Moving on up

[MrsSilverFox, BSN, LPN, RN]

After many years of (critical care) nursing in a large city in Alberta, we have decided that we have had enough and are ready to move. I have been commuting in horrible traffic for the past 10 years, and in the winter months it can take me up to 1.5 hours (or longer) to get home ( and I live in the city well the very edge of the city) thanks to the weather, accidents or road conditions etc. UGH I am done with spending that much time in my vehicle. Just ready to get out of the big city!!!

After spending a great deal of time in the Kootenays we are very interested in Cranbrook BC. Any information that anyone would like to share would be appreciated. Interested in rotations in the ER/ ICU (12 hours?, ddnn?) patient/nurse ratios, are there charge nurses?, how easy to get holidays.....that kind of stuff. I did ask the recruiter but she provided little information, really couldn't give me any information and stated that she "worked from Kelowna".

Thanks in advance.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Moved to the Canadian forum

[Fiona59]

Well, BC hospitals are unionized and as a new hire, you go the bottom of the totem pole, so you have last pick of the vacation times.

[MrsSilverFox, BSN, LPN, RN]

Yes, I guess I knew that, coming from a unionized position myself. I should have rephrased the question and asked how easy it is to get time off and/or how many weeks one gets when they first start with IH.

[annabanana2]

Yes, I guess I knew that, coming from a unionized position myself. I should have rephrased the question and asked how easy it is to get time off and/or how many weeks one gets when they first start with IH.

Amount of vacation time will be standard for the whole province because that's negotiated by the union. A new grad starts at 155 hours and I think it goes up by 7.5 hours yearly after that? That is assuming you work in a full-time line. Casuals get extra pay in lieu of vacation. Part-timers have their vacation hours commensurate with their FTE and truthfully I don't know much about how that works or how much you would get. I couldn't tell you how easy it is to get time off because it probably varies from workplace to workplace but I've never had a problem, personally. Usually vacation selection is done well in advance.

[dayandnight]

Try contacting Healthmatch BC. If you have experience especially in a specialty area, they will help you locate jobs and they also counsel and give advices for healthcare professionals wanting to work in BC

[MrsSilverFox, BSN, LPN, RN]

Decided not to move to B.C after all.

Now working as a nurse coroner in Canada.

Actual thought of going to the US again, after a disastrous first attempt,many years ago.

But I will stay doing what I am doing for now, it is interesting and sad all at the same time.