Canadian RN's working in Canada

KatMcRN · May 1, 2000

Hi there!! I too am a Canadian RN who went to the US after graduation (also Texas).

I just got a full time job in BC!!

I also heard though, that full time jobs are not easy to find, and the push is on for BSN nurses. Personally, I'm a diploma nurse, wanting to get my degree eventually (from a Canadian University). I know what you mean about beggars can't be choosers. I feel I recieved great experiences in the US and was pretty disappointed with my 1st "interview" back in the motherland. But I kept with it and now I'm moving back. Kinda scary with all the things I hear about health care up there right now, but I'm hoping things will get better. Check out Canadian RN website (not sure of the exact address), but I've seen quite a few full time jobs posted. Where do you want to go? I kinda like the fact that this "shortage" is all over North America, so many options . Well, good luck.

snickers · May 2, 2000

Hello Bunky,

I am a Canadian nurse, have been nursing in B.C. for the past 15 years or so. I've watched the deterioration of Canadian Medicare firsthand.

just listening to the news, the premier of Alberta is ramming privatisation through parliament..to speed up the long waiting lists for surgery,,, there is an outcry all across Canada, but he says he won't back down,.

All of the nursing associations in all provinces want Bscn, except there are no more nursing seats in universities, There are no more diploma programs anywhere, hence no nurses. There are jobs all across Canada...fulltime and partime and casual....more hours than fulltime. i have the addresses e-mails of lots of hospitals if you are willing to post e-mail on this post.

Top wage for rn's in B.C. is now 26:50 an hour, in Ontario30:00(after nine Years.Our last union magazine gave pay wage comparisons all across the country..B>C is one of the highest.

Acuity is high in all hospitals, people are lined up in emergency wards and holding areas for days on end, People are being sent to the u.s. for cardiac care and chemotherapy...the waiting lists are so long.

I have never seen health care in the state that its in now....I believe that the big U'S' health conglomerates are not far off and we will have the same system as the states. we are ripe for the picking.

It depends if you have specialty experience or not, in terms of the job and conditions you will work in. Working the wards is gruelling....7-8 pts in the day; 10 -12 at night.You can end up with having looked after 16 pts in the day due to admissions and discharges.

I think that the patient load in larger cities is less than in smaller hospitals...certainly inV' ancouver it is.

Anyway I could go on for hours, you will find huge changes....many for the worse...

and don't forget about all of our taxes here in Canada; you'll be paying at least double from anywhere in the states

Oh and gas is 66.99 cents a litre now up to 75 cents in the east. It costs about 3.50 for four litres of milk. and the Canadian dollar is worth67 cents to the American dollar.

No I'm not trying to talk you out of it!!!!!

Goodluck .

sj.

bunky, BSN, RN · May 4, 2000

Dear KatMc

I am wanting to go back to Ontario. I am nervous about my experiences here counting for nothing as well. As you well know, when we got to Texas, we got many chances that we would never in a million years have gotten in Canada, and that is what I meant by the older nurses. I don't want to be relegated back to low man on the totem pole as I have more experience then my classmates who decided to stick it out in Canada, many of who wound up working casual if they were able to find work as an RN and not forced into working at Tim Hortons.

I hope everything goes well for you in BC! I'd be very interested to hear how it compares to the working conditions in Texas which I find very scary. What kind of job did you get? What was so bad about your first interview in Canada? Was it as I feared that you were given the golden opportunity to work casual on a medical floor?

bunky, BSN, RN · May 4, 2000

Thanks snickers! My email address is now enabled. God YES! Send me what you've got in terms of job info. I realize the taxes are so much higher but I have come to realize that we get what we pay for. I pay $137 a pay cheque for my health benefits here and still I have to pay above that for seeing the doctor plus I have to meet a deductible! And if something isn't covered, and there area lot of rules on this stuff, it costs a fortune! A CBC, P20, cost me almost $400 here! Utilities are more expensive here as is the phone and cable. And I sure as heck don't make $30/hr HERE!

I could go on and on about the comparisons and I haven't even started on the working conditions. Trust me, we do OK with our system up there and our union. It's funny but you can take us out of a union but you can't take the union ideas out of us.

KatMcRN · May 10, 2000

bunky,

Hey, I'll keep you posted. Wish me luck.

bigjay · Jun 4, 2000

Hi Bunky,

I am an RN currently working in Ontario. Around here, most job listings are for casual positions as most permanant FT and PT hiring is done internally. At my hospital, Credit Valley in Missassauga, we have just gone through a whirlwind of hiring. Most new staff coming in have been able to get permanant positions within 6 months or so. On the oncology and palliative care floor where I work, our casuals easily get FT hours. If you want to go into peds and have a degree, Sick Kids hospital in Toronto is very short-staffed. Good luck and all the best!

Cheers,

J-P

lita1857 · Jun 4, 2000

Just curious, could an RN from USA work in say Toronto...what about license etc. what would you have to do? If any one knows and can pass info that would be great.I assume casual is the USA equal of per diem?My grandmother's family was from Kingston...Ilove it there, my husband and I go 2x each year. And your right if USA isn't careful with health care it could face some of your problems. Here in the northeast we have lots of jobs, decent pay, room for advancement...any one needs specifics e-mail me @ [email protected] or fax me @ 716-872-2277. Best of luck

bunky, BSN, RN · Jun 4, 2000

Lita I have been doing a lot of the immigration stuff as I am looking into taking my American fiance to Canada to live, and yes, it can be done. Go to an immigration website, just do a search for Canadian immigration and they have these immigration tests that should give you an idea of whether or not you can qualify for it and under which class. They look at a lot of different things to determine eligibility to immigrate. As for your license? Go to the College of Nurses of Ontario's website, again just do a search on your computer and you will find a web page for them and then contact them via email to ask whether you can get an endorsement. They allowed me to go on a straight endorsement to get my Texas license which meant that I didn't have to write and tests or anything, you just had to have scored decently on your board exams. I would think that with they type of shortage that they are going through right now you'd stand a good chance. And lita, it's mostly unionized and it makes a HUGE difference! Good luck if you decide to pursue it. Let me know how you fair on it.

bunky, BSN, RN · Jun 4, 2000

Lita I have been doing a lot of the immigration stuff as I am looking into taking my American fiance to Canada to live, and yes, it can be done. Go to an immigration website, just do a search for Canadian immigration and they have these immigration tests that should give you an idea of whether or not you can qualify for it and under which class. They look at a lot of different things to determine eligibility to immigrate. As for your license? Go to the College of Nurses of Ontario's website, again just do a search on your computer and you will find a web page for them and then contact them via email to ask whether you can get an endorsement. They allowed me to go on a straight endorsement to get my Texas license which meant that I didn't have to write any tests or anything, you just had to have scored decently on your board exams. I would think that with they type of shortage that they are going through right now you'd stand a good chance. And lita, it's mostly unionized and it makes a HUGE difference! Good luck if you decide to pursue it. Let me know how you fair on it.

VanRN32 · Sep 3, 2000

Hi Bunky!!

This is actually KatMc that wrote earlier (pretty long ago it seems). Just wanted to fill you in on the homeland. I LOVE IT!!!

The reasons being : Union support (big deal, union dues, I'd much rather pay union dues and have some support than be treated like a super nurse with 10 arms 2 heads and a bladder as big as a football field..haha), also the work load is better...CCU 2:1, 3:1(with ward bound pts). ICU vents are 1:1 (as you know unheard of in Texas), the pay is better than Texas (even if you say "oh, but that's American" ) people don't realize that when you live in the US you PAY in US. so it's relative. The taxes are made up in wages. I make more money here after taxes than I did in Texas after taxes. I like the scheduling. Always the same line-up. none of this 1 day on 1 day off stuff. The people are great. I have to laugh at some of the complaints though. I have to say Texas would give them something to complain about..haha.

Anyway, just thought I'd get back to ya and let you know that I personally am very glad I came back and don't want to return to the US to work...only to visit friends on the Texas beach!! Take care...let me know if you have anymore questions.

Lynn Casey RN · Mar 20, 2001

Great answer snickers,you painted a very accurate picture!We have fulltime jobs at The Moncton Hospital for diploma nurses in all the ICU's and ER.Look up SouthEast Health Care's website.If you don't have critical care they have a 1 month course upon hiring.I am not sure about bonus.Top rate here right now is $23.93.Good Luck!Hope to see you!

PS.We love and accept diploma nurses,unilingual(as we have a french hospital across town)