Adeline’s Story

When Adeline walked into a recruitment event in Manchester, she didn’t expect her life to change. She told her husband she was “just going to gather information.” Instead, she walked out with a renewed dream: moving her family across the world to British Columbia, Canada.

For Adeline, this journey had begun decades earlier. Born in India, she completed her Bachelor of Nursing degree at one of the country’s top schools and became a Registered Nurse in 2003.

After 16 years in Abu Dhabi, raising two young children, and building her career with experience across many specialty areas including simulation, education, and obstetrics and gynecology, Adeline knew she wanted a different future for her family. The United Arab Emirates offered stability, but not long-term opportunity. “There was no pathway for my children, especially for higher education,” she says, “post-COVID, it became even clearer.”

Settling in Canada had always been her goal. She was attracted to Canada’s diversity and strong work-life balance culture. Adeline initially applied to work in Alberta, Canada, but when that plan fell through, she pivoted. In October 2021, she and her family moved to Manchester in the United Kingdom.

After settling in the United Kingdom, Adeline didn’t expect that a new pathway to a life in Canada would appear. It was a Facebook advertisement that led her to Health Match BC’s Manchester recruitment event in March 2023. It was there that she realized that her UK nursing experience, combined with already having passed the NCLEX, would make the credentialing and registration process for British Columbia far more straightforward than she had expected.

Some of the biggest obstacles nurses face in becoming qualified to work in British Columbia did not affect her. Beyond that, immigrating from the United Kingdom was exceptionally smooth and quick for her and her family. Adeline met Health Match BC in March 2023, and within a year, she was moving her family to Vancouver, British Columbia. Adeline arrived in Vancouver in March 2024 and began working in a Leukemia & Bone Marrow Transplant unit a month later, after getting her children settled in school.

Adeline describes her new workplace in just one word: empowering. She says the nurse-to-patient ratio is manageable, with two to three patients per shift, and that the union protections make her feel respected, safe, and supported. She feels she can use her voice freely in her workplace.

Another advantage of moving to Canada was that her twenty plus years of nursing experience were recognized and reflected in where she was placed on the wage-scale. This was something she had not experienced when moving from the United Arab Emirates to the United Kingdom, and it was gratifying that her experience was finally acknowledged.

The shift structure has improved her work-life balance. With four 12-hour day and night shifts followed by four to five days off, Adeline has plenty of time to spend with her two children, aged 14 and 9, exploring their new city. Her kids love Vancouver’s diversity and freedom, while Adeline treasures her evening walks along the beach.

As for the future, Adeline has ambitious plans. She hopes to pursue a Master’s degree, and eventually a PhD. Having made three international moves, from India to the United Arab Emirates, the United Arab Emirates to the United Kingdom, and now the United Kingdom to Canada, she understands the power of trusting your path. To those that are hesitant about taking the plunge, she says: “Don’t let your age hold you back; you won’t regret it”.