AB to BC RN

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Apr 1, 2016

You have to apply to write the exam through CARNA because you were educated in Alberta. You can likely apply to write it anywhere. But unless things have changed drastically with the Colleges of Nursing, you will have to register first in Alberta then transfer your registration to BC. That process involves applying for registration in BC then having the registration verification documents completed by CARNA; you will pay a fee for both and there will be a wait of at least several weeks.

Employment is a tricky thing. Jobs - permanent full or part time - are scarce everywhere. My unit has hired several nurses from BC over the past couple of years due to expansion of our program, but that job stream has pretty much dried up now. Going in the opposite direction, a friend of mine with 15 years of experience in ER, OR, ICU and critical care transport nursing wasn't able to find even a casual job in rural BC for more than a year. There have been times when new grads have walked into a job a week after their practicum is over, and other times when they've had to take casual spots on three different units just to pay their bills. Whenever there's a blip in the economy, nursing jobs disappear. Another complicating factor is that virtually all health regions hire strictly through online applications so dropping a resumÃ© off on a unit is a waste of time.

If you want to work L&D as your career, given the paucity of vacancies right now, I'd advise you to follow your heart rather than do something that you might hate just so you can land any old job. Apply for everything and anything in the locales you're hoping to move to and persevere. That's about all you can do.

Don't worry too much about charting on paper. In some ways it's a lot easier than the assortment of software packages we're using in Alberta. I had a little chuckle to myself on Tuesday when things on my unit were so totally bonkers that our CNEs were covering breaks. I spent a good half hour showing them where and how to chart things in Metavision. One of them said, "Oh, this makes me really wish for a good old paper flowsheet right about now."

MPKH, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2016

1) Finish your program and take the NCLEX. Once you pass the exam, obtain an Alberta RN license with CARNA. Then apply for a licence with CRNBC (application and a list of all required documents should be on their site). Heads up, it may take several weeks for all your paper work to go through.

2) People who got offer prior to their exam/moving to BC likely had a conditional offer...you'd just apply to the job like any other job and go through the interview process. Jobs aren't plenty in BC, much less so in the lower mainland, and it may take you a while (think months) before you land even a casual job. I would not move back unless you have a firm offer in hand. I couldn't find a job in BC when I graduated so I came to Alberta for a job.

3) Other than knowing the right people and having connections, not much. Do not contact unit managers--they are busy with day to day tasks and simply will refer you to the job board for jobs. Also, per Union stipulations, internal candidates are hired over external, so getting your foot in the door is the hard part. I don't see any harm in taking a job here while you apply to jobs in BC. The employed tend get hired over the unemployed.

4) Do your Final Focus on what interests you.

5) AHS still uses paper documentation, at least in the site where I work (and I work in a big teaching hospital in the city). BC is served by several different health authorities, and once you are hired into one, you'll be given an orientation. It shouldn't take long for you to adjust to the daily routine of the unit you're on, and the basic documentation method and paper work. It didn't take long for me to adjust to AHS when I first moved here.