U.S. nurse practitioner moves north and finds career growth, fulfillment and great lifestyle

Meet Dismus Irungu. He’s a licensed Nurse Practitioner who moved from Los Angeles, California, to Vancouver, British Columbia in 2024. He works with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) in the Inpatient Spine Unit at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Get to know Dismus, the reasons behind his move to from the U.S. to Canada and what he loves most about working and living in British Columbia. 

Dismus was initially inspired to move to Vancouver because he wanted to work at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre. This unique health care site is known the world over for its state-of-the-art technology and dedication to advancing integrated research and care for people with spinal cord injury. 

“Spinal cord injury is an incredibly exciting and interesting area of medicine, technology and research. It’s exhilarating working on the leading edge of patient care and improving the quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries,” said Dismus.

Living in the U.S., Dismus completed two graduate degrees and went to Penn State University and Post University. For 13 years, he practiced in family medicine and primary care areas, including acute settings. He specialized in neurology in intensive care units and has extensive ortho-spine experience. He most recently worked at Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles – the largest health-care provider in California.

Now a part of the VCH team, Dismus has observed some differences. 

“Due to the nature of the not-for-profit Canadian health care system, it attracts values-aligned people who are deeply committed to patient care. Our team works together, collaborating on cases so we all learn from each other, creating a supportive and integrated environment. In my experience, this is very different than other health care systems,” adds Dismus. 

To work in British Columbia as a non-Canadian citizen or non-Canadian permanent resident, people require a valid work permit. For many professions, obtaining a work permit or work visa and licensing registration is an independent process that can take place concurrently. The Province of British Columbia has been working on an expedited pathway for credential recognition for health professionals from other countries and provinces. For Dismus, the work permit process was thorough yet smooth and only took three months from start to finish. 

Since moving, Dismus has heard from many former colleagues and other health care workers living in the U.S. who are seeing exciting career opportunities in British Columbia and interested in learning more about his current role and experience moving to Canada.

“I love chatting with health care workers in the U.S. and sharing my experience moving to Canada. Not only am I sharing stories from work, but I’m telling them about my salary, health and dental benefits, and how I’m saving more than ever before. There are so many great job opportunities here, as well,” said Dismus. “I also tell them about the mountains and beautiful scenery. I chose the best province to live in.”

The Province of British Columbia is taking new steps to attract more doctors and nurses from the U.S. and countries around the world, announcing that B.C. has received almost 780 job applications from qualified health professionals across the U.S. in the past two months. (VCH has received 121 applications.) Visit: https://bchealthcareers.ca/ 

VCH welcomes international health-care professionals and has established a new website that supports health care workers from the US in navigating moving to Canada and starting their career in health care with VCH. Learn more: www.vch.ca/connectus