Ontario RNs and RPNs

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Hi I wanted some advice from nurses in Ontario I have always wanted to pursue a career in nursing no matter how difficult. I have always felt a job like this is for me. I want a job that keeps me active and on my feet I also would like to care for people. I am still unsure about being an RN or RPN but have applied for both..

I want to know what are jobs like in Ontario for nurses? Your experiences? The pay? How hard is it to find a job for a nurse here once you graduate ?

Specializes in AC, LTC, Community, Northern Nursing.

I have benefits and i like them... I have a teenager with glasses and some meds that i am glad are covered.. I make around the same rate the previous posters but i have added stuff because i am in northern northern on

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Say that when you need a root canal and a crown or new glasses, or you kids need braces. It's amazing how quickly you recoup what you paid.

I needed about $1500 worth of dental work this year (root canal, couple cavities, cleaning) plus a pair of glasses & $40/month Rx & benefits are still nowhere near worth it.

To give you an idea, I get an extra $165 per pay cheque for my 14% in lieu. That's an extra $4300/year. Keep in mind that's working part-time (45 hours/pay). Full-timers lose closer to 7k per year taking benefits.

If you have a few kids then they may work in your favour, but definitely not otherwise.

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I needed about $1500 worth of dental work this year (root canal, couple cavities, cleaning) plus a pair of glasses & $40/month Rx & benefits are still nowhere near worth it

If you have a few kids then they may work in your favour, but definitely not otherwise.

Yeah I don't have kids, nor am I on any prescription medication other than the odd abx for a UTI. The only time I use my benefits is for the dentist and I've never had much done there other than a cleaning and an filling every once in a while. Definitely not worth it for me.

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I wish full timers were given the option to opt out of benefits and take in lieu instead!

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Do any nursing jobs in Ontario have benefits? Every posting I see is +14% in lieu of.

Your most likley looking at pt jobs. All the permenat ft jobs I've ever seen have benefits.

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How is the job market like for RNs outside of GTA? I'd like to work closer to my family in London/Waterloo/Niagara region or even Ottawa as all my friends will be moving there soon. Are there more job offers for those RNs that complete a Masters degree (do they take that into consideration over new grads that don't have it?) Although I have a lot of time to decide, I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to go into the field with only a BScN or get my MScN and then go and look for jobs around Ontario. Any help or advice would be appreciated,

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Specializes in Surgical, Emerg, Medical, Community.

I got a job fairly quickly, however, I worked in community first. Not something I'd really advise when you're a new grad. Just because half the stuff in community you've never really seen. 6 months later I got a job at the local hospital here in Windsor, Ontario. I started that in April, and a year later I'll be working full time as a float nurse. Before I start my float position, I worked on a Med Surg floor, so I saw everything. Some nurses who came from different floors never even seen a chest tube or JP drain or knew how to remove an epidural or knew not to give PLAVIX while on a epidural. So.

However, despite that I'm going to be working full time, I'll be a weekend worker. So I work Fridays (8 hour shifts) Sat and Sun (12's) and I have Monday to Thursday off. Not a bad gig, eh? Reason most nurses in my hospital never apply for float is because they're scared to be sent to the floor I'm on now, where I literally get no breaks. I know we're mandated to have breaks but there's too much going on. When ICU' full, they try and send up patients to my floor, so these patients are still very unstable and are mostly RN patients. I work with RPN's, and even the RPN's sometimes have to take patients with a chest tube, however, I still have to monitor the patient. So even thought I might have 5 patients, I really have 8, because I need to double check all my partnering RPN's work. Yes, it's not safe, and yes we continually fill out unsafe work forms to the CNO.

If you have a master's degree and go straight from your BSN into a Masters, you'll actually have a harder time finding a job. The hospital wants a good worker they don't have to train. It costs our unit almost 5-7k to train somebody, so getting a Masters is a waste of money unless you're practicing as an RN AND going to school, too.

What I'd do, is hand out resumes like it's your job. Build a portfolio. Call up and find out the unit managers names. Take other nursing courses. Keep up on peer reviewed literature and go to seminars. They'll want to know what you're doing with your free time to be a SAFE nurse they can bring in the unit.

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Specializes in Surgical, Emerg, Medical, Community.

Also, yes, you will be looking at part time jobs. When I was part time i got paid 13% in leiu of my benefits. So I had no paid holidays, no sick days. I got 13% extra on my pay cheques because I was part time. I actually make more money as a part time RN then as a full time RN because I won't be paying for my benefits and pension. The only reason I'm concerned about getting full time is because the sick days, benefits and a pension and I want to build up my seniority so I can apply for full time jobs once they come up. Besides, there's this 'mega' hospital that's probably coming to Windsor, so I don't want to get 'bumped'.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Do you not contribute to a pension as a part timer?

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Do you mean they don't want to train someone with more qualifications because it may cost more? I have considered the option of very parttime or casual while doing a Masters, but I really wouldn't like to do it parttime so as to extend it to 3 years.

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Do you mean they don't want to train someone with more qualifications because it may cost more? I have considered the option of very parttime or casual while doing a Masters, but I really wouldn't like to do it parttime so as to extend it to 3 years.

Get your masters if you want. It really wont give you any advantage to working in Canada as an RN. If you want to then get your NP and work as such, that is different. You MUST have your masters to get your NP, and 3500 RN working hours. If you get your NP you cannot work as an RN unless you have exhausted all options working as an NP.

If you think getting your masters will help you get a floor RN job, your wrong. The time you took getting your masters was time you were out of the workforce, loosing your skills and knowledge. The only thing new grads got going is that they are fresh and current.

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Do you not contribute to a pension as a part timer?

It is voluntary for part timers. Mandatory for ft.

I'm quite happy to be making what I am now. When I;m ready to settle down and take ft, ill take the pension.

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