If you’re wondering what it takes to work in healthcare in remote areas as a registered nurse, you’ll need to consider educational requirements, skills and competencies as well as licensure and certification.

First, you’ll need to be a registered nurse and submit proof from an approved provincial nursing college. As well, you will be required to have accomplished at least 3 years of critical care nursing within the last 5 years and demonstrate a fair amount of professional curiosity. In order to communicate well with your colleagues and patients, proficiency in English and/or French (Quebec) is necessary, in addition to a valid driver’s license. These certifications are some of the mandatory required before work can be started:

• Health Care Provider (HCP) Level CPR
• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
• International Trauma Life Support (ITLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)