The Pinoy IEN

The North America Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA between Mexico, the United States and Canada allows citizens of these countries mobility of talent and professional expertise across North America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that there will be more than a million RN openings in the United States by 2024 ( Reuters, 2017 ). A nursing crisis unlike any other in US history. Because of Canada's highly educated RN pool who are baccalaureate degree holders, Canada is the third country behind the Philippines and India where American hospitals recruit RNs from ( Hall, 2009 ). The CGFNS VisaScreen is one of the requirements to get an approval for a Trade NAFTA (TN) Visa, a non-immigrant work visa that is renewable and valid for 3 years. Only citizens of Mexico and Canada with a US job offer are eligible for a TN Visa. Here are the steps to complete the CGFNS VisaScreen: 1. Sign up for a CGFNS VisaScreen Account . Fill up an application form and pay the appropriate fe...

Dominated by mothers, daughters, nieces and sisters, the male species is starting to become visible in the nursing profession nowadays. Contrary to what we see on the floor, the 2017 RN Practice Analysis published this year revealed that 8.6% of the successful NCLEX-RN Canadian jurisdiction takers were males in 2017. Out of the 3,000 respondents 6.0% were Filipinos ( NCSBN, 2018 ). Brawny strength is indispensable during action-packed shifts. This will be a two-part series of inspiring stories. Let's learn from the journey of a few good men. JC Gamutan Pinoy IEN: Congratulations for finally getting your RN in Canada after 4 long years! Hahaha! Share mo naman background mo? JC Gamutan: Hi! I graduated in 2005 and worked as an RN at Phillips Memorial Hospital in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, a tertiary hospital affiliated with Del Monte Philippines Incorporated. It was under the management of Capitol University Medical Centre. I worked as a float RN for 5 years over...

Set aside politics and harness the opportunities from the warmer regions of the South. Three important things you need to do or have: Must pass the NCLEX-RN, a Canadian Passport and an RN job offer. Prerequisites: Must pass the NCLEX-RN (for Canadian RN/US RN jurisdictions) Must be Canadian citizen to be eligible to work in the States under the North American Free Trade Agreement or the NAFTA Must have a job offer from a US employer* Must be RN in the jurisdiction of employment *US employers MAY require most recent bedside RN experience. (1) If you passed the NCLEX-RN for Canadian RN jurisdictions, submit an application to the State Board of Nursing. Refer to Quick Reference Guide 7: Reciprocity from Canadian RN to US RN Practise . If you became Canadian RN through the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) or the Ordre des Infirmières et Infirmiers du Québec Professional RN Exam (Québec Provincial RN Exam), submit an application for licensure by examinati...

Graduate Nurse (GN) Permits or Temporary Licenses/Registration or Provisional Practise Permits are practise permits/licenses given to applicants who will write the national entry-to-practise RN exam, the NCLEX-RN within the validity period or those who are waiting for their NCLEX-RN results. GNs/Temporary License holders are allowed to earn from and practise the profession with conditions and restrictions. Restrictions and policies are set by the regulatory boards and vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. For a more detailed policy on temporary practise permits, refer to your College/Association of RNs website. A GN status or temporary/provisional practise license/permit is given to applicants who meet all other registration requirements:  Education Proof of Language Jurisprudence Evidence of RN Practise IENs MUST meet these four requirements to be eligible to have a temporary practise permit or a GN status. Aside from the above requirements, all components and ...

According to PayScale , an American website which provides information about salary, compensation and benefits, said that a Canadian RN makes an average of 33.01 CAD per hour (March 2018). Graduate Nurses or Temporary License Nurses make the lowest in the scale. Registered Nurses in Canada earn depending on their RN experience and education. Baccalaureate degree holders earn more while Nurse Practitioners (NPs) make more for having specialist's knowledge, experience and more education. This data does not include Registered Psychiatric Nurses (only in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan). They are not part of this pay scale. Let's debunk myths and fantasies about this matter.

Different struggles, one goal, three stories. Stories that galvanize your passion to be the Canadian RN you always wanted to be. The Pinoy IEN had the chance to talk to three Pinoy IENs from Canada’s East Coast. From the Canadian capital, Ottawa to the Maritime city of Halifax, learn from their experience and what made them took chances to make their dreams a reality. Cathy Realiza, RN Tinadhana Pinoy IEN: WOW! Barely 12 months in Canada, RN kana agad agad! Ikaw lang talaga mahal ni God! Hahaha! Tell us your background. Cathy: Hahaha. Hi! My name is Cathy! I graduated in Siliman University in 2009 and completed my Master's in Nursing major in Maternal and Child Nursing in Misamis University in 2012. I have over 5 years RN experience and most of my assignment was in the hemodialysis unit. I came to Canada just barely a year ago under the Québec Skilled Worker Program and have lived in the National Capital Region (Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada) since then. Pinoy IEN...

Nothing is so much dreadful than a clinical panel interview. It's natural to be nervous of something you do not know what's going to happen. Going through interviews can be stressful for some especially to those who are not prepared well. Keep in mind that only the top 2% of the applicants are being called for an average job interview ( Glassdoor ). Here are practical tips to kill it in your next RN job interview. 1. Build up your CV Keep your CV up to 3 pages maximum. Adjust margins to accomodate all the important information that you wish to showcase to the hiring manager. References must be on a separate page. Take note that if you are applying for an RN position you cannot request a character reference from someone below the position that you are applying for like your unit LPN. Clinical instructor/nursing professors, unit manager or senior RNs can give you a reference for this job position. Being updated with the most recent advances in healthcare is part of...

We met John Lirazan in Facebook late Spring 2017 when he felt like all doors were shut closed behind him. Typical among Manitoba Filipino IEN applicants, his story is a beaming light at the end of the tunnel. Faith. Hope. Perseverance. These are the things that put his feet on solid ground and held him together through the tides. John Maynard Lirazan: Hi Pinoy IEN! My name's John Maynard Lirazan. I was conferred with the BSN degree at Siliman University in 2006. I used to work as a staff RN at the Medical Mission Group Hospital in Tagbilaran City, Bohol back in 2008. I went to the United Kingdom and studied at the University of Hertfordshire. I worked as a Health Care Aide in England and Scotland for a while. I tried to pursue nursing but I failed in my endeavor. Bumalik ako sa Pinas in 2013 and tried our shot to immigrate in Manitoba. In November 2015, my family and I arrived in Canada under through provincial nomination. Pinoy IEN: What inspired you to become Canadi...

The transition of Canada to NCLEX-RN in 2014 widen opportunities of Canadian RNs all throughout North America. Canada is the third country behind India and the Philippines of which American hospitals hire RNs to address the RN shortage in the States (Hall, 2009). It has been noted that US recruiters prefer RNs who hold a baccalaureate degree, the minimum education requirement to practise as RN in Canada (except Québec).  Read the full article conducted by the University of Toronto Lawrence Bloomber School of Nursing here . Unlicensed Internationally-Educated RNs living in Canada may have to submit a licensure by examination application in the States. This QRG applies to Canadian-licensed RNs/Canadian RNs. So how will those Canadian-licensed RNs reciprocate their licenses in the States? Here are useful steps to file for reciprocity in the States: Pre-requisites: Must have passed the NCLEX-RN Must hold an active Canadian RN license within Canada Québec RNs m...

The Agreement on Internal Trade Chapter 7 lawfully allows Canadian-licensed nurses to practice nursing across Canada including Québec and the Territories. To be able to practice nursing in a province, the nurse must initially hold a full , unrestricted nursing license not temporary or provisional licenses. Like in the States, you can hold multiple nursing licenses in Canada as well! Yes. With a price. To end the rumors of not being able to practise anywhere in Canada, here are 5 helpful tips to process license reciprocity across Canada: (1) Read the Out-of-Province Reciprocity requirements of the province where you wish to move or practice Learning the reciprocity processes would help you formulate a game plan prior to moving to the province or applying for nursing jobs in that province. This information is available in the College website. Be reminded that there are separate forms for Out of Province or Canadian-licensed Nurse Applicants. (2) Practise the professio...

Some Internationally-Educated Nurses are asked to meet the nursing education requirement for licensure or to be eligible to sit the NCLEX-RN. The Colleges/Associations of RNs may require IENs to complete a Bridge to Canadian RN Program or RN Bridging course(s) in a College/Association-recognized school. Going through the RN Bridging is an investment. Investment requires funding. Here are 4 helpful tips to fund your RN bridging program: (1) Save The most conservative yet practical way of funding your RN bridging is saving up ahead of time. Applicants who are willing to save must have information on the length and the cost of their RN Bridging Programs by contacting the accredited schools that offer it. 3 hurtful quotes on saving: Stop buying things you don't need to impress people you don't even like! — Suze Orman Money looks better in the bank than on your feet. — Sophia Amoruso Beware of little expenses, a small leak sinks a great ship. — Benjamin Franklin...

Mae Ann is the typical islander: laid-back, chill and autodidact. She used to be an international student in Vancouver. In the heirarchy of foreign borns in Canada, they're the survivalists. They survive how little they have. Learn how this server turned Stroke Rehab RN. Mae Ann: Hi! My name is Mae Ann Isabel Racho Durban, 25 years old and a graduate of Class 2011 at Holy Name University in the City of Tagbilaran, Bohol. I arrived in Canada under a study permit last December 2014 just 2 days before Christmas. I have nursed for 2.5 years. I was rotated in various 30-50-bed capacity hospitals under the RNHEALS program of the Department of Health. With the limited opportunity we had in our beautiful island plus the politics involved in securing a job, I decided to try my luck in Manila. Ang mahal talaga ng cost of living sa Manila te! Indi keribels! Pinoy IEN: Sinabi mo pa! What or who motivated you to study in Canada? Why not somewhere else? Mae Ann: It was during these ...

The Colleges of RNs or LPNs require IENs from countries not found in the exception list to provide valid English test results (not expired) with the required scores or band. In Ontario, the College of Nurses of Ontario has guidelines to prove other evidences of English Language Proficiency. The Registration Committee reserves the right to make a determination on your written request as this will undergo deliberation. Please view the complete criteria by clicking here . This QRG will help IENs determine their eligibility: (1) Do you have an active Ontario (CNO) application? Have you received an NNAS Advisory Report for Ontario? If YES proceed to step 2. If NOT, this QRG does not apply to you. Prove English Proficiency by examination and relay official results to your College. (2) Have you worked as an employed or volunteer Personal Support Worker or Health Care Aide within the last 2 years in Canada? If YES, you are eligible to submit a written request. If NOT...