I'm moving to the Ottawa area this summer and would like any information folks would like to share about the ottawa hospitals. I haven't found much on either the Ottawa hospital system (civic, main, etc.) or the other outlying hospitals like Queensway Carleton. I've emailed the human resource people there and they've answered some basic benefits questions- VERY vaguely.
I've found a place to live in Kanata (I think) for my wife and 3 kids and I want to put in some applications this summer after we're settled. Just so you know I've gotten clearance from the CNO to write the boards in Ontario in Kingston in June. I'm aware of the ONA contract, pay scales, etc. (the off shift differentials are confusing though)
I'm American and now have a permanent resident Visa for canada. I've been a Critical Care Nurse (trauma, ICU, ER, code team) for 9 years and worked in Tele for the other 3.
I can't get a sense of the culture of the facilities, the management, workloads, etc. I'm sure there are some similarities to working here in upstate NY- but I'm also well aware of other differences (how care is paid for, language issues, etc.)
Let me give you an example. I currently work at a facility with a highly punitive environment, and the tension is more than palpable. This is without taking into account the workload. Everyone is constantly terrified of making the slightest errors- because these mean immediate leave, investigations, write ups,termination etc. The nursing/medical administrators treat staff either like serfs or idiots. I wouldn't call it a happy place. Anyhow, just trying to get a sense of what I'm walking into.
I like the ottawa community, I like canada and canadians and I'd like to make it my home- I just need help figuring out a bit about the places to work. I'm looking for some challenging ICU work.
I have a half dozen canadian friends here- but ironically they've never worked there (they left in the 90's during the "reorganization" that caused the exodus to the states), so they're not much help.
I used to work at the Ottawa Hospital. I think you will find the culture very different. Not punitive at all, no write-ups and to terminate you need a ceiling high stack of paperwork documenting obvious errors and issues with refusal or inability to resolve. Obviously still lots of little political / dynamic type tensions at times but overall the culture is a very friendly one. The workload in some areas can still be high but generally it is much safer than what I read on here about some U.S hospitals.
The Ottawa Hospital is actually made up of three sites - the General, the Civic and the Riverside (no longer has beds). The job postings are all on TOH site but should tell you if it is at the General or Civic. Both have big busy ICU's.
Some positions are designated bilingual, the rest are English. If you take an English position you aren't expected to speak French, although learning a bit is good so you can have very simple conversations with French patients in passing. There are incentives and opportunities to learn French and often higher up management / admin positions require French and English.
Ottawa is a great city! I'm sure you'll love it.
Welcome!
I want to say thanks again to all the folks (rescueninja especially) for all the help. Hospitals are hospitals but I want to try and avoid working at a place that has the feel of a Stalinist Labor Camp. I'm all for discipline and proper justice but the situation where I worked in (until this last saturday-I resigned to focus on studying for the CRNE) was unpleasant on a daily basis and I couldn't see myself there for 20 more years. I don't care how good the pension is.
Also Canada is such a great place! I have 3 kids and why wouldn't I want to have them grow up there!?
I appreciate the information about TOH situation. I don't speak much French (yet!) but I plan on learning more. I will say there is a little latent tension on this subject. I had a real estate agent there tell me not to work at the main campus since "that's the mostly french hospital"!
I got a different agent. I thought this was strange. I don't need to jump right into the divisions in canada-I'm getting away from this is the USA.
I'm interested in the hospital with the sick people-not the sick english speakers (vented patient don't speak much anyhow!unless their ET tube balloons are blown!).
I plan on putting in applications/resumes to TOH system in early June. I want to focus on studying for the CRNE for now since I'm taking it on (or writing rather) June 2 in Kingston. I took the NCLEX 12 years ago, and did fine but the CRNE is a little different and I'm not taking it for granted.
I have had a weird job for the last couple years- but I worked in SICU for 5 years and would like to go back to that. Do you know about Queensway Carleton? I get the impression that it's the suburban, what we'd call a "community" hospital here in the states. That is versus the tertiary care or level I trauma centers in the bigger cities. Is this correct?
Ottawa has a very large French population. There are many smaller communities surrounding Ottawa that are almost exclusively French. You will come into contact with tons of people who only speak French. I don't think the Civic is more French than the General, but who knows? Traumas happen to everyone regardless of the language they speak lol. I don't speak much French and get by just fine where I am...there is a large French population here too, but on a much smaller scale than Ottawa.
I am also writing June 2nd. Hopefully in Ottawa, but Kingston was my second choice. Good luck!
I'm really not sure if there is more French on the Civic or the General campus...Ottawa also has a French hospital - the Monfort so many French speaking patients go there as well.
Typically a francophone patient will be assigned a French speaking nurse as the bilingual philosphy is that (English/French) patients have a right to service (treatment and communication) in their native language. Also in ICU you may be dealing with families who are French speaking and may also expect to have French speaking nurses. That said, many francophone folks are also bilingual, and in a pinch, if there isn't a french speaking nurse available you may end up being assigned anyway. For some francophone families/patients, communication in French is very important to them, others are fine with either language.
The Queensway-Carleton is a smaller hospital and it isn't a teaching hospital so there is a lot less action going on. It has a good Emerg, and is known for its birthing center and eye care I think. They also just opened the west-end cancer center there. The General and the Civic are much bigger, busier, teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
The French/ English thing isn't really a big deal in my experience. Bilingual and French speaking nurses take the French speaking patients and it just works out! I haven't come across tension between nurses over language.
saltcity
17 Posts
I want to say thanks again to all the folks (rescueninja especially) for all the help. Hospitals are hospitals but I want to try and avoid working at a place that has the feel of a Stalinist Labor Camp. I'm all for discipline and proper justice but the situation where I worked in (until this last saturday-I resigned to focus on studying for the CRNE) was unpleasant on a daily basis and I couldn't see myself there for 20 more years. I don't care how good the pension is.
Also Canada is such a great place! I have 3 kids and why wouldn't I want to have them grow up there!?
I appreciate the information about TOH situation. I don't speak much French (yet!) but I plan on learning more. I will say there is a little latent tension on this subject. I had a real estate agent there tell me not to work at the main campus since "that's the mostly french hospital"!
I got a different agent. I thought this was strange. I don't need to jump right into the divisions in canada-I'm getting away from this is the USA.
I'm interested in the hospital with the sick people-not the sick english speakers (vented patient don't speak much anyhow!unless their ET tube balloons are blown!).
I plan on putting in applications/resumes to TOH system in early June. I want to focus on studying for the CRNE for now since I'm taking it on (or writing rather) June 2 in Kingston. I took the NCLEX 12 years ago, and did fine but the CRNE is a little different and I'm not taking it for granted.
I have had a weird job for the last couple years- but I worked in SICU for 5 years and would like to go back to that. Do you know about Queensway Carleton? I get the impression that it's the suburban, what we'd call a "community" hospital here in the states. That is versus the tertiary care or level I trauma centers in the bigger cities. Is this correct?
thanks again!
btw are you in the Ottawa area still?