Many of the participants indicated that more than one incentive played a role in their decision to immigrate to the United States. Canadian and Mexican nurses may work in the United States on a special TN visa as long as they have an offer of employment, have a license to practice in their home country, and pass the NCLEX and state … Focus group attendees overwhelmingly verified that their main reason for emigration to the United States was the lack of employment opportunities in Canada, in particular full-time nursing jobs. It’s said that Canadian nurses are particularly in demand because they do not have to tackle language barriers, there’s less of a culture shock, and their education and training is comparable to that of US nurses. The good news is that relocation to the US can be quick and easy for Canadian citizens and international nurses about to get their Canadian citizenship. Please check your e-mail and follow the instructions to reset your password. The importance of healthcare leaders' focusing on creating healthy work environments in efforts to recruit and retain Canadian nurses has been highlighted in recent literature (Keatings 2006). Although the survey provided the "hardest" evidence, some of the most poignant findings were obtained from the focus groups. Correspondence may be directed to: Linda McGillis Hall, PhD, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Research and External Relations, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 130, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8; tel. All study respondents were registered nurses; most were relatively young, with half the sample younger than 40 years of age. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship 40(1): 20-25. A survey of Canadian-educated nurses in North Carolina showed that lack of full-time work opportunities played a key role in emigration. To immigrate to the United States permanently, first you'll need to apply for an immigrant visa and find a US citizen to sponsor your application. "Filipino Nurse Recruitment as a Staffing Strategy." Brush (2008) reports that 20.2% of foreign nurses entering the United States to work emigrate from Canada. Although few respondents were enrolled in educational programs at the time of the survey, more Canadian-educated nurses were enrolled in ongoing education than their counterparts working in North Carolina and the United States overall. Much of the discussion focused on the gap between management and staff in the Canadian healthcare environment. Are there opportunities for career advancement (e.g., clinical ladders, enhanced scope-of-practice models) that should be considered? I feel like I've worked my way to where I am, worked very hard to have the reputation that I do and have a lot of people that I'm mentoring to blossom into other things in the department or in their professional careers. Conexus has a dedicated team that has experience mobilizing Candian nurses to work in the US. Some people want to work weekends. You know, that whole shift idea is just obsolete here. These findings are similar to those of a study of new nursing graduates from Atlantic Canada who identified greater job availability, full-time work, appropriate orientation, packages for job benefits and career development opportunities as the key factors that influenced their decision to migrate to the United States (Gillis et al. Well, they paid for a luxury apartment. Survey items were grouped into four sections: (1) emigrating to work in the United States: five items capturing the timing and reasons for the study nurses' migration to North Carolina, and the types of incentives that attracted them to the United States to work; (2) current work characteristics: nine items, including work setting, position, reasons for staying in the United States to work, work environment characteristics such as nurse-to-patient ratio, and supports in place for career development and ongoing education; (3) returning to work in Canada: six items, including plans to return to work in Canada, possible incentives for returning to work in Canada and the disincentives of returning to Canada to work; and (4) demographic characteristics: eight items. First, a cross-sectional survey research design using a sample of all RN registrants from Canada working in North Carolina was obtained from the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON), the registration body for the state's registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). "Quick Facts: Use of Contract Personnel and Foreign Recruitment by Nurse Employers in North Carolina." Almost two-thirds of respondents identified the lack of full-time work opportunities, and over half indicated lower pay and benefits. This study provides evidence about the reasons nurses chose to leave Canada to pursue nursing careers in the United States and their interest in returning to work in Canada. Increased mobility of the nursing workforce has generated concerns: one Canadian report stated that Ontario nurses were leaving to go to other jurisdictions or to jobs outside healthcare (Nursing Task Force 1999). There is an urgent need for healthcare policy makers to explore what should be done to reduce the loss of this critical human resource. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Nurses in this study reported that a number of financial incentives - including relocation assistance, higher salaries and signing bonuses - helped to recruit them from Canada. These numbers are staggering and affirm the urgency with which the United States is recruiting foreign-educated nurses to cope with its nursing shortage. Supreme Court declines to hear bid for injunction in flight refund case. < ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/workforce/behindshortage.pdf > . How To Immigrate To Canada As A Nurse In 2017. And the people who are here change all of us. I'm so angry with the Canadian government, I don't think I would go back from the way I was treated when I left. This study examines why Canadian nurses emigrate to the United States and whether there is interest in returning to work in Canada. Some boards will grant a license but only within a few days of starting a job (AZ for example). The movement of Canadian nurses to the United States increased over the past decade and is an ongoing concern of health policy analysts. Focus group participants also discussed the incentives provided to Canadian nurses. I look at the way they treat their nurses. When these opportunities are not available to them in Canada, many nurses may have no choice other than to search for employment in the United States. I get offers on my computer every day: "We'll hire you for $120,000 in southern California to do this." You can do whatever you want, and that's a huge issue. In fact, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 203,700 new RNs are required each year up to 2026. On the other hand, close to one-quarter of respondents (23%, n=149) reported an interest in returning to work in Canada. Such an approach would require greater attention to long-term planning of human resources needs for nursing. Over three-quarters of the sample were employed full time, with a few employed part time or in casual or contract positions. "Nurse Migration and International Recruitment." 1. Good Nursing, Good Health: An Investment for the 21st Century. Policy, Politics and Nursing Practice 7(3): 62S-65S. Nursing Research 40(1): 120. Second, North Carolina is one of five states that employ a large number of Canadian nurses, third only to Texas and Florida (CGFNS 2002). If you do not receive an e-mail, please check your junk folder. Although concrete issues, such as the lack of full-time work opportunities, were the most frequent topics of discussion, they were often accompanied by anecdotes, comments and asides indicating a lack of respect and an undervaluing of their work in Canada. A higher proportion of study participants were male compared to nurses working in North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States. Please enable JavaScript of your browser. Quality of life, stable economy and many more. This article offers an interesting data snapshot of Canadians in the United States. Request. In fact, most of the migratory flows occur from one industrialized country to another. Foreign-born workers hoping to establish themselves in Canada as nurses must first follow a few simple steps: Research each provincial association; Self-Assess and Apply to a Province; Once your temporary permit is granted, apply for the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) Full-time work, opportunities for career advancement and flexible scheduling were key factors contributing to nurse mobility throughout Canada. Even though there's a nursing shortage ... administrators are being hired; nurses are being laid off. It’s these staggering figures that have led to healthcare organizations in the US to heavily target foreign-educated nursing to help tackle the shortage. I mean, they paid for everything. Canadian immigrants have much higher educational attainment and incomes than the native- and overall foreign-born populations. Choy is the author of the 2003 book, Empire of Care, about her research on nursing and migration in Filipino American history. Additionally, a survey of Canadian-educated nurses working in North Carolina (one of the five states that employ a large number of Canadian nurses, third only to Texas and Florida, CGFNS 2002), found: Interestingly, focus groups of respondents revealed deep dissatisfaction with many aspects of the nursing practice in Canada, particularly the undervaluing of the profession. Philadelphia: Author. This study utilized a purposive sample because it allowed the researchers to survey the population of interest - Canadian-educated nurses working in North Carolina. This study was aimed at addressing these research gaps by examining why Canadian nurses emigrate to the United States, specifically to North Carolina, and whether they would be interested in returning to work in Canada in the future. For me there [are] just no opportunities because last year about this time I looked into going back, and [for] the job offers that I did receive I would have to go back to rotating days, nights. Healthcare delivery organizations need to have some level of guarantee of ongoing funding so that their employees can be assured of predictable employment. Policy, Politics and Nursing Practice 8(1): 37-46. This finding is similar to that of a study of 51 new graduate nurses from Atlantic Canada, which reported that 35.2% returned to Canada to work (Gillis et al. The migration of Caribbean nurses, particularly to developed countries such as Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, remains a matter of concern for most countries of the region. They realize that state-of-the-art care is available here — for those with good insurance coverage — and delivering it is one advantage to working in the USA. We sponsor the TN visa process, and if nurses desire to make the move to the US permanent, we’ll sponsor and pay for their green card visa (EB-3). It didn't seem like there was ever going to be any openings, so we moved down here to gain full-time employment. For every two nurses that migrated to work the UK in 2008, one British nurse reportedly migrated to the United States. Although financial incentives are a common recruitment and retention strategy, this study also highlights the importance of a hospital administration that supports and values its nurses. This study provides evidence of both the timing and reasons for recent Canadian nurse migration to North Carolina, but it may also provide broader explanations of why Canadian-educated nurses work in the United States, in general. 2004). 2004). One-third of the respondents identified salary as a factor influencing them to continue to work in North Carolina, while close to one-third identified benefits as a factor. Share. Few of the respondents held more than one nursing position, similar to other nurses in North Carolina and the United States overall. They need to gear their marketing towards their Canadian nurses. These five disincentives clearly stand apart from the "other" category, which included climate, specific issues in the work environment and cost of living, all of which are more commonly held beliefs about Canadian nursing workforce migration behaviours. "University Nurse Graduates: Perspectives on Factors of Retention and Mobility." I have been encouraged to participate in our professional association locally and nationally. A campaign needs to be mounted to send a strong message to Canadian nurses that they are wanted and needed in Canada's healthcare system, and that there are jobs available for them. However, during the early twentieth century, many French-speaking Canadians immigrated to the United States to remove themselves from religious and political discrimination. This is how to immigrate to Canada as a nurse. Though small, the population of Canadians in the United States is quite diverse, and includes students, highly skilled professionals on H-1B or NAFTA visas, family migrants, and retirees. This article will focus on the different ways a nurse can come to Canada to work and live. Australian Nursing Journal 11(3): 24-26. I would go back very easily. They think they're saving money, but what they're doing is they're devaluing a workforce and they continue to do that. Although nursing demand is high in Canada, it’s a matter of urgency in the US. 2004). Global nursing shortages create opportunities that give nurses the ability to move more easily between countries. These findings were substantiated by focus group participants, who provided detailed examples of the challenges they faced seeking employment as a nurse in Canada. < http://www.nccenterfornursing.org/research/ empsurv2004/study%20methods.pdf >. The number of Canadian nurses moving to the US has continued to increase over the past decade. Nurses who completed their nursing degree in a non-English speaking location, like Quebec or somewhere outside of Canada, will be required to take the academic version of the IELTS exam. Le nombre d'infirmières et d'infirmiers canadiens qui s'installent aux États-Unis a augmenté au cours de la dernière décennie et constitue une préoccupation pour les analystes des politiques de santé. ... That makes you feel valued ... . 2020-04-13. The valedictorian of my class was offered a part-time position in Toronto and [for] the rest of us, there wasn't a job anywhere. Are there aspects of professional practice in the United States that Canada could emulate? Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Then by the time I finished nursing school and figured out what area I wanted to work in, I knew I wasn't getting a job in Canada in that area. Of particular interest to Canadian Immigration at both a Federal and Provincial (State / Territory) Level are those looking to immigrate to Canada as a Mental Health or Psychiatric Nurse. and other, open-ended items providing the opportunity for respondents to select more than one item (e.g., "Why did you come to North Carolina to work as a nurse? Morse, J. As well, attempts by management to accommodate nurse schedules, good relationships between physicians and nurses, mentorship and colleagueship among nurses, opportunities for continuing education, adequate staffing levels, management that listens to nurse concerns, opportunities for career advancement, and control over nursing practice were also cited as important retention factors. There are a lot of Canadian immigration options for nurses to choose from. Table 1 shows the characteristics of the Canadian nurse sample responding to the survey and compares the study nurses to other nurses working in North Carolina and the United States at this time. 2003) and, specifically, as Canadian nurses continue to migrate to the United States, the need for Canadian healthcare policy makers to act on the loss of nurses becomes more urgent to confront Canada's own nursing shortage. The survey, developed by the study team of researchers following a systematic review of the literature on issues related to nurse migration, was pilot-tested for face and content validity with a group of eight Canadian nurses working in the United States to ensure the relevance of the data items. Your email address will not be publically displayed, 260 Adelaide Street East, No. TN Visa With nursing vacancy rates averaging 40%, individual countries and the region collectively are challenged to address this issue through the development and implementation of sustainable, feasible strategies. ftp://ftp.hrsa.gov/bhpr/workforce/behindshortage.pdf, http://www.nccenterfornursing.org/research/ empsurv2004/study%20methods.pdf, Citation tracking and reference links to full-text articles, Ability to share the information through various social media outlets with a single click, Pay-per-View purchases of single articles or issues by credit card or paypal, The advantage of having password access to. Canada welcomes young and bright immigrants with open arms. Everything that we had to do back home had to go through the union, had to be funnelled through the union. Most Canadian nurses appreciate the opportunity to work in the United States and easily acclimate to the changes involved. Of greatest importance was the perception that full-time work is not available. The Canadian Nursing Sector is one of the most invaluable sectors you could be working in and Canadian Nurses are known for the abundant benefits they receive. There is clearly a perception, founded or unfounded, that there may not be full-time employment available for nurses in Canada. Buchan, J., T. Parkin and J. Sochalski. At the same time, among a minority of respondents, specifically nurses who had migrated recently, there was some interest in returning to Canada to work. and J. Sochalski. Canada has opened its doors to nurses trained abroad. 2007. The participants were asked to describe their perceptions and elaborate on the preliminary study findings regarding the migration of Canadian nurses to North Carolina. 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