Salary for nurses in canada

Fiona59 · May 3, 2008

Union dues are paid every cheque. When you mean insurance do you mean healthcare, extended benefits (rx, glasses, dental) or disability? Our malpractice is paid by our yearly practice permit fees. Unemployment insurance is a direct payment every cheque to the Feds.

Most active treatment hospitals offer 12 hour shifts (some don't, depends on the department).

medicx2004 · May 4, 2008

Thanks Fiona59.How about annual leaves? How much RNs get paid in Alberta? Any free medicare or healthcare cover to my family/dependents? Do you have family assisstance as well? - like family tax benefit; child allowances, etc... THANKS...

Fiona59 · May 4, 2008

Jan's posted a stickie with the national payrates at the top of this section.

Child tax credits are the new name for the family allowance. The programme is run by the Federal Govt. It's complicated. It's income based, so the more a family earns the less the payment. BUT, it also depends on the number of children you have and their ages. Then if I remember right, there is a special payment after the third or fourth child.

Alberta currently pays a health care premium for provincial healthcare. It's supposed to end in the near future. Employers pick up most of it. It covers dependants and the extended health package you purchase through work is tailored to your needs.

medicx2004 · May 4, 2008

Thanks again for the infos. Is there any specialty/specialization rates? i am currently working in ICU and i've done specialty certificate in critial care (1 year course), by which in some states of Australia gives me a title of CCRN. Is there any such thing in Canada? by the way, i am on my 8th year of practice, any rough idea how much should i get? Sorry to ask you a lot of things, i just need to get the whole idea, so we can decide to move up there or not. thanks....

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · May 4, 2008

That information should be in the cross-country comparison stickied to the home page for this forum. Most provinces have a recognition of certifications and degrees. It's added on separately to one's cheque as an educational allowance or some similar term. Whether your CCRN from the US will be recognised is often left to the discretion of the region or health authority you work for. Generally though, they only recognise certification from the Canadian Nurses' Association.

adrienurse, LPN · May 5, 2008

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linzz · May 5, 2008

In Ontario, there is an additional $900. per year tax that comes off of your paycheque for health care. This just started a few years ago. Yearly eye exams are covered by OHIP for those under 18, and for those with a pre-existing condtion such as diabetes. As the poster above stated, OHIP does not cover prescriptions or eyeglasses, orthotics and many other things that extended coverage is used for.

mtendere · Nov 10, 2008

Guys; I have a question here. I am a new grad (RPN). Recently, I found a job in LTC in Toronto starting at $20.00/hr as casual/part-timer. There are nurses who come to the same place to work from nursing agency and they are getting $25/hr. Are these people cheating me? If so, is it ok to ask them or bring this to their attention before I decide to call it quits? Your advice and input will be appreciated. Thanks

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 10, 2008

Agencies will pay their nurses whatever the nurse agrees to. When I worked for an agency in the mid 90's I was being paid about $5 LESS than the hospital based nurses I worked alongside. But bear in mind that most agency nurses have no guaranteed hours, no benefits, no sick time, no pension plan etc. And they don't know where they're going to be working until the agency calls them. You can certainly mention this to your employer, but don't expect any sympathy or any improvement on their offer. You're a new grad; the agency nurse will probably have enough experience to be able to work wherever they're sent.

linzz · Nov 10, 2008

I have to agree with janfrn, as a new grad, it is better until you get experience to work in one place. It is a lot easier to learn new skills when you get a feel for your residents. JMO.

mtendere · Nov 10, 2008

Thank you both; I will stay and gain the experience.

linzz · Nov 11, 2008

mtendre: Don't feel too bad about not getting an interview at the hospital job you applied for, in some areas, it can be very difficult to get into a hospital as a new grad RPN. When I graduated, there was no new grad initiative and the only ones in our class that got into the hospitals in my area either previously worked there or knew someone. Just the way things are right now for RPN's in some areas of Ontario.