Is working part-time really all that bad?

Silverblitzen · Mar 23, 2008

I personaly would never want a full time position....I love my part time job which allows me to spend more time with my family. I pick up a few extra shifts when I need to and when I don't feel like it I stick to my part time schedule.
best of both worlds IMHO

I agree - I loved working part time and having the ability to say yea or nay to the extra shifts. A good way to prevent burnout but also get the benefits.

I do think that the availability of full time positions is one of regionality. Here in the Niagara peninsula there is a glut of all kinds of employment available. Nurse managers say "Good!" when an applicant says that they're looking for full time. Up near Toronto, though, I hear it's a different situation - lots of competition for positions. OK, y'all, come on down to Niagara and the shores of lake Erie! :typing

Sue

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 24, 2008

We too have a ton of vacant full time positions. In the Capital Health Region there are 90 full time postings, some of which may actually have multiple positions available within the posting. Calgary Regional Health has 64, David Thompson Health Region has 26. If you're looking for a full time position and are willing to relocate, Alberta can help you out. But be aware that housing costs are ridiculous out here!

linzz · Mar 24, 2008

Hi janfrn, I am willing to go to Alberta but my family isn't. My cousin and her family moved to Edmonton from Toronto about 6 years ago and they love it. I just so wish I could go, it just seems so much more progressive than Ontario. JMO.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 24, 2008

I'm not sure that it's Alberta that's more progressive, but more likely the United Nurses of Alberta. Because the Progressive Conservative government that has had a strangle0hold over Alberta for 37 years and counting is very anti-labour... to the point of making it illegal for nurses to even discuss strike measures... the union has had to be creative and proactive to ensure that nurses here are protected. Contract negotiations are always protracted because of the inability to play the strike card, and we all just wait patiently for the chips to fall. This last round, the "employer" (the government) finally realised that the shortage of nurses could be directly linked to the cost of living in Alberta, and they did give us a few good things to make it more attractive to live and work here. On April 1 we'll be getting a 5% raise (my hourly rate will go from $38.50 to $40.43), our shift premiums are all going up a little bit and there's a $750 'market conditions' bonus. There are also some creative contractual or pilot programs like the weekend worker (work 0.8 weekends only and be apid as full time), flexible casual (0.5 works full time for six months then gets 6 months off off with pay), benefits-eligible casual (agree to work a minimum of 0.4 at your convenience and have the same benefits as everyone else) and several things for people nearing retirement that allow them to shift some of their bedside hours to adminstrative or educational work and a pension top-up. But ont he other hand, the governement has unilaterally decided to change the pension provisions for all government pensions so that you won't receive a full pension until the "magic 90" instead of the "magic 85". So many nurses are being burned by that.

I'm happy we made the choice to move back here in 2002. We have a pretty decent life here and the house we're in, while not a dream home, meets our needs. There definitely won't be any Freedom 55 for us (DH is already 57!) but we aren't too worried about that right now.

We've finally been able to take the odd short vacation somewhere other than our back yard and have a savings account for the first time since we got amrried. So it's been good for us. Work on your family...

Fiona59 · Mar 24, 2008

Jan your contract covers only the RNs. Linzz and Lori are PNs like myself and subject to AUPE contracts, which do not always work in our best interest.

Our contract expires March 31st. Part timers are still bitter about losing their OT days (we only get OT on our designated weekend off unlike the RNs who get it on their weekends off and and their double slash days). AUPE was told that all nursing contracts would have this included in their next negotations and UNA didn't. It's like they refuse to negotiate for us as professional nurses. That's why so many of us went to head on over to HSAA. We make less than UNEs and a lot of lab techs.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 24, 2008

You're right, Fiona59. I made an assumption that was incorrect; I apologise. I know AUPE hasn't made very good decisions or deals on your behalf. I'm stunned actually that they're such lousy negotiators when they present themselves as paragons. And I don't understand why UNA refuses to include PNs under their umbrella. Manitoba makes no distinction between RNs and PNs in any way except for the pay scale. The PN pay scale is much closer to the RN one there. Maybe UNA needs to review its own history, and how it's a melange of other unions with a variety of local conditions... and bring the PNS into the fold. (Don't get me started on the UNE thing... it's a crock!!) You'd certainly be better off with HSAA than with AUPE if UNA still won't make the effort; they have professional negotiators who really work hard for their members. What are you hearing from AUPE about this round of negotiations? They have to see the bigger picture, for heaven's sake!

My daughter is an AUPE member as an employee of Alberta Justice. Their contract is really pathetic. She isn't even eligible for benefits (like AHC premiums!) until she's been a full time employee for a year. What the heck is that?! They're only allowed to bank one week's worth of overtime hours and then they have to have it paid out. Their vacation provisions are convoluted and make no sense. It's sad. I don't think she even has a copy of their collective agreement. (Actually I don't have one of ours either, despite it having been in effect for a year already! They've been promising them for four months now.)

ptadvocate81 · Mar 24, 2008

i am on part time right now due to dr's orders (pregnancy) and i am loving it. i have been able to split up my days and have time off to get things done and where i work, they call 2-3 times a week offering double time shifts. depending on how i am feeling, i am able to pick one up ever now and then and it makes up for being part time. best wishes....

Fiona59 · Mar 24, 2008

A lot of PNs don't trust UNA as far as we are concerned. We've heard about how PNs went into UNS and wound up unemployed after a few months due to "cutbacks".

I've heard various speakers from UNA (you know the dog and pony's they do around CH). The last one basically said we were glorified NA's with a few extra skills that needed to be supervised by a BScN. Then to add fuel to the fire a new BScN-RN got up and said she didn't trust the PNs on her unit because she was unsure of there skill set and didn't want the responsibility of caring for our patients. ***** They nearly got lynched at that meeting. Even CNEs got up off their whitecoated bottoms and stood up for PNs. CH has recently made us responsible for our IV meds and are training on IV starts and will be having us change our own PICC dsgs by the end of the year. We are not happy, increased responsibility, no increase in pay and crappy attitudes from new grads from the U. It's just wonderful.

Here's a useless piece of info for you. GNs can only have four patients on an active treatment floor, GPNs get five. Where is the logic and rationale behind that? The only thing really separating us now is the fact that PNs can't insert an NG or handle a PICC(CH policy and procedure manual) and a four year degree versus a two year diploma. Does that mean that the hospital and diploma trained RNs should have their skills re-evaluated?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Mar 24, 2008

Wow, did we ever get off-topic here! Maybe we could have this discussion under another thread?