Nurse from Chile starts over with the help of the Coast Capital Credentialing Program for Newcomer Women
Starting over is never easy, and no one knows this as deeply as Paulina. Two years ago, Paulina made the journey to Canada from Chile with her husband and two young children, leaving her family, network and 15-year career as a nurse behind. She recounts the hardship of “starting over again” and talks about the added challenge of going through this process as a woman and mother.
“As a woman, I stayed at home [in the first year] and that wasn’t my thing. I used to work all the time but I had to leave my background as a professional and that was a little bit difficult,” she says.
People often speak about the culture shock of moving to a new place, especially in regard to foreign credential recognition and restarting your career, but, as a parent, the stress of settling in while juggling childcare can become overwhelming. “It was a little bit depressing because it was a huge change, but when we came here, we decided to live here with a purpose.”
Going slow to go far as a newcomer in Canada
Smiling while holding her son, Paulina shares that while free time is limited, programs like the Coast Capital Credentialing Program for Newcomer Women offered her flexibility and the ability to start the process toward getting to work in Canada as a nurse. Through the program and accompanying grant, Paulina was able to “get started on my career path” buying books, attending the advanced English classes needed for nurses and more.
Beaming as she shares her experience, she emphasizes, “I highly recommend this program [and] DIVERSEcity because usually women when they start here and stay at home taking care of the kids and it’s a good thing, but you need to develop your own life and prepare your path.”
Good things take time; DIVERSEcity can help
Despite feeling alone or overwhelmed when she first arrived here, Paulina has since found a network. “It is called Chilean Nurses in Canada,” she says eagerly. It was one of these members who prompted Paulina to reach out to DIVERSEcity and one of its employment specialists, Asmaa, who helped her in taking those small steps forward through the Coast Capital program.
As her son leaves her lap, Paulina smiles. “If I could give advice, I’d say don’t give up, even if you get sad go outside and touch grass, find a network and remember, we are going slow because we are going far.”
Find out more about the Coast Capital Credential Program here or email Asmaa Shahin at ashahin@dcrs.ca.