1600 nurses would get hired in Bc

hellohobbit · Jan 21, 2016

my first impression was they fired all RNs and replace with RPNs. That's why ONA is backing up for RNs so much right now, so many ads everywhere

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2016

I don't believe any of those headlines.

The likely story is that positions will be eliminated as nurses retire, and that they will hire a mix of lpns/rpns and health care aides.

Fiona59 · Jan 21, 2016

Can you provide a link?

i work in AB, and we are hiring experienced nurses from BC due there being a lack of work in the urban areas.

babyfriendly · Jan 21, 2016

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016HLTH0002-000051

Recruitment targets are as follows:

Fraser Health: 400
Interior Health: 300
Island Health: 290
Northern Health: 100
Providence Health Care: 80
Provincial Health Services Authority: 238
Vancouver Coastal: 235

Details on applications are in that press release from the gov't.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2016

I've learned that regardless of what those headlines say, you have to read between the lines. Perhaps BC is hiring 1600 nurses.

However, health care aides are likely a large part of that mix, not actual nursing staff. The same ploy has occurred with AHS and Covenant Health.

What they also don't say is that many nursing positions have been or will be eliminated. This does not make up for the 1600 that will be hired.

I would also suspect that many of those positions are casual or temporary, not full time.

The general public, including recent nursing grads have no idea how to interpret these headlines. Everything looks very promising at face value, but those headlines tell only half the story.

babyfriendly · Jan 21, 2016

acc to the BCNU the 1600 refers specifically to RNs and RPNs (which in BC is registered psych nurses)

But I do suspect many of the positions will be filled with currently working casuals.

https://www.bcnu.org/news-and-events/hire-a-nurse

joanna73, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2016

It would not surprise me if that mix included HCAS, even though the headline stipulates RNS and RPNS.

The government will say, "The budget prevented us from hiring the number of nurses we promised."

dayandnight · Jan 22, 2016

They are actually displacing lpns to do this. The 1600 needed are all rns and out of that 1000 rns are needed in specialty units. There are lpns getting displaced and losing their lines soon at my work (i live in BC). Bad time for lpns to be in bc especially in the lower mainland

Fiona59 · Jan 22, 2016

They are actually displacing lpns to do this. The 1600 needed are all rns and out of that 1000 rns are needed in specialty units. There are lpns getting displaced and losing their lines soon at my work (i live in BC). Bad time for lpns to be in bc especially in the lower mainland

Which explains the influx of LPNs into Alberta.

Didn't the LPNs just join BCNU in the last couple of years? It's never good for us when we get absorbed into RN unions.

BC is blind. LPNs work specialty units to full scope of practice without issues. Opthamology, ENT, Dialysis, OR, Gynie/Post Partum, NICU, ER here in AB and no problems.