Top 3 Provinces to Find Work in Canada as a Nurse
Are you planning to try out a new place or country where you can get good jobs? If Canada is your preferred destination, you are in luck as this article discusses three of the best provinces to find work in Canada as a nurse.
In consideration of the current health situation in our world today due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially amidst other causes of health challenges we are facing as human beings, which has placed on high alert the need for increased health awareness and, consequently, the need for more health care workers, especially nurses, it is no wonder healthcare workers are more in demand now than they’ve ever been before.
If you understand the procedure and know what it takes to work as a nurse in Canada, in addition to obtaining a work permit, with the requisite information on how to immigrate successfully, you can be on your way to making a successful move in as little as six months.
What are the 3 Best Provinces to Land a Nursing Job?
One out of every four healthcare workers in Canada is an immigrant, 23 percent being nurses. From 2011 – 2016, immigrants comprises 40 percent of Canada’s healthcare sector, notwithstanding, there is still a massive shortage of experienced, as well as entry-level nurses in Canada’s healthcare sector.
Currently, there is a shortage of healthcare workers in Canada’s healthcare system, this is not restricted to the fact that the economy rapidly continues to grow but also a result of the nearly 500,000 workers over 55 years of age.
This implies that approximately half a million professionals will be required to retire within the next few years, so Canada must provide qualified workers to fill nursing positions in all its provinces.
On average, experienced nurses working in Canada earn about $78,546, whereas entry-level positions earn close to $41,396 annually. In addition, even students do earn some money working in Canadian hospitals and medical facilities, including clinics, they can earn between $20 to $30 per hour.
Best Canadian Province for Nursing Jobs
It is no doubt that every province in Canada offers very attractive salaries for healthcare workers when compared to other countries. However, the three under-listed provinces are well known to provide the best salaries and benefits among the ten provinces in the country.
1. Nova Scotia;
Nova Scotia, also known as the bluenoser province, is recognized as the number one Provinces to Find Work in Canada as a Nurse with more than the average salary in Canada. Based on income and opportunities, it was discovered through a study that it was easier for post-graduate students to find a job in their matching field of study, along with potential earnings by their level of education in Nova Scotia.
This provides ample opportunity for postgraduate students and entry-level nurses, who tend to get paid much less on average than experienced nurses. Anyone with a bachelor’s degree in nursing stands the best chance to earn a higher salary of $38.13 per hour, which, when put together, accumulates to an average of $78,600 per year, which is 4.5 percent higher than the national average of Canada.
Nova Scotia very much favors nurses and ensures that they receive the best benefits and opportunities, this is also because the province has one of the highest age groups and aging populations compared to other provinces. For this reason, Nova Scotia is one of the best provinces to work as a nurse, posing some of the most opportunities.
2. New Brunswick;
Devoted to caring for and looking after its healthcare workers, New Brunswick is at the top of the list amongst Provinces to Find Work in Canada as a Nurse.
Nurses can earn up to $35.46 per hour at hospitals in New Brunswick, Canada, which equals $77,445 annually. Work schedules typically involve working four shifts at a time and taking four shifts off in hospitals, on the other hand, nursing facilities, such as old people homes, only have one shift that lasts eight hours a day and five days a week, this accumulates to about 40 to 42 hours per week.
New Brunswick welcomes immigrants faster than most other provinces because of its slow and low immigration rate in the past few years. The province is in need of more working professionals, particularly healthcare workers such as nurses, to contribute to its growing economy.
It doesn’t matter the gender, age, or financial status; you can study nursing in New Brunswick. For a foreign student, Nursing costs, on average, $42,000 or $10,500 annually for four years. Immediately you finish a tertiary qualification in nursing in New Brunswick; you are almost guaranteed a job, especially if you have a local qualification, which can give you a postgraduate work permit.
3. Manitoba;
Manitoba is the central province in Canada and one of the several searching for skilled, experienced workers. The country favors nurses working in hospitals and nursing facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because it is one of the best Provinces to Find Work in Canada as a Nurse, there is potential to continue to grow, salary expectation for nurses has continued to be on the increase as well, and its now pegged at $37.11 per hour on average at the moment.
To become a nurse in Manitoba, you must first fulfill the province’s educational requirements for advanced practice nursing. Nurses receive many benefits as members of Canada’s Public Service Health Care Plan, including medical care for themselves.
Nursing License Types in Canada
In Canada, nursing is a regulated profession. You must first obtain a license from your province or territory’s regulatory body to practice there. Most provinces permit you to begin the licensing procedure before you get to Canada.
Based on the amount of schooling, level of expertise, and nature of the position, there are three primary categories of nursing licenses in Canada:
1. Nurse practitioner (NP);
You need to have professional experience as a registered nurse and either a master’s degree in nursing or an advanced nursing certification with a focus on adult, pediatric, or primary healthcare to be eligible for an NP licensure (or equivalent). Applicants must first register for, or be qualified for, an RN license because, in some jurisdictions, the NP license is seen as an extension of the RN license.
2. Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Psychiatric Nurse;
You may be eligible for an RN license if you have a bachelor’s degree in nursing. You must show proof of current nursing practice if you received your degree over three years ago.
3. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN, also known as Registered Practical Nurse);
You can be licensed as an LPN if you have a nursing diploma. If more than three years have passed since you received your diploma, you must show proof of current nursing practice.
The names of the licenses can vary according to the province you apply to, and entry-level licenses might be available for nursing students or recent graduates.
Why Immigrate to Canada as a Nurse?
Healthcare workers are essential to Canada as a country, which the COVID-19 pandemic has mainly proved. Canada is rated the best country to work as a nurse in 2021, particularly amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Canada is very much aware of the important roles healthcare workers, nurses in particular, play, it is therefore, focused on the needs of nurses as a priority in the country, thus, doing all that is necessary, including going the extra mile to make sure every healthcare worker benefits from working for the government.
As an ongoing event, Canada keeps increasing the wages of low-level income workers and also makes it a point of importance to reward nurses with excellent benefits, which include:
- Medical care (semi-private hospitalization, prescription drugs, eye and dental care)
- Life insurance
- Accidental death insurance
- Short and long-term disability benefits
- Health/ wellness programs
- Pension plan
- Counseling services
- Paid vacation and holidays
Seven (7) Most Paid Nursing Roles in Canada
- Nurse anesthetist – $157,690
- Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner – $102,000
- Certified nurse midwife – $96,970
- Nurse practitioner – $95,350
- Pediatric nurse – $89,000
- Critical care nurse – $80,000
- Gerontological nurse – $64.906
How to Get a Canadian Work Permit?
In other to get a Canadian work permit, the following few steps are followed:
- Get your credentials assessed
- meet the minimum requirements
- Gain permanent residency
1. Get Your Credentials Assessed;
Prior to completing this crucial step, you must first decide on the province in which you wish to work and reside. However, before you choose a province, it is advised that you check the registration requirements for your selected province, this is because there are different regulatory bodies for nurses in each of the provinces.
The first thing you must do thereafter is to get it assessed if you already have a nursing qualification. Upon approval, it must then be converted to North American standards by either of the following two government-certified agencies:
2. Meet the Minimum Requirements;
Upon your credentials being approved, you are expected to fulfill the eligibility and requirements to work in and immigrate to Canada as a registered nurse.
Underlisted are some of the top Canadian immigration programs for nurses:
What are the minimum requirements for earning permanent residency in Canada as a nurse?
- Level of Education (Tertiary qualification)
- Relevant work experience
- Language proficiency(English, French, or both)
- Job offer
3. Gain Permanent Residency;
You can begin your visa application as soon as possible and receive valuable advice and guidance from government-approved professionals to gain permanent residency in Canada.
Therefore, if you intend to immigrate to Canada as a nurse, however, don’t quite know where or how to begin, you can start by first seeking more information from a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), who will be more than glad to provide you with all the necessary assistance you need.
The Next Step to Immigrate
Canada takes immigration as a very important matter; knowing why this is so can provide you with adequate understanding of why Canada is ranked the best country to live in globally.
Canada, as a country, not only takes care of its citizens, both existing and new, it also prides itself in looking after every person so that each and everyone can prosper individually and collectively while helping to create a brighter future for themselves and the country.
Obtaining a permanent residency and working in Canada as a nurse in 2023 may not be as difficult as it may sound. Thus, where you are in the world doesn’t really matter, there are many ways to make it happen as soon as you decide to.
FAQs
Starting this process, as an applicant with a foreign nursing degree, you must first have your educational credentials assessed. As this can be evaluated from inside or outside Canada, you are offered the option of remaining in your country of residence during the assessment process.
After your credentials have been duly assessed, you must register as a nurse in Canada thereafter. When this is completed, you may obtain a job offer and work permit in Canada. To make tis process faster, some individual provinces have created services to assist and connect internationally educated and trained nurses to employment opportunities in healthcare communities in their provinces.
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