Do Nurses in Canada Make Lots of Money?
One of the most prestigious, high-demand jobs is nursing. The Canadian Nursing Association states that in 2022, Canada will be short 60,000 full-time qualified RNs. And this trend, according to the Canadian government, will continue through to 2028 as thousands of new nursing positions will be created but there will be a shortfall of new graduates to fill these positions.
Registered nurses are needed in long term care facilities, hospitals, clinics, schools, prisons, homes, etc. Nurses are needed in every city, town and village. While the pay is fantastic, an average of $71,500 CAD per year, the work is hard and long and often overtime taking its toll. A more experienced nurse can make over $81,000 CAD annually. And if you, as a nurse, have to work overtime (and all nurses do), then you are paid at time-and-one-half. So even if you take the lowest hourly wage of $36/hr, that turns out to be $54/hr. Assume you work an extra 20 hours per month over and above your regular hours, that is a nice amount to add on top of your regular salary. Alberta has the highest average wage for nurses at $94,000 CAD followed by the Yukon and Northwest Territories, as per Talent.com.
If you are interested in nursing, you might want to consider taking your BSc in Nursing and get your RN upon graduation from one of Canada’s Schools of Nursing such as the Western Regional School of Nursing at Memorial University’s Grenfell campus. While international students are not eligible for nursing programs at some of Canada’s universities, others welcome international students and some provinces have PGWP and PR enhancement programs to keep nursing graduates in their province. Provinces where RNs are most required are Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Manitoba.
Please note that Nursing is a challenging program to get admission to. Students need to write special entrance exams, have a higher IELTS score, an admission average of 80-85%, depending on the university and they also need to have Mathematics for admission. In Pakistan and other countries where students do not take Mathematics for a Pre-Medical pathway, these students can take their 1st year in the Faculty of Science – Integrated Sciences and make up the Math during their 1st year at UNBC, a top Canadian primarily undergraduate university. After their 1st year, they can transfer to a BSc Nursing program or a Health Sciences or Health Studies program.
Other In-Demand Medically Related Jobs
In addition to nursing there are other medically related fields that are in high demand and come with good salaries. Addiction counsellors, Health Educators, Data Analysts, Health Program Specialists, Laboratory Technicians, and Health Researchers are examples of in demand jobs with excellent salaries. Biomedical Engineering is also another option for the medically inclined student. Health Science and Health Studies programs at Canadian universities offer international students opportunities to qualify for jobs in the medical sector. Graduates from these programs can take further studies in Dentistry, Master’s degrees in Medical Sciences, Physiotherapy, Public Health etc.
But Isn’t Nursing a Disrespectful Job?
That question is best answered according to where you live. In Pakistan, being a nurse is looked down on, but in Canada a RN is a highly respected position. I know Canadian mothers who are so proud of their daughters when they graduate from Nursing. Pictures of the daughter in her Nursing cap hit Facebook. Mom and Dad are so proud to have a nurse in the family. If you come from a country where graduating from Medical School with your MBBS is the ultimate, then you can understand the pride and joy a daughter or son who graduates from Nursing gives their mother and father.
So, if you have the marks and subjects, or even if you are just short of them, then you might want to consider becoming a RN at one of Canada’s finest universities. You will be glad you did.
Do you want more information on how to become a nurse in Canada? Or do you want to explore various medically-related programs that are open to international students? Then contact us today.
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