Dilemma...Please help

Fiona59 · Sep 1, 2013

Where do you live?

Everybody that lives here knows about the cuts to education and healthcare. It's in the media constantly.

itsmejuli · Sep 1, 2013

Im in Alberta. If I was younger and had the money I'd pursue a career in oil and gas. Thats where the money and jobs are.

CodeteamB · Sep 1, 2013

Im in Alberta. If I was younger and had the money I'd pursue a career in oil and gas. Thats where the money and jobs are.

Gah. You know how we all roll our eyes when people glorify nursing? That's how I feel whenever someone says this.

Th primary income in my family comes from "oil and gas." My husband makes good money and has an office job. He also has 5 years of university (full years not a degree spread out) 10 years experience, a rare field of specialization and a boat load of stress.

Most jobs in this industry are hard, physical labour requiring "camp life." Lay-offs and firings are very common at all levels. It is not the golden ring people think of.

OP you have to ask yourself why you want to be a nurse. If it is a "good money, guaranteed job" thing it is important to know that the current climate for nursing in Alberta is not great. If it is "I know what nurses do and I want to do it too" thing then it is important to remember that we are in a big cycle, the day will come around when it is easy to get a job as a nurse again. You just have to decide where you are coming from and if it is going to be worth it to you if you have to wait a while for that ideal job.

beaty1234 · Sep 3, 2013

WOW...not much responses from the forum, but a similar post months ago received tones of encouragements (she was a mother of 3 kids)...interesting, WHY???

everyone knows oil & gas makes lots of money, nowadays, it depends who you know inside the union (uncle, grandpa, connections), it's difficult to get into any union. especially now, oil and gas companies are trying to cut back on overtime pay, waste and inefficiencies in the system.

i like nurse because i can do the work. i can speak 3 different languages, i can communicate, i can translate, i can contribute a lot. i am do the heavy lifting, i have a positive attitude. for the money part, i dont think nurse is my first choice.

i know the system has a lot of problems, but what system is perfect.

Fiona59 · Sep 5, 2013

beaty1234

I remember the thread you are talking about. It got nasty very quickly. Loads of misinformation from American posters who knew nothing about nursing in Canada, how our nursing education programmes work, how funding for education is made available.

The Canadian contributors gave her roughly the same answers that you got.

You still haven't said where in Alberta you are that you know so little of the state of education and healthcare in this province. I know two recent grad RNs who have been bumped from their jobs. They still have student loans to pay and are being offered the most ridiculous jobs by AHS. Jobs miles from home, jobs they have no experience in.

Nursing right now is a very unstable environment.

If you truly are interested in healthcare, think about Laboratory Technology, Radiology, Ultrasound, etc.

beaty1234 · Sep 6, 2013

i live in edmonton, i work in the retail banking, indeed, i run into a lot of nurses that worry about their futures. some have a hugh student loan to pay for. some just gave up and do something else - like retail banking, some went into real estate and even oil and gas. but i also run into nurses that encourage me to go into nursing - they are senior nurses. I also have LPN instructors encourages me into nursing too.

- nursing hiring/lay-offs come in cycles, lots of baby boomers are coming to retirement soon, but they alo realizes that most may not be able to retire because of not enough personal savings.

- new hires lack work ethics, not willing to learn, not willing to ask, not willing to listen, and not willing to do the dirty work - like "I did not train for that", "I don't know how", "I dont want to do it" that type of attitude

- also new hires lack critic thinking skills, they practically don't think, especially the young generations

- the system has lots of waste, and inefficiencies.

- some department nurses over-work, some has not enough hours to work,

I thought about Lab tech and Radiology, but the career growth is limited. For RN, from there, once you get your masters degree, more doors open - like NP, instructor, government, Ph.D, professor, army, etc.

I am still debating. that's why i need all the input i can get from this nursing forum, especially, those alberta/canadian nurses.

Mewsin · Sep 6, 2013

Do you want to hear how it is from the people who are actually working there on this site or would you rather everyone just say, "go for it"?

I am a CCA and I can tell you that just because people are younger does not mean they don't have work ethic. We have the same number of people in all age groups who don't work as hard as the rest. I go to school with those you are calling the "young generation" and I can tell you right now that I do not hold the same opinion as you do. All the people in my class work their tails off for the programme. The other thing you need to keep in mind, even if those younger people are not doing the job as well as you expect, you won't be able to come in and take their jobs. I understand where you are coming from, in a lot of my jobs I have been able to do just that but not in this system, seniority rules, no matter how poorly some of your co-workers work.

Yes there is a cycle to the hiring and firing of nurses but as it stands right now, you are getting good advice about the work situation in Alberta.

I say if you want to do it, go for it. If you don't then don't but really it is up to you. And quite frankly it sounds like you have your mind made up already.

beaty1234 · Sep 6, 2013

For my interest, I want to work into the ER department, the more busy/crazy the better coz I enjoy the rush.

beaty1234 · Sep 6, 2013

those are not my opinion, those are from the people i spoke to...they are nurses too...

canadianhungarian · Sep 6, 2013

I agree with the posters above! I live and work in Ontario (TO to be exact) and the situation here is not any better. I graduated in 2011 and just landed a full time position (I was only able to get casual - part time). It's hard work and your competing with other nurses who have experience. Right now I agree there is no nursing shortage and finding the right job might have to lead to moving out of town.

And alas, not all of us newbies lack work ethic :):):)

Fiona59 · Sep 6, 2013

For my interest, I want to work into the ER department, the more busy/crazy the better coz I enjoy the rush.

And the department with one of the highest chances of getting assaulted by the public.

Where the wonderful patient population has no hesitation in pointing out your faults, your ethnicity, lack of English skills, your weight, how it's YOUR fault that the wait is so long, etc.

Emerg isn't exciting, crazy, or busy. It's full of people who don't have family doctors, who are mentally ill, who are drug seeking. The true traumas are few and far between, thank god. It's usually appis, gallbladders, kidney stones, early pregnancy bleeding and a few clueless home handymen armed with saws or nailguns that they had no business using due to failing to read the instruction manual!

It looks busy because people that won't use medi-centres go there for everything from UTI's to ingrown toenails to prescription refills.