Moving From BC to Alberta

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I'm thinking about moving from BC to Alberta

I notice there are more opportunities as an LPN in Calgary,

If I was to start applying for some of the postings online should I

have my Alberta license before applying? Or can I just apply with my BC license then

register for my Alberta license once I know I have a good chance of getting a

job?

This may be a silly a question...

Please shed some light on helping me with the transition

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While it's not impossible to get a job in Alberta, it's not that easy. Most new hires are into part time lines or as casuals. My unit hasn't hired a new grad in five years despite the government promising to hire 70% of the graduating classes.

Is AHS where you are looking? Be very careful. Every nursing position in the system is under review. What is posted doesn't always get filled. Bumping has occurred several times on certain services in the last year.

Yes, have an Alberta licence but be aware that it isn't going to be easy. The last vacancy we had on my unit, we had 64 applicants for a part time position.

Without experience it will be hard. Local new grads know the system, how the units work, and will have preceptored on the units they are applying for resulting in less training costs.

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Thank you for the response. :)

I have 5+ years experience in Residential Care

gerontology is my niche, would like to continue to be an LPN in

residential care. I'm not picky and will apply to whatever unit there is available.

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Be very careful about applying for work with any of the private/for profit centres in Alberta. They are for the most part non-unionized and do not match AHS wages. Several in Edmonton and Calgary have picket lines in front of them because AUPE has been accepted by staff as their union of choice. Management has been locking them out. They pay around 33% less than a union facility.

The transition units in acute care have been some of the first to be hit by the workplace utilization project. Professional nursing staff number have been cut hard on these units and more NAs have been brought into provide care.

I had a look on the AHS website and the units that have vacancies here in Edmonton are units that have issues. They keep posting the same vacancies which tells you a lot.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

thread moved for best response

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Wow! There is more to working in Calgary than I thought.

If I was to apply for a posting in Alberta, Where would I

find the jobs that are unionized? Would they be under AHS website?

I know in B.C We have an interior health website that you can apply for casual

postings online... Its a government based health authority that is unionized.

Please point me in the direction

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AHS is the government health authority. It covers the entire province. There are no more (well for the time being) regional health authorities. Look at some of the old threads in the forum. They will open your eyes to working in Alberta.

Somewhere on the AHS site there are links to unionized LTC that the government provides funding for. They usually have very few vacancies.

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Much appreciated Fiona59!

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Specializes in Home Care.

Don't even think about moving until you secure a job.

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Specializes in geriatrics.

I am also looking, and prepared to be off for a while if I don't have a job. I can't take rural life anymore, so keeping the job just isn't worth it.However, I do have a few connections and I intend to look while I'm working. I wouldn't recommend moving here with no job. You cannot work without a license, and people who have done that are unemployed on average for 6 months.If you want to work rural, there are jobs, and like Fiona said, the units that keep posting over and over....there's good reason.

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