Public Health/Maternity in Vancouver, B.C.

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Dear Metro-vancouver/Fraser Valley nurses:

I'm finishing up my third year of nursing school, and on tuesday I have to put in my submission for preceptorship choices (which is 4 months long for us). I will be graduating in June, 2016. Im having a hay-day trying to figure out what to put down for my choices, i get three choices and they all have to be in Chilliwack or Abbotsford, B.C.

My areas of passion do NOT include medical/surgical. I made it through these rotations just fine but i have no desire to work in those fields, so it's frustrating for me to hear from experienced med/surg nurses "You should preceptor and do 2 years in acute medical before you decide where to specialize". I believe this is probably great advice, but in my three years of nursing school I had very many personal experiences with my palliative mother being in and out of medical wards, and this piled on top of the stress of nursing school has made me want to choose a different career if it came down to medical nursing or no nursing at all.

I did a job shadow in public health and loved it, I would ultimately like to work in public health casually as well as in maternity somewhere casually to keep my foot in the door to be able to specialize in Labour & Delivery possibly later on. I have taken the breastfeeding course through Douglas College, and the STI management course through BCIT. Im going to be working as an undergraduate nurse at a busy outpatient maternity clinic in Surrey this summer as well. SO; my question is, if I request to do my preceptorship in public health, will I have any chance of getting a job anywhere in vancouver in public health? Can anyone shed light to the job situation out there for PH nurses or even Maternity for that matter? What are my chances of being hired in either when I graduate?

Sincerely,

Stressed & confused

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Most public health positions require you to have a maternity or paediatric back ground. Personally, I would advise you to go into maternity first as you will have some foundations for public health. If you go into public health right away you may loose a lot of your skills since you won't be practicing them on a daily basis. Better to get those assessment skills etc down pat before going into public health! Good luck

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Yes public health usually wants at least two years of experience. As for maternity, its sort of luck of the draw with preceptoring, they are either hiring or not unfortunately. I know of someone who did part of the specialty, and esned in mat, and no job. If thats what you really want you should ask for it...they usually have 1-2 placements in maternity.

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Can anyone provide any advice as to what the best way to get in at B.C. Women's would be as a new grad? (other than have a personal connection, because i don't..)

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you have to esn/preceptor there to get hired right away. You must have at least one theory course from bcit, and breastfeeding course at minimum as well as NRP. They only do two intakes a year, next one is september

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You have to ESN/preceptor there AND have those courses?

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Yes (if you ESN there they will train you in NRP). Then you have to have the other two courses done on your own time. They will hire nurses (not new grads) from other maternity units that have done at least the 1st theory course, BF, NRP and have some experience. They basically only interview their esn or preceptors for new grad placements.

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Ahh I see, great thanks for the info

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So if I have two NICU theory courses and breastfeeding, as well as NRP, it would be difficult to get hired as a new grad with out a ESN or preceptorship position?

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NICU accepts new grads outside of the esn/perceptorship program and is easier to get into!

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