It is interesting to find out that some hospital is willing to hire foreign nurses all the way from Jamaica rather than local nurses (who probably would know more about the culture and people here in Canada).
Just spoke with a long lost classmate who just recently returned working short term position from Weeneebayko Health Authority - told me that her contract / assignment will not be extended cause they had hired nurses from Jamaica??
Yes - foreign nurses who hold a working permit (not PR card or a Canadian Passport).
Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology.
Positions currently open in the WAHA all require ACLS, PALS and NRP certifications with ATCN preferred. Attawapiskat and Moose Factory have openings. There are some mental health spots for NPs too. If your classmate was qualified for those positions s/he might have been offered one of them but as dishes points out, working with an agency has huge drawbacks. The no-compete clause usually means not working for the desired employer in any arrangement for a minimum of 6 months. Considering the isolation and deprivation of this health authority, the time frame might be even longer to ensure the agency doesn't lose business. Always read the fine print... lots of people (myself included) have been tripped up by this kind of thing.
We all work hard and I am not doubting it - but just wonder when there's so many nurses posted on the forum stating that they are having difficult time to land themselves a decent nursing job (include myself), yet we have other nurses from other country is getting the work - that just hard for me to understand.
It is unsafe to staff with mainly new grads and it is too expensive to staff with travel nurses on a long term basis. You claim that the Jamaican nurses who were hired are travel nurses, but for all you know you are spreading misinformation and they were hired as TFWs by the health authority. You don't have to 'suck it up buttercup', but before you criticize an employer's hiring practices on a public forum you should verify facts. If your friend has a concern that a job has been taken by a TFW when a Canadian worker was available to fill the position, they can file a complaint through the proper channels.
There are so many ways people can get jobs and immigrate in a country.
For instance, most people think marriage immigration is the easiest thing in the world. (not saying it's a bad thing I am mentioning the "stereotypes" and presumptions that exist amongst 1st generation immigrants in the North America). Some immigrate through family and friends. Some are lucky and some are not.
Some of us like myself spend 10+ years working hard for a permanent legal status in a country, but I do not really care how other people get in as long as it is legal. As long as those nurses are not rubbing it in to other people's face and take the opportunity as granted, why bother???
I used to have that feeling all the time but I don't bother with it anymore.
Those nurses got the job because they are probably qualified. Healthcare is not a perfect work setting. Sometimes what the jobs want are things that save cost. Those jamaican nurses have no seniority in Canada so they will be starting in the bottom rung even with all the experiences they have in their home country. Lowest seniority wage + all that experience and qualifications probably make them hirable.
Plus they probably went through most of the processing bulk with NNAS anyways, or probably have been waiting 2-3+ years to get all that sorted out + work visas!
OP, let me correct some of your misconceptions. The majority of nurses from Jamaica that immigrate to Canada do not come here on a temporary work visa. Most come here as permanent residents as no Canadian agencies actively recruit in Jamaica.
Secondly, most if not all the nurses who immigrate from Jamaica are specialist trained in various areas such as critical care, psychiatry, pediatrics etc. These specialist courses are formalized full-time courses lasting anywhere from 6 months to one year with both classroom hours and practicum hours along with multiple exams. This makes them an asset where ever they work as less training and orientation is required. All the nurses who come to Canada tend to have a wealth of clinical experience as well and are adaptable hence tend to do well wherever they work.
Thirdly, many will opt for a full-time rather than a part-time position as this is what they are accustomed to in Jamaica. In my unit there are more part time staff than full time staff as many Canadian nurses tend to prefer part time positions.
These Jamaican nurses are hired because they are qualified nothing else.
OP, let me correct some of your misconceptions. The majority of nurses from Jamaica that immigrate to Canada do not come here on a temporary work visa. Most come here as permanent residents as no Canadian agencies actively recruit in Jamaica.
Secondly, most if not all the nurses who immigrate from Jamaica are specialist trained in various areas such as critical care, psychiatry, pediatrics etc. These specialist courses are formalized full-time courses lasting anywhere from 6 months to one year with both classroom hours and practicum hours along with multiple exams. This makes them an asset where ever they work as less training and orientation is required. All the nurses who come to Canada tend to have a wealth of clinical experience as well and are adaptable hence tend to do well wherever they work.
Thirdly, many will opt for a full-time rather than a part-time position as this is what they are accustomed to in Jamaica. In my unit there are more part time staff than full time staff as many Canadian nurses tend to prefer part time positions.
These Jamaican nurses are hired because they are qualified nothing else.
have to disagree with much of your post. Three years ago, my hospital hired a group of Jamacian LPNs. They were educated in Jamaica with some sort of inter college agreement with Norquest college. They had to redo course work and their final placement, here, in Edmonton. No work experience, no special knowledge. It was very frustrating for the units that hired them. They expected Norquest graduates and the usual level of skills. Reality was very different.
They were hired as casual staff, no guaranteed hours. Nobody knew they were coming, they just appeared. We have no right to know their immigration status. Norquest and CLPNA never explained how these nurses arrived here. They just appeared. The nurses themselves admitted that what they were expected to do here in Edmonton was far different from what their jamacian school had taught them.
i do remember Norquest saying they had st up a programme in Jamaica around 2008, the height of the mythical nursing shortage.
I was referring specifically to RNs in my post not LPNs. I do know of the programme you are referring to. There were a lot of inconsistencies with the affiliation with Norquest as the program was never even approved by the Nursing Council of Jamaica or the Ministry of Education so was never even a bona fide program so the graduates were never even allowed to do placements at any hospitals in Jamaica.
Graduates of approved programs in Jamaica whether RNs or EANs(LPNs) all have practicum placement at the major hospitals in Jamaica thus acquire adequate clinical experience .
Totally agree - this is part of life, and we move on cause we can't afford to stay hungry and have our bills unpaid over the inequality of treatment we receive in this industry.
Sometime just feel defeated by the system itself - and feel like it will be better off to look after yourself rather than depending on the government, the MP or even our nurse organization (after paying so much to the organization)...
Totally agree - this is part of life, and we move on cause we can't afford to stay hungry and have our bills unpaid over the inequality of treatment we receive in this industry.
Sometime just feel defeated by the system itself - and feel like it will be better off to look after yourself rather than depending on the government, the MP or even our nurse organization (after paying so much to the organization)...
I guess a bit of both - one side of me is frustrated with the hiring system and on the other side, I shouldn't be blaming the system cause I don't know the other side of the stories. All I know is just based on what I heard.
Life moves on and you just keep working and searching until you got something. If not, I guess it will never be too late for me to bail out.
Can I ask the OP where are you from ,where did you qualify? I have tried to message you but I am not sure how to, do I need to add you as a friend WhyNurse?
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Can I ask the OP where are you from ,where did you qualify? I have tried to message you but I am not sure how to, do I need to add you as a friend WhyNurse?
The site requires members to have 15 or more posts to be able to send messages
NotReady4PrimeTime, RN
5 Articles; 7,358 Posts
Positions currently open in the WAHA all require ACLS, PALS and NRP certifications with ATCN preferred. Attawapiskat and Moose Factory have openings. There are some mental health spots for NPs too. If your classmate was qualified for those positions s/he might have been offered one of them but as dishes points out, working with an agency has huge drawbacks. The no-compete clause usually means not working for the desired employer in any arrangement for a minimum of 6 months. Considering the isolation and deprivation of this health authority, the time frame might be even longer to ensure the agency doesn't lose business. Always read the fine print... lots of people (myself included) have been tripped up by this kind of thing.