Prince George, BC - future as a nurse?

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Dec 16, 2006

It is saying that 6% of all British Columbia LPNs work in Northern BC. (49 + 24 + 6 + 21 = 100). Almost half of all LPNs work on the Lower Mainland, a quarter on Vancouver island, a fifth in Okanagan/Kootenay.

This occupation

Lower Mainland 49%

Vancouver Island 24%

Northern B.C. 6%

Okanagan/Kootenay 21%

zolly786 · Dec 16, 2006

i don't think you have to fear anything with employment as an rn in prince george. i know for a fact there are plenty of open lines right now. they may not be permanent, but they are full time terms. heck, i left my position to take another job in september and they still haven't filled it. i think there are three open lines on my old ward alone.

they are pumping out a lot of nurses from unbc right now, so i don't know what it will be like in 5 or 6 years, but i'm guessing by the age of the nurses up here, there will still be lots of positions.

i wouldn't suggest being an lpn. crummy wage and it takes a long time to get a full time position here. there are lpn's that have been working casual here for at elast 3 years and are not getting positions.

good luck with whatever you decide.

Jangaboo · Dec 17, 2006

i don't think you have to fear anything with employment as an rn in prince george. i know for a fact there are plenty of open lines right now. they may not be permanent, but they are full time terms. heck, i left my position to take another job in september and they still haven't filled it. i think there are three open lines on my old ward alone.
they are pumping out a lot of nurses from unbc right now, so i don't know what it will be like in 5 or 6 years, but i'm guessing by the age of the nurses up here, there will still be lots of positions.
i wouldn't suggest being an lpn. crummy wage and it takes a long time to get a full time position here. there are lpn's that have been working casual here for at elast 3 years and are not getting positions.
good luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks

I was first thinking of LPN because It was shorter (1.5 years vs 4 years), cheaper and I still have some self doubts If i can pull off nursing starting now at 27 and being a pretty shy person...Part of me would like to challenge myself (My shyness/anxiety) but I also dont want to lie to myself (kid myself) that this might not be the right thing for me...I've always wanted to help people (and i don't need to be a nurse to do that necessarily, could do it on a daily basis to anyone/everyone I meet) and have something rewarding to do with my life...I don't know.

Can i ask you if you don't mind what made you initially decide to become a nurse and did you have any doubts at all?

Thanks

zolly786 · Dec 17, 2006

for me, it was either teaching or nursing. i don't know why, but those were the two jobs i was drawn towards.

i was very very very shy when i first started nursing school. to the point that when i was in clinical, i couldn't go wake up the patients, i was too afraid. the nurse would have to go in first and see them before i'd go in the room.

i've changed a bit since then, obviously. i had lots of doubts, but it was worth it for me. i really like my job.

and it may be cheaper, but you make way less. you go from 25-33 an hour as an rn, but an lpn i think maxes out around 21 an hour. and with there being so many extra lpns around, you'd be working casual for a long time. i don't suggest that because you need the routine in order to get comfortable. that's just my opinion. and with the added responsibility of meds and orders now, the pay isn't enough. it's garbage, but that's another thread entirely.

Jangaboo · Dec 17, 2006

Yeah, I never really considered wages to be honest...I was more concerned about something i'd be doing for the rest of my life but wage definitely is something I need to start thinking about.

I'm 27 male, living with mom :) currently working 2 jobs and I need to do something else with my life.

I don't like the idea of working casually, i would like to work more often to get comfortable like you said so...Registered Nurse. :innerconf

I wonder if I can sign up for both at the College of New Caledonia? If there's a long waiting list for one and I'm signed up for both they would let me into one of them?

And as a LPN could you become a care aid/taker if you wanted more hours/time? I will eventually upgrade to an RN if i do go the LPN route and get many of the second year courses in the RN/BSN credited from LPN (I have talked to counceller regarding possibility upgrading from LPN to RN/BSN).

Last question, were you naturally always good around people? How much did you pickup in school with how to act/be around people?

Thank you!

zolly786 · Dec 17, 2006

i don't know about the bridging in to the lpn from the care aide. i'll have to ask a couple people at work who have been aides and are now lpns. i'm pretty sure you can't at cnc.

and i don't know if you apply for the rn program at cnc or unbc. i know you do the first two years there, and then go up to unbc. i can ask someone tomorrow who's in the first year of the rn program.

i also know there is an issue with the union in being casual for both care aide and lpn. i think you have to pick one or the other. so you could do the aide program, then take your lpn, then the rn. but i don't think there are a lot of hours for aides right now. it goes in waves. there aren't many 1:1's on the wards right now, so you'd be working mainly at jubilee.

and nursing school didn't teach me a ton about being around people and talking to them. being around people made me learn how to deal with people and situations. there are some nurses (one i have in mind) who will never be good with people. they have a way of offending people like i've never seen before. but they are good nurses. it's the ones who have the social skills who are not capable that scare me.

RNGrad2006 · Dec 30, 2006

I dont know about all schools but I worked with a care aide in Abbotsford, B.C. and she got 4 months credit towards her PN program which leaves 8 months of the 12 month program. That is at Vancouver Community College.

Shawnina · Dec 30, 2006

It's suprising how quickly four years fly by. I would definitely consider going directly to the RN route if you decide on nursing.

It took me seven years to get my first degree (completely switched majors after year 3). Four years after graduating, I went back to university to get my RN...luckily, since I have a degree it took me less than two years.

I wish I had gone directly into nursing after high school, instead of getting my BN at 30. School has been a huge expense, and I could have had a lot of experience under my belt by this time.

I've had doubts but never regretted the decision to pursue this. As an RN, your career options are really endless right now...especially for someone young and unattached. You could go anywhere and do anything...seriously.

Fiona59 · Jan 1, 2007

I'm a PN who has worked in BC. PN's worked as PN's, NA's and Unit clerks on Vancouver Island. There just wasn't enough positions for them to work as PN's. Their skills were severely limited by the hospitals.

It was demoralizing. Just as demoralizing as reading some of the postings in this thread.

PN's when utilized to their full training and skill set are valuable nurses. I've worked in acute care and my patients are not stable. My classmates work as dialysis nurses, maternity nurses, and OR techs.

It is very easy to say go for your RN. Well, most RN programmes have waitlists and are only accepting the cream of the applicants. Most of the RNs I work with admit that they wouldn't make it into RN programmes today with the grade requirements. I'm not saying that PNs aren't as bright as RNs just for many it was a way to find out if nursing was the right career choice for them. Some of my co-workers are doing the PN-RN bridge others are doing degrees in areas that interest them.

I agree that the wage difference is appalling. A dialysis PN makes $0.60 over the PN wage scale, approximately $12/hour less than an RN working dialysis alongside her. The main skill difference is the RN can IV push. The PN prepares and hangs their own IV antibiotics, cannulates her own patients and carries the same patient load as an RN, if Eprex is required, the PN administers it subcu, while the RN can push it. In some active treatment centres PNs are doing their own IV starts and the meds are coming on board soon.

I'd say either PNs are damn good value for their wages or RNs are pricing themselves out of the market in some regions.

cicada · Jan 2, 2007

Can someone help me by advising what part of Canada would license me as a RN/LPN if I have only AD in Nursing from US college. In addition, I hold MS in Economics from my country and work experience as a nursing, home health, and rehab aide in the US. Any info/suggestions will be highly appreciated.

thanks!

zolly786 · Jan 3, 2007

in canada, an lpn is an lpn and an rn is an rn. diploma nurses (i think they are the same as associate degree, but don't quote me) are hired here all the time in bc. i think the only places you couldn't work are quebec (language) and ontario (but i'm not positive, because i think you just need to prove you're working on your degree or something). the other provinces i believe have grandfathered diploma nurses and bsn is entry to practice for new grads.