A Quebec Nurse - Not Canadian, Mind you.

“That's Calvin?!” I looked closer at the baby Lauren was holding. No more feeding tube and he was steadily holding up his head and looking about. His hands reached out and grasped more strongly than before. Although he was tiny, he had gained 2 more pounds since I had last been with him on Thursday. Because of the Giardia Lamblia infection he had, it had taken him more time to gain weight, as the parasites were taking at his food. Now with the infection gone, he would be gaining more. Already, his improvement was surprisingly noticeable.

I picked him up and he was coo-ing and making smacking noises with his lips – a huge difference from the previous lack of expression.

My Babe

I am in Kampala for the day. There has been a difficulty with my nursing license, as I'm not under the “Canadian” order of nurses. Quebec does it's own thing. I tried to explain this to the stern man behind the wooden desk, but he was terribly confused. Why wouldn't I have a Canadian license if I am a nurse working in Canada?

“Have you ever tried to fake your license?” He had greeted me politely as I walked through the door. He hadn't been smiling.

Not only had they not understood my French license, they had taken it to the university to be translated. The translated word for “Order” became “Association” and they got frightened. Here, you can be a part of the Association of Nurses without having registered with the “Council”. Only being in the “Council” meant you could work as a nurse. Where were my papers saying I was a part of the council? Why wasn't I on the “Canadian” list? Provinces? Poutines? I must be a fake.

I jumped onto the computer and started looking up the Table of Inscription for QC nurses. It wasn't coming up. I couldn't sign into my membership account with the Nursing Order, as the site had kindly been temporarily shut down. I pretended to be typing away while the stern man sat across the room - I was racking my brain for ideas. An email. I was able to pull up an email from the Order of Quebec Nurses. It was only message telling me to register for the Table of Inscription for this year, but I figured it could prove I was a nurse with the Order and had a permit number (apart from the 3 permits, diploma, nursing class grades, letter from my supervisor and work address, which I had already provided them). I somehow had to get them to understand that the expiry date on my license meant that for this time frame, yes I was registered as a nurse. Order...Council. Whatever it is called.Yes, I am a working nurse.

I think they were overwhelmed at the long french document on the screen, as they looked over my shoulder, and talked back and forth in Ugandan. I prayed.

“Are you coming back to Uganda?” I promised that if I did, I would translate the documents and get it sorted ahead of time. They were merciful.

Although I'll miss my tiny Calvin, I am eager to start working in the clinic – tomorrow. My official Ugandan license is being mailed to me, but the receipt I hold confirms that I am truly a legit, Quebec, nurse. I am a Canadian nurse, with a Quebec nursing license, but not a part of the Canadian Nurses Table of Inscription...only Quebec's. Let us not be confused. Quebec is it's own.