Graduating Nurse from Ontario Moving to Calgary

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  1. This is a discussion on Graduating Nurse from Ontario Moving to Calgary in Nursing in Canada, part of World Nursing ... Hi there, I am looking for information on the nursing job market in Calgary for graduate nurses....

    by Feb 15
    Hi there,

    I am looking for information on the nursing job market in Calgary for graduate nurses. Are there any full time positions available this coming summer? Ideally I would like to get hired for August/September (once my RN licence and registration is done) What's the nursing atmosphere like at Peter Lougheed or Rockyview for those who are currently employed there? I would love to work at South Health Campus as well but since it appears to be at the outskirts of the city, transportation would be an issue for me unless I can get a car. Any information would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.

    - Kim
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  3. 37 Comments so far...

  4. Guide
    Feb 15 by
    AB is cutting health care services as we speak, and it's harder to get into Alberta Health services as an external applicant. Internal applicants have priority. The cities are also very competitive. Make sure you have a job lined up before you come out to Calgary, or at least 6 months savings. If you are willing to work rural to get into AHS, then you should be fine.
    petethecanuck, itsmejuli, and Fiona59 like this.
  5. Feb 15 by
    You need a car in Alberta. Public transit is very difficult for shift workers to use. I have coworkers who leave home at 0500 for a 0700 start. That's in the provincial capital.

    Alberta isn't the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for jobs,especially government funded jobs
    itsmejuli and joanna73 like this.
  6. Feb 15 by
    Quote from KimTruong
    Hi there,

    I am looking for information on the nursing job market in Calgary for graduate nurses. Are there any full time positions available this coming summer? Ideally I would like to get hired for August/September (once my RN licence and registration is done) What's the nursing atmosphere like at Peter Lougheed or Rockyview for those who are currently employed there? I would love to work at South Health Campus as well but since it appears to be at the outskirts of the city, transportation would be an issue for me unless I can get a car. Any information would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.

    - Kim
    I work at Foothills in Calgary and I really like it there. I pay a little extra in rent since I live right downtown,directly next to a train station. But it saves me money in the end because I HAVEN'T needed to buy a car. It takes me about 20-30 mins to get to work via train and a quick transfer to a very frequent bus. There are 6 of us from my unit that all do this and I have had no problem at all.
  7. Guide
    Feb 15 by
    Apartments are difficult to find in the downtown area of Calgary so rents are really jumping.

    So if you decide to come out here make sure you have plenty of money saved to support yourself while you're looking for a job.

    As I've posted in other threads, its very difficult to get into AHS.
    Fiona59 likes this.
  8. Feb 15 by
    Keep in mind you will also be competing with 100's of Alberta RN grads and AHS's "mandate" to hire > 70% of said grads.

    Please see page 68 in AHS Q2 performance report 2012/2013: http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/...nce-report.pdf
    Fiona59 likes this.
  9. Feb 16 by
    Well thats quite disheartening to hear. :/ I do have about 4 months worth of savings for this move and I know people there as well. I guess I will try to apply early by April and have a side-job lined up too. I am willing to take part-time or casual to get into AHS so I think it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Or maybe I am just being overly optimistic haha.. Anyways, thank you so much for the info guys.
  10. Guide
    Feb 16 by
    AB is cutting back similar to ON 5 years ago. Even to land a casual position....yes, it is possible, but you are applying as an external applicant with AHS. The way AHS works is that internal applicants are selected first, because they are already in the system. External applicants are selected last. So part time or casual is still an issue for you because you aren't in the system. AB works differently than ON. As Pete mentioned, you are competing with local grads. If you plan on living in Calgary or Edmonton, 4 months of savings will run out quickly. I wouldn't leave without a job if I were you. To put things in perspective, it took a friend of mine (who is with AHS) almost three months to land a casual position.
    Fiona59 and itsmejuli like this.
  11. Feb 16 by
    It's taken me the better part of five months of applying for part time jobs to even get an interview for one. I'm internal and have over 5 years of service! I'm just looking for a lateral move.
    itsmejuli and joanna73 like this.
  12. Feb 16 by
    What is the best solution for new grads now?