To work in any of these nursing areas, you must have a college or university registered nursing diploma/degree. You must also obtain a provincial licence and you may need a membership in a professional association.
To be a head nurse or supervisor, you need experience as a registered nurse and may need a university degree or other studies in management or administration.
To be a specialized registered nurse, you must have additional academic training or experience. The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) offers a national certification credentialing program in 12 specialties; this program, with mandatory exam, recognizes registered nurses as specialists in their field of work. You usually need a master's or doctoral nursing degree to be a clinical nurse specialist, clinician or consultant.
Most recent entrants have a community college diploma, and almost 3 in 10 have an undergraduate university degree.
Most provinces will require a baccalaureate degree in registered nursing as entry to practice in the coming years.
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