New Nurses in Alberta

Hi everyone, I'm starting the LPN program at NorQuest College in Edmonton, Alberta this fall. I've been reading the threads in the First Year in Nursing Discussions, and I'm aware that your first year can be very terrible and full of stress at times. I was wondering if anyone here can give me insights to what some Edmonton-area hospitals are like to work in. Grey Nuns, Misrecordia, Royal Alexandria, University of Alberta, and any other places I may have missed. I'm so excited to start school and at this point I just can't get enough information about the profession to satisfy me.... so any response would be wonderful!

Hey, I can give you a bit of insight. Im a RN graduated 2 years ago. I worked at the Misericordia for about 1 year. I started in a surgery float position. They get alot of GI surgeries, plasitcs such as mastectomies, short stay surgeries such as TURPS, gyne stuff like hysterectomies, gallbladder surgeries. I dont know much about medicine so I cant help you there. They also have an ortho unit. I worked ICU there for almost a year, so you wouldnt be working there as it is only RN's, but they take stuff like COPD'ers who need intubation, post codes, post-ops who need ICU support. The mis. doesnt take trauma or neuro as they have limited services, but I enjoyed working there. Its a smaller community hospital so you kinda get to know everyone. There is also a CCU unit where all the MI's and anything heart relatied usually goes. They have labor and delivery, but they dont keep the sick babies....if they get really sick, they go to the Royal Alex.

I now work at the Royal Alex in ICU. The ICU is much bigger then the mis..we have 24 beds (the mis has 6). We take anything and everything. Neuro, trauma, and everything in between. The only thing we dont have is peds, and transplants...that is all at the University. The Alex is a major trauma center with I beleive the busiest Emerg in western Canada. They pretty much do it all. its a big hospital, lots of different units to work on. Its a busy place but you will get lots of variety. Its right downtown, kinda in a getto/inner city area.

The grey nuns is similar to the Mis, but a bit bigger and they also do vascular surgeries which the mis doesnt have. I havent worked there but im sure its a good place to work.

The university is huge, not sure if its bigger than the alex...but it probably is just because they have more services. They do everything. The downside is there is no parking and if there is it is majorly expensive so you might wanna take public transport. Ive never worked there, only done a clinical rotation there and it wasnt too bad.

Hope this helps somewhat. when you start doing your rotations, you will start to get a feel of what each hospital is like.

Cher