadian organization. Only a registered nurse can initiate a blood transfusion.

Canadian Flag
The Canadian flag is a proud Canadian symbol. The official national flag was first flown in Feb 1965.

Canadian Food Information
Unique Canadian food items may pose a challenge for the registered nurse trying to obtain a nursing license in Canada. The Canadian Registered Nurse Exam will use common food items from a Canadian menu to test nursing knowledge of food and nutrition.

High Potassium Food
A high potassium food list showing the common Canadian food with the serving size and the amount of potassium in milligrams. This list can be used by the foreign trained registered nurse preparing to take the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam.

Low Sodium Diet - Canadian Food to Understand for the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam
A low sodium diet using Canadian food is explained to help the registered nurse prepare for questions on the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam.

Canadian Food Label - A Nutrition Label is Required on Canadian Food
A food label is required on all Canadian food that is sold in packages. The nutrition label must give information about the nutritional content of food.

Job Interview Questions for Nursing Jobs in Canada
Job interview questions you might like to ask during your nursing job interview are questions that show the employer your interest in nursing practice and in the working conditions at their facility.

Nursing Code of Ethics - Guidelines for the Nursing Profession in Canada
A nursing code of ethics is a formal statement about the values and beliefs of the nursing profession. The ethical code provides guidelines for ethical decision making in nursing practice.

An Ethical Code for Nursing Practice - Part of the Nursing Profession in Canada
An ethical code has been established for the nursing profession in Canada. When ethical decision making is necessary in nursing practice, the nursing code of ethics provides the guidelines for those decisions.

The Nightingale Pledge Revised for Contemporary Nursing Practice in Canada
The Nightingale Pledge is the oath recited by graduating nurses as they enter the nursing profession. Fashioned on the Hippocratic Oath, it was not written by Florence Nightingale and there is no evidence she was aware of its existence. Contemporary nursing practice may need an updated Nightingale Pledge to more accurately reflect the more modern context of the nursing profession.

Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Practice in Canada
An ethical dilemma in nursing practice arises when the nurse cannot proceed with a course of action that upholds all ethical principles or values. The original Nightingale Pledge recognizes the ethical principle of do no harm.

Criminal Record Background Search - Requirements for Nursing Jobs in Canada
A criminal record background search is required for all nursing jobs in Canada. Criminal records searches can be completed through the local office of the RCMP. Your criminal records research file will be forwarded directly to the regulatory nursing organization.

Criminal Records Searches for Nursing Jobs in Canada
Criminal records searches are required for all nursing jobs in Canada. The Canadian criminal records database is searched to see if you have been convicted of an offense that may place the public at risk. Your criminal record background search must be conducted by the police and not a private or commercial company.

Current Nursing Shortage

Some provincial health authorities have decreased the number of nursing positions because of funding shortfalls. These are some of the political nuances of nursing in Canada.

The various career sections on health authority websites still show a wide variety of positions, but many of them are not entry level.

This is most likely a temporary situation and all predictions still forcast a nursing shortage for the future.

I will be monitoring this situation over the longer term.

A Canadian visitor says:

Bev:

I have read the pages on your site, and just thought you should know, that so far your website has been the most valuable information tool I have found. It is really hard to find the right information. I have just enrolled in a diploma program, RPN, and then I would like to follow through and get my degree.

Thank you again for your time, and for the great site, I am certainly going to pass it along.

Stephanie



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Copyright© 2009
This website is a private commercial enterprise and is owned and operated by Beverly Hansen OMalley.

It is not in any way affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by the government of Canada or any nursing regulatory organization in Canada.

Listed with Canadian Culture Canada's Supportive Network and Resource Directory - Canadian People working together!


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