agencies for northern ontario manitoba alberta

loriangel14, RN · Jan 6, 2014

30K a month? Nope.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jan 7, 2014

Maybe $10K once all the bonuses are added, but $30K? Not even close.

loriangel14, RN · Jan 7, 2014

And with those bonuses comes a VERY high cost of living so you really aren't any further ahead.

Trishrpn80 · Jan 12, 2014

30k a month is far fetched.. I know people who work on the most rural of areas and have 20 yrs experience and do not make that.

Yes there are incentives to work in remote communities but having been up in my area for two yrs there are lots you need to know and should expect. When you pay $5 /lb for bananas that are gross you learn to change your eating habits. Fresh fruit and veggies don't last long because after 7-10 days of travelling they are no longer fresh.The fact that you cannot just get out and go for a meal out or that it takes 2-3 days to go home takes its toll on people. Small towns will know all your business and you will be the one receiving the brunt of the anger from patients when someone dies unexpectedly or because you wont refill their narcs.

Having said that i love my job. I have always wanted to do Northern nursing and love my community. If you are doing this for money you will not last. I have seen many come and go. You will see stuff and learn lots especially how the government neglects people in the north and unfortunately some people don't cope well at all. It takes a certain personality to be here. I have that personaltity: ok with solitude, dont party at clubs, love the outdoors, dont like the mall, do not like the city, prefer to be in nature etc.

There is only a couple of us on all nurses that do northern nursing.

Novo · Jan 12, 2014

Trishrspn80, could you comment on autonomy? You said you refill narcs, what other things can you do that a rural nurse can't

Trishrpn80 · Jan 13, 2014

We don't refill narcs. There is a set of guidelines usually dependent on the company and area that help the clinic nurses to follow an assessment and then decide treatment. So if a patient comes in with a sore ear. You follow the assessment procedures and then it gives you medications you can dispense based on your assessment. The guidelines were made by physicians.

Because you may not have a physician ghere your assessment skills need to be good. You can consult down to a physician byt you do not want to do that for simple things like ear infections and sore throats.

You are it sometimes. So if you are an RN you need PALS, ACLS, TNCC and preferably er/cc experience. You better be prepared to be chronically short staffed. Moreso then what you see down south. Usually there is an influx of newbies and then an exit of experienced. Turnover is probaby like 50-80% in certain places. Some people last but some don't. I have heard a lot of Manitoba reserves are worse than Ontario ones. Lots of meth, alcohol, gas huffing.

Btw no reserve is dry. They try but there is bootleggers.

redhed2 · Feb 17, 2016

Hi! I know this thread isn't really current, but I'm hoping haha. I've been nursing for 5 years, first half Med/Surg and second half Critical Care. Wanting to try remote nursing in northern Ontario without completely quitting my job..risky, I know! Is there a way to travel nurse or have temporary 2-3 week assignments?

Technicalglitch · Mar 2, 2016

Hi redhed2. I've worked in Northern Ontario, you sound like you have the right experience. If you want to go just for 2-3 weeks at a time, and I am guessing you can't go too often while still at your old job, you should try an agency. I'm not sure which agencies staff there right now, but you could try Venture or Bayshore, they are usually considered the top agencies in terms of pay and benefits. I work in Nunavut. If you decide you like it and quit your old job, you can get hired on directly with the gov't, which generally pays better and gives you better opportunities on which communities to work in.

aywl · Mar 10, 2016

If northern hire LPN?