Acute care in mental health B.C

[PsychiatricMurse]

Hello to everyone!

I'm a freshly graduated nurse with few years of experience in mental health.

I've started my application process to get registered in B.C.

At the moment i'm wondering how is the job scenery at B.C for mental health jobs? Now and near future? Specially interested in acute care.

I can find some jobs over the internet, but would rather like to hear about the inside perspective. So, what do you think? Is there work for a murse in mental health around the Metro Vancouver area? All so how is the staffing atm, enough or going on the minimum?

Seems it varies a lot depending on the area and hospital.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Generally speaking, Canada's mental health system is desperately under-resourced. Governments can always find money for organ transplants and micro-preemies but "crazy" people (my sibling is one, living in BC)? Not so much. Budgets are strained all over the country due to the recession and BC isn't immune to that. Nursing vacancies, especially in the Vancouver area - it being a Mecca for people from all over the globe - aren't plentiful at the best of times, and the cost of living there is so spectacularly high that without guaranteed full-time employment plus overtime, things can be a bit touch-and-go.

Many non-Canadian nurses find it a lot easier to become registered than it is to find a job, despite the well-reported difficulties with documentation and equivalency. You might want to get all those ducks in a row before you make your move.

[PsychiatricMurse]

I'm prepared to face some trouble with registration, same with finding a job. Luckily i'm experienced enough on moving between countries so i wont do any impulsive moves before my ducks are in a row (7500km makes sure of it).

I thought the metro areas would have better employment opportunities for international nurses than the more rural settings. This been the case at least on my experience in the past. Anyhow, can you advice me on the rural side of B.C then? Is it as hard for international nurse? As it would be my dream to be close to the Rockies, in the inner part of B.C. Let's say for example Kelowna, Revelstoke, Prince George or so.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your input. It's appreciated.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Metro areas in BC are pretty attractive to people from everywhere and they're nowhere near the Rockies. Vancouver is very close to the Coastal Mountains. The rural areas aren't so popular, often because of depressed, resource-based economies and isolation. Kelowna isn't all that near the Rockies, Prince George is a bit closer but not IN the mountains, Revelstoke, Golden, Nelson and Radium are. But those communities likely don't have much in the way of mental health care beyond a community mental health nurse. Salmon Arm used to have a psychiatrist but I believe he retired. You can always look at Jobs and Careers at Interior Health Authority and see what you find. That's the health region where most of the mountain towns are.

[babyfriendly]

Prince George is Northern Health. They're posting right now for mental health nurses for Fort St John, Chetwynd, Terrace etc.