Finally received OK to test in Alberta...

Gail, I'm glad you finally got your go ahead... I know this is a day late and a dollar short... I'm on vacation and didn't see your post until now. You will only have to pay your registration fee before the new licensing year begins if you plan to start working before October 1. It has nothing to do with when you write the CRNE.

Looking for work in Alberta can be a little frustrating, because of the bureaucracy involved, much like with CARNA. If you're interested in hospital nursing, I'd suggest looking at the Calgary Health Region web site under career opportunities to see who is hiring and what the closing dates are. There's a lot of whoop-de-doo going on in the media right now over nursing shortages there, so I know there are vacancies, especially at Foothills and Peter Lougheed. Once you've applied they will need to put you through some more hurry-up-and-wait while they screen all the applicants then short-list them then run interviews. When I applied in Edmonton several years ago I got a telephone interview within a week of e-mailing my resume, then was offered the job on the spot. I didn't start my job there for 10 months though. Good luck. Again.

Hi Gail... sorry I didn't get back to you. I was on vacation and somehow my mail got messed up.

I know of several people who have moved to Calgary recently and didn't wait long at all to get working. When I looked at the Calgary Health Region site, there were LOTS of postings. (My delay in starting work were of my own making. I had to get things organized for my son before we moved, due to his special needs. They would have had me starting the week after I was hired if they could've.)

As a ward rep for the United Nurses of Alberta, I can assure you that you aren't stuck in a job you don't like. Everyone has a 90 day probation period when they start, during which either party can decide the choice wasn't the right one, no harm no foul... The only snag will be if you get financial assistance for moving (up to $5000). Then you'd be required to continue employment with the same employer. But that isn't as bad as it sounds. The collective agreement has been jiggered with so much that now the employer is not the unit or facility, it's the region. So you would be free to go anywhere within the region without having to pay back any of your moving expenses.

If you'd like to have a look at the collective agreement it can be found at http://www.una.ab.ca/ ; there are a lot of other things there you might find interesting too. We're going into negotiations this fall and are currently deciding what our opening position should be. We are really well-paid, so I don't expect anything more than cost of living, but there are a lot of areas in the CA that could be improved.

If there's anything else I can help with don't hesitate!