any nurses from Calgary? UK nurse needs advise

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Aug 17, 2006

As a grad nurse, you would be paid $25.56 per hour plus shift differential. Assuming full time employment, alternate weekends and fifty-fifty days and nights, your annual salary would be about $54K. Until you receive your CRNE results and are registered (which should have happened by January!), of course, then everything changes. Your hourly rate would increase to $27.93, with the diffs remaining the same, giving you another $4700 per annum.

Housing prices in Calgary right now are among the highest in the country and the vacancy rate is very low. Depending on how picky you are, you can rent a 2 bedroom apartment or condo for $1000 -$1200 per month or a 3 bedroom for $1300-$1500 or more. I live in a small 3 bedroom bungalow in a suburb of Edmonton; my monthly heating bill on the budget plan is $103 and my electricity costs me about $95. Water and sewer drain about $55 a month. Cable TV/phone/internet costs me another $155. Grocery prices are in the moderate range; I spend about $500 per month on essentials for three adults.

Calgary Transit has a good city-wide bus service and an extensive light rail system. Single adult fares are $2.25 or a sheet of 10 tickets can be purchsed for $19.50. Monthly passes are available and cost $70. If you wish to own a car, purchase prices are lower in Alberta than most other provinces. But nsurance costs are quite high. Gasoline as of this moment in Edmonton is selling for $1.10 per L.

This will give you something to think about....

Fiona59 · Aug 17, 2006

Jan's right. The thing to remember is to start off small and work up to the big things. You can't replace your lifestyle in the UK in a couple of months. Your tastes change in furniture and where you want to live, what you want to drive, etc. A strange town takes at least six months to settle into. At least you have choices.

We're military and when we move we are given five days to find accomodation. So far we've been lucky and found neighbourhoods we've liked but we've always had help from someone local.

Take it slow and easy. Think it through, if you are working at Rockeyview its much easier to live nearby, same goes for Foothills or the Lougheed. There are nice areas by each and eventuallly you'll find the right place.

gchelak · Aug 23, 2006

I was reading about calgary and it seems that the city is booming and the house prices as well as the rent have significantly gone up. I just applied my work permit to the Canadian embassy here in the UK, and looking at going to Calgary by November. My family will be joining me in January, and now I am a bit anxious if I will be able to afford the rent for a 2-3 bedroom accomodation.
I will be starting at a graduate nurse rate since I still be taking the CRNE in February. Is there anybody from Calgary who can give me advise if a graduate nurse salary would be able to afford the rent there? How expensive the city is nowadays in terms of utility bills, food, tranporation, etc.?
Would be gald if someone can give me some info. Thanks.

Hi there... I was wondering of you have a job set up for when you move? I have been applying for many positions (29), but have not heard back from any of them. I am currently (until Sept 1 when I move back to Calgary after living in the US for 14 yrs) a US RN with only 8 months experience. I am taking the CRNE in Oct, but can pracitce as a GN in the meantime if I could find a job. Hopefully you have more experience in a needed area and won't run into too much trouble.

Here is the web site for Calgary hospital positions:

http://www.calgaryhealthregion.ca/employment/workingwyou.htm

Good luck!

Gail