Dear Cindy – Future US LPN Wants BC

I am interested in moving to Canada and developing a nursing career. I am currently looking at an LPN program in the Portland, Oregon, area, with plans to move to Vancouver, BC, after finishing this course. Would I be hirable in the Vancouver market? I would love to get into a two-year RN program, but my understanding is that is not accepted in Canada and that the four-year RN degree is necessary.

Sincerely,

Future Nurse

British Columbia – like most places in North America – has vacancies for both RNs and LPNs.

The process for becoming licensed as an LPN in BC is straightforward. According to the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of British Columbia's registration page, the process involves:

Applicants then submit the following documents:

Note: For those who have been out of practical nursing for five+ years, a practical nurse refresher program is required prior to writing the Canadian Practical Nurse Registration Examination (CPNRE), and those who have been out for 10+ years should speak to the CLPNBC's registration department to discuss their situation.

Upon receiving a positive assessment, the applicant can write the CPNRE. A one-time interim license may be granted before completing the CPNRE if the person graduated from a recognized practical nurse or equivalent program.

As an LPN, the main hurdle will be obtaining legal status to work in Canada. For example, Canadian or American RNs commonly work in the opposite country on the relatively-easy-to-obtain NAFTA visa. However, these visas aren't available for LPNs, so it will be more complicated. For information about visas, see Citizenship & Immigration Canada's Working temporarily in Canada page. You may also want to see their Immigrating to Canada page.

Regarding the issue of the four-year degree, the Canadian Nurses Association believes that "… the competencies required by new registered nurses to meet client health needs are most effectively and economically achieved through Bachelor's level training." (The province of Québec still allows entry-level training at the three-year diploma level and, technically, Alberta also allows diploma entry, but for practical purposes it is not an option, because this will be phased out as of 2010.) Internationally educated RNs will be assessed by the provincial body (e.g., the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia) to which they apply, and will either be eligible to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination, will have to complete a re-entry program, or will have to complete additional qualifying courses. For information, see the Occupational Fact Sheet for Internationally Educated Nurses by the CRNBC.