Waiting, waiting, waiting... oh and more waiting for BCCNM's decision!

BCCNM emailed a few weeks after NCAS

I was happy! My NCAS assessment was complete. The BCCNM website said it would be just a short (maybe not short enough) 8 week wait for their committee decision about what my next steps would be. BCCNM emailed me shortly after my NCAS assessment to tell me that they had received my NCAS results. In response to this email, I asked if the 8 week wait would start from right then and there...

To my dismay, they told me that the 8 week wait was out of the window and I should prepare to wait for about 5 months. Imagine hearing that!!!! Cue no longer feeling happy... :(

I want you to be prepared!

For a longer wait. I mean, I kind of expected it, given COVID-19 going on right now, but it still hearing about more waiting didn't feel good. Like not at all. But, if you are reading this, you are probably an international nurse too and therefore, by proxy, you have become an absolute professional at waiting (un)patiently like me.

A thing to do within the wait

Gather your supporting documents! I spent a while compiling a document which included my resume and any education/training (such as CPD) I had completed during my nursing practice. It turned out to be a pretty hefty document, but the more information they have, the better, right? The reason I did this was to hopefully BCCNM's decision a little easier as I had had a lot of experience and additional training. I really think it paid off!

It paid off?!

So, I finally got the committee decision. It was a 3 month wait for BCCNM's decision (it doesn't sound very long, but I was getting very antsy as this was the final piece of the puzzle that has taken over 2 years!). The decision was honestly the best outcome I could have hoped for. I was really glad too because the wait was grueling for me (I'm very dramatic, I know). But, I was literally on the verge of giving up completely and actually going back to England!

A Positive Note?

One positive thing from the transition of my application now being in BCCNM's hands is that it made everything SO much better for me. After the absolute nightmare of NNAS, dealing with BCCNM felt like an absolute dream. Their communication is great, they get back to you promptly and provide you with concise, genuine updates. This made the waiting not as difficult.

The wait is over for me!

As I mentioned, my outcome was a really good one. The power transferred into my hands to get my transitional education complete! The exciting news is that things have been moving so rapidly for me, so I'm hopeful that it will for you all too. I know that waiting can be so draining. So, I wanted to create this post for you to shine a light on the time in getting a decision and what you can do in the meantime.

I also wanted you to be aware that as I noted my previous post, http://internationalnurseincanada.com/ncas-performance-report-received-at-lightning-speed/, I was the first group to complete NCAS since COVID-19 hit. So, I think I may have been lucky with my timeline as there was little to no back log of applications for BCCNM to assess.

I'll let you know in the next post about the transitional education I had to do. The amazing thing is that by my next post, after what has felt like an eternity, I should finally have my Canadian Nursing License!!!!