Looking forward to working in Manitoba

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 12, 2008

If you've already done an Internet search about Manitoba, Parkland Regional Health Authority and Dauphin, you've already discovered that Dauphin is a small city of about 8000 people. It's a four hour drive from Winnipeg, the main (capital) city in Manitoba and about six hours from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It's relatively isolated but is in a beautiful valley. They have a big country music festival there on the Canada Day weekend every year. The climate is going to be a big adjustment for you. In the last year, their temperature has ranged from a high of 32.6C degrees on August 30 to a bone-numbing -37C degrees on February 14. They get a LOT of snow there due to the lake effect of Dauphin Lake just to the east and Lake Manitoba, which is a much larger lake to the south east. It's also very windy there so in the winter there's blowing snow and a wind chill (meaning that it feels MUCH colder than the thermometer says). The people there are largely English/Scottish (54%) and Ukrainian (41%), so you'll be very much in the minority there. You'll have to get used to cooking without traditional ingredients. Oh, and there are six First Nations Reserves within the vicinity around Dauphin. First Nations people have poorer health than most other ethnic groups and are represented disproportionately in hospitals, with multiple comorbidities and sometimes very long stays. You can expect many of your patients to be First Nations so you might want to learn a bit about their culture. You're embarking on a great adventure. Good luck.

taxusliberte · Nov 12, 2008

woah! thank you so much.. have read some of your facts but most of what youve mentioned are fresh.. thank you for pointing those out.. (especially about the cooking) such a great help..

right now im looking into mobile providers.. and they are expensive... figured i will just go back to these one and google about first nations..

i am scared because i will be going there alone and dont know what to expect from my soon-to-be peers.. i read that they are all warm and friendly.. but im so looking forward to it..

again thanks! :bow: :bow: :bow:

Kosmonavt · Nov 13, 2008

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/12/11/nurses-union.html

The Manitoba Nurses Union is advising nurses not to apply to work at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre, citing concerns about patient safety.
Union president Maureen Hancharyk says the hospital has ignored its 150 nurses' concerns about patient safety and abusive managers for over a year.
Their concerns include broken equipment, such as call lights, short-staffing and the fact the hospital is using a utility room as a three-bed emergency area.
The union is advising nurses not to apply there, even though officials at the western Manitoba facility admit they are between 30 and 40 nurses short.
Safety issues will be addressed immediately, he added, but admitted it will take some time to change a negative culture at the hospital.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 13, 2008

MNU would certainly graylist my hospital just for problems in my unit. We're also putting two patients into a former x-ray viewing room, cooling critically head injured patients with ice packs because we don't have a functioning cooling blanket, running with only 70% of the required nurses, cohorting kids with different bugs in the same single patient room, storing equipment in patinet care areas and so on. Our cafeteria and washrooms are filthy, we run out of linen on Friday night and don't get any more until Monday morning, and a building that has cost nearly $700 million is sitting empty because they had to go back and redesign half of it.

Kosmonavt · Nov 13, 2008

Are you from Manitoba as well? What are your N/P ratios on med/tele, med/surg?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 13, 2008

I'm not in Manitoba any more. Sometimes I wish I was.

taxusliberte · Nov 14, 2008

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2007/12/11/nurses-union.html

ive checked the link. posted dec 2007. i just wish before i get there some are already taken care of. but still they've got some serious problems there.. thats a heads up..

well, i just hope i could find some updates over the situation at dauphin.. try to google that out.. parkland rha came over here to the philippines to hire nurses so i think that's their first step to solve the shortage of staff then address other concerns in a timely organized manner.

i would also like to know some examples or situations experienced by nurses from their managers because in the report they were described as "abusive managers". would just like to have an idea of their working relationships and perhaps think of solutions and contingency plans that i can bring with me to dauphin.:nuke:

i am thankful these threads are coming up.. these really helps me in preparing myself. i hope to hear more soon..

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 14, 2008

Check this out: http://www.nursesunion.mb.ca/news/dauphin-greylisting-to-stay.html It's pretty sketchy, but might give some background. I looked over the rest of the site but couldn't find anything more.

taxusliberte · Nov 14, 2008

Check this out: http://www.nursesunion.mb.ca/news/dauphin-greylisting-to-stay.html It's pretty sketchy, but might give some background. I looked over the rest of the site but couldn't find anything more.

... and im not sure if im posting my threads properly. i mean, if its open to anyone for broader viewing, something like that.. uh.. confused right now. :uhoh3:

taxusliberte · Nov 14, 2008

Check this out: http://www.nursesunion.mb.ca/news/dauphin-greylisting-to-stay.html It's pretty sketchy, but might give some background. I looked over the rest of the site but couldn't find anything more.

okay, uhm... (speechless) :mad:

i would just like to know what does greylisting mean? how does it affect the facility and the employees? how will it affect nurses wanting to work at dauphin? are there any chances dauphin will be shut down if there is noncompliance to the standards by the facility? i honestly dont have any idea about greylisting.. but if its something like the method in controlling spams (using greylisting will "temporarily reject" any email from a spam sender) then maybe the mechanism is the same ie. dauphin is not allowed to take in nurses temporarily til the greylisting is lifted or til further notice. (just a stupid comparison)

does that sound trouble for me? do i need to be worried? :uhoh21:

uhm... maybe its too early to tell.. i guess i would have to follow up with the news and maybe do some serious digging also. but i need your help. kindly help me because im just overwhelmed with these infos. :uhoh3:

any help/enlightenment and suggestions from anyone will be very much appreciated and will not go unnoticed.:redpinkhe