Considering leaving the U.S.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 24, 2012

I've merged the threads and deleted one of the identical posts for clarity.

Let me deconstruct your post a bit.

Practice: It's very similar on both sides of the border. One notable difference is that in Canada the provincial health care system is a single-payer program so the administrative parts are less onerous. (We don't scan alcohol swabs so they can be itemized on the bill, for example.) Another difference is that when you are registered with a college of registered nurses (other than the College of Nurses of Ontario) it includes membership in the Canadian Nurses' Association and the Canadian Nurses' Protective Society. Yes, we're all insured against malpractice. But the day-to-day, bedside practice isn't all that different. We don't have patient care techs, and as a general rule we don't have horrendously huge nurse:patient ratios because the RN or LPN does the lion's share of nursing care for their patients.

Pay: Varies from province to province. Quebec pays the least, Alberta and BC pay the most. You can look at this thread for more about that: http://www.manitobanurses.ca/docman/general/2011-cfnu-contract-comparison/download.html Some of the benefits of working in Canada are also found in that document. Obtain records that prove you've worked as an RN for 7 years and you'll be given 7 years of credit toward placement on the pay scale (prorated based on equivalent to full time). Shift differentials are pretty generous in most provinces and in BC and Alberta, overtime is paid at double time.

Benefits: Paid vacation, paid sick time, paid statutory holidays, extended health care package (including vision care, dental care, short-and long-term disability), life insurance, pension plan, RRSP contributions, 50 weeks' paid maternity leave... with provincial variation but pretty universal.

Life is pretty good for most of us. Nobody will ever get rich being a nurse in Canada unless they're a glutton for OT, but I would say we're a fairly comfortable bunch. Unless you have a driving personal need for a Master's it really isn't necessary to have a good life as a nurse here. Safety is a Canadian point of pride. Most of the neighbourhoods in most of our cities are safe enough that many people don't even lock their doors. Very few people carry handguns, for example. There's just no need. Education in Canada is good, with many options. I don't speak a lot of French and NO Spanish.

Read some of the stickies on the Canadian forum. They're down at the bottom of the home page, in a pale green box. That'll help you out a lot. Best wishes.

campbe11 · Feb 27, 2012

It took me a VERY long time to get a job offer in Calgary, AB....and in the end it was all about "who I knew" rather than my experience. Even when my experience is in a highly specialized area. I would suggest being prepared to wait it out for a while in terms of job offers (but maybe I was just unlucky?) They will, obviously, hire their own nurses before looking internationally. Although, if your experience is in ER nursing it appears they have a very high need in AB at the moment. Another thing on AB, the pay may be higher - but the taxes are VERY high. I will be making about half of what I made in the US...but I will also only be working part-time (as that was all they had available).

The things we do for love :rolleyes:

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Feb 27, 2012

Although, if your experience is in ER nursing it appears they have a very high need in AB at the moment.

It's not so much that we need more nurses in the ERs. We really need more capacity through the WHOLE system. More inpatient beds, more long-term care beds, more peds beds (not in Calgary - ACH has the beds and needs more staff so that the Stollery doesn't have to keep taking their patients), more home care options. And over-capacity protocols aren't the answer. Shifting the pressure from the ER to the wards doesn't improve care at all.

Another thing on AB, the pay may be higher - but the taxes are VERY high. I will be making about half of what I made in the US...but I will also only be working part-time (as that was all they had available).

Alberta has the lowest taxes in Canada. Period. We have a flat tax on income, 10% no matter how much you earn. We don't have a provincial sales tax. Our property taxes, even in the city with the highest mill rate in the province, are lower than many of the other large cities in Canada. However, our utilities are among the most expensive, electricity especially. You may be "making" half of what you did in the US, but how much are you paying here for health care?

campbe11 · Feb 27, 2012

Thank you for correcting me. I should have clarified that my assumption was taken from seeing so many postings for ER positions on the AHS website. As for the taxes, I didn't do my research beforehand. I apologize. However I will save my comments about how much "i pay" in the US for healthcare.

itsmejuli · Feb 27, 2012

If you scroll down to the bottom of the Canadian Nurses forum you'll see a few links that should provide you with some of the information you are seeking.

Moving to Canada is like moving to America...there are many different regions with their unique qualities that may or may not appeal to you. Just like in America, some regions are experiencing economic difficulties while others are doing very well.

What draws you to Canada? What areas have you visited? Do you read Canadian news, follow the politics? Its quite different from America.

I'm Canadian, I spent close to 20 years living in mostly the Tampa area of Florida. I returned to Alberta last year because my family is all here including my sons. We all left FL for a better life in Alberta and it really is a better life. Well, except for the winter.

What I pay in taxes is far less than what I paid in hurricane premiums, healthcare premiums and health related out of pocket expenses in FL. In fact, I had no health insurance in FL because I couldn't afford it.