I am new to this forum, although I have checked it out a few times before registering myself. Happy to have some fellow nursing peeps to look to for advice and guidance!
I am currently doing the BN fast track program in a remote area in Canada and I am itching to get out of here. I am so unhappy where I am, and have even contemplated dropping out of school so that I can go after the life I want, but I can't bring myself to do that because nursing is extremely interesting to me and my only regret is that I didn't chose this as my first degree..would have saved a lot of time and money!
Anyways, my question is: how hard is it to obtain a position in a city in Canada with little to no work experience, besides the work experience I obtain in school. I am worried I will have to work at the hospital in my area for a while and I would really rather not. I am looking at moving to Calgary or Toronto and I'm wondering the likelihood of having a job lined up for when I graduate.
I emailed Alberta Health and spoke with a rep there and they said nurses are in demand so it shouldn't be a problem, but I was wondering if people could provide advice/ experience on this matter.
I work for AHS also and even with experience, it's difficult to find work. You should be able to find a casual line in the city somewhere, but there's no guarantee. Full time hours can be had in many rural areas, not cities. Cutbacks and competition.
AHS will tell you whatever suits them. There are so many mixed messages out there, but the truth is...few decent positions. AHS has laid off at least 500 nurses over the past two years to save money. How promising is that?
I've found a new position, not with AHS. I had one call from AHS and the other four interested parties were other health authorities. I'm an internal applicant as well.
Toronto? Terrible market and very expensive. Stay away for now, as more cutbacks are looming there.
I have a small part time line and have been trying to get a point increase to reflect what I actually work in terms of benefits and pension rights. It's not happening. I've asked for an fte increase for the last four years and have been denied for the last four years. Despite working upto nine extra shifts per rotational cycle.
Jan is a part timer. Joanna, I think has dropped back to casual.
In the last year I have applied for several full time positions but with over ten years with AHS, I don't have the seniority to get a full time line unless I want to work permanent nights or move to medicine. No thanks, AHS, I've done my time on nights and the units that nobody loves due to understaffing, failure to replace sick calls and just plain unrealistic workloads.
I graduated 13 years ago. Since then nearly 15% of my class has walked away from nursing due to workload, injury, abuse from patients. The money just isn't worth it most days.
I have a small part time line and have been trying to get a point increase to reflect what I actually work in terms of benefits and pension rights. It's not happening. I've asked for an fte increase for the last four years and have been denied for the last four years. Despite working upto nine extra shifts per rotational cycle.
Jan is a part timer. Joanna, I think has dropped back to casual.
In the last year I have applied for several full time positions but with over ten years with AHS, I don't have the seniority to get a full time line unless I want to work permanent nights or move to medicine. No thanks, AHS, I've done my time on nights and the units that nobody loves due to understaffing, failure to replace sick calls and just plain unrealistic workloads.
I graduated 13 years ago. Since then nearly 15% of my class has walked away from nursing due to workload, injury, abuse from patients. The money just isn't worth it most days.
are you unwilling to move to a more rural area to get a full time position?
That's just it. Certain units or facilities will gladly hire full time. There's reasons why you'll notice the same postings over and over. It's either sitting unfilled on purpose or nobody wants the position.
I have dropped to casual because after 3 years of working 106 percent FTE, I'd had enough. I enjoy having time for other areas of my life.
OP, you'll hear the same issues from working nurses over and over because nothing really changes.
Rural nursing has its own issues. It's a whole culture shock and there are never enough staff. Ever. Rural facilities already operate on a skeleton crew as it is. Great for saving money though, but not everyone desires that life, nor can they just pick up and leave.
are you unwilling to move to a more rural area to get a full time position?
Let's see, my husband is retired, I own my own home, have no debt, enjoy my job most days. I don't need to work full time. I just want the hours I work to actually be reflected in my pension and benefits.
There is much you don't understand about working when you ask these questions.
If you retire as a .5FTE you get .5 of the pension payment. If you are working .8 hours and actually hold a .5 position, you will still only be paid at the .5 rate. Your benefits are pro rated to your official FTE. So for nurses who have flex spending accounts, full timers get for example $1000/year. A .5FTE get $500. So if I am working at higher than my point I don't get an increase in my payment unless I get my position readjusted.
I've been in this hospital for over a decade, so no I won't be moving.
When you work casual there are no guaranteed hours. Sometimes there are zero shifts a month, other months you could work more than full time. No benefits or pension either with casual.
Well it's understandable to want the work you do to reflect in pay and benefits. I've been in worse situations with my first degree though- BBA. I had half decently fun jobs but none of them would have afforded me the right to buy my own home. People really don't know what they are getting into until they pursue. Basically my standards aren't as high and I'd be happy to take any position in an area I wanted. But I have no ties so I will go the rural route if absolute need be.
When you work casual there are no guaranteed hours. Sometimes there are zero shifts a month, other months you could work more than full time. No benefits or pension either with casual.
Zero shifts a month? How is that even a job. Has that honestly ever happened to you? No pension at all? Wow that's pretty shocking.
If you're flexible, you'll be fine. However, after a certain point in life and with added obligations people want some stability. I'm getting older as well, so the hours eventually take a toll. Quality of life is important.
That's what casual involves and given the cutbacks, many casuals get no shifts. The schedule is pre-determined according to full time equivalents.
Part time and full time employees have set shifts. Casuals fill in whatever is left over. If a part timer decides to pick up a shift, there may be nothing left for the casuals. Then, the casuals who have been on the roster longer are called first. So if you're the last one in, you're often the last one called.
Ideally, there should be shifts to pick up. However, most managers would rather save the money so sick calls or days off are not replaced with a casual. They just don't bother.
That's how casuals can and do end up with no shifts.
I'm sorry but I don't believe the situation is as dire as you make it out to be. People aren't holding jobs and getting zero shifts a month. I came to this site for advice and support not to be convinced not to be a nurse and how horrible and unjust nursing is.
As nurses you should be supporting your students not giving them worst case examples that you haven't actually witnessed. It's not just in my thread but all of the threads here.
In a response above you go off track complaining of the work environment and many other things that have nothing to do with what I asked. Stop trying to scare new grads its not nice!
joanna73, BSN, RN
4,767 Posts
I work for AHS also and even with experience, it's difficult to find work. You should be able to find a casual line in the city somewhere, but there's no guarantee. Full time hours can be had in many rural areas, not cities. Cutbacks and competition.
AHS will tell you whatever suits them. There are so many mixed messages out there, but the truth is...few decent positions. AHS has laid off at least 500 nurses over the past two years to save money. How promising is that?
I've found a new position, not with AHS. I had one call from AHS and the other four interested parties were other health authorities. I'm an internal applicant as well.
Toronto? Terrible market and very expensive. Stay away for now, as more cutbacks are looming there.