Alberta vs BC nursing job prospects 2018

[peppa103]

Hi everyone,

I'm a brand new grad nurse from Calgary and am hoping if anyone could shed some light one what the job prospects are in Alberta vs BC.

I have seen many job postings for nurses in Alberta however I have also been told that a lot of these job postings are put up as a "formality" to give other people the opportunity to apply for the jobs when in reality they already have selected people for these jobs...

Any information or tips to finding work as a nurse would be super helpful! I'm willing to work wherever and whenever. I know new grads can't be too choosy.

Thanks!!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Moved to Nursing in Canada forum

[Fiona59]

I take it you are looking mainly at AHS for employment in Alberta.

All postings are for internal applicants unless otherwise specified.

There is a rumour going around that since the government has put a hiring freeze on new employees, it is also affecting AHS because ultimately we are paid by the government.

Honestly, I can't remember the last outside hire on my unit. We've had people come in from rural and even corrections but I don't remember any external hires. I seem to remember some new grads getting hired towards the end of 2016 and they came in through the float pools.

What have you heard on your placements?

[Triddin]

Compared to AHS, I believe new grads in BC have an easier finding jobs. However, the majority of jobs are casual, I only know of a handful of new grads who were hired into full time jobs.

[dayandnight]

BC is a easy place to get a casual job. In the Island you can get Jobs easily and in the north they take new grads for OR training and etc. but working conditions are very different than AB as well as several policies and systems.

[peppa103]

I have been told on my placements to just try to apply on the unit we are placed on anyway because "you never know". I have spoken to unit managers and I have been told that right now they aren't hiring and that it looks like more LPNs are going to be hired instead of RNs. In speaking with some of the newer nurses on the units I have been on it seems to be a hit or miss on whether someone gets a job with AHS or not, but mostly I have heard that it is really difficult right now. I have spoken to a few girls who tried for around one year before they got hired with AHS.

I've also been told that if you start working outside of AHS then it can also be difficult to get work later with AHS... I don't know how true that is but it doesn't seem like you can win either way.

I just wanted to see if maybe there is a way to get in with AHS, if not, are the prospects the same in BC because there is not point in moving from my home, family, and friends if the situation is going to be exactly the same.

[peppa103]

I have seen ads on the Canadian Nursing magazine (last months edition) saying they are looking for nurses to work on the island. I was just wondering how true this is and if the need is large because I wouldn't be able to move until March of this year... However, that would give me time to get my paperwork in order and do the jurisprudence and any other course that is needed to apply in BC.

[frances81]

I also always saw those ads while living on the Island and it was frustrating as meanwhile I'd been applying to hundreds of positions with no response.

[peripateticRN, BSN, RN]

I can't speak for BC but AB seems like an exercise in futility right now. I am an internal employee with AHS and even as such I've applied for over 35 positions since Sept an gotten one call for an interview in all that time. In the meantime I've gone up to the territories to work.

Good luck

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

I see those ads all the time in RNAO and CNA magazines....advertising that they're hiring tons of nurses on Vancouver island (I'm in Ontario)...I think to myself you've gotta have lots of local nurses looking for jobs...

[Fiona59]

BC is a easy place to get a casual job. In the Island you can get Jobs easily and in the north they take new grads for OR training and etc. but working conditions are very different than AB as well as several policies and systems.

Then things have really changed in the last five years! It took me ten months to find a casual job on the Island. A coworker who also moved took over a year in Victoria. We both have/had specialty education

[Maggielink]

I am a new grad in BC (finished in 2 weeks) and most of my class has had no problems finding casual positions. Usually a year or so after casual previous new grads have found lines. There are many postings throughout BC ATM for new grads and the government recently put money into healthcare and more nursing positions so it's easier in BC right now. BC is trying to recruit nurses from Alberta right now. When you look up registered nurse in Calgary jobs in Campbell River, Kamloops and Duncan pop up.