Kenobi

Congratulations to those who are newly admitted! Best of luck as you enter into this exciting career. For those on the waitlist, don't lose hope! Keep pushing as nursing is certainly a marathon

Thanks, I've applied as a casual home care nurse and I'm waiting for a call back. Looking at the US home care info, a lot of them are agency-based and they get paid per visit (if a patient cancels last min, you don't get paid). I'm not sure if BC is the same or is it based on hours (e.g. you get paid 8 hrs today and you need to see X patients). As casual, do I get different patients each time (I.e. I'm just covering sick calls) or do I get my own patients? I've also heard that there is a lot of documentation after work and many people take the documentation home with them (HIPA?), but some say otherwise. I really just wanted more info! This is all very new to me, thanks!

Hello, I've worked on medical units for 1.5 years now and, while I'm decent at it, I want to explore something different. I'm looking for a job that has the following qualities: 1. Time 1:1 with a patient without feeling rushed (e.g. have to run to answer call lights, vocera) 2. Involves patient education 3. Has hands-on components 4. Some routine and control over my schedule (for family purposes) Does home care fit these bills? It's rather difficult to find information on home care in BC (most info are from the US). How does a casual home care nurse get paid? What are some of the pros and cons? Do I have enough experience after 1.5 years to work independently as a home care nurse? Thanks in advance for the responses!

On the unit I work on, we have an exclusion criteria that says "no total care patients - independent patients only." However, you have to keep in mind that all units are part of the hospital. When there are 60 patients waiting for admission in emerg and your unit has the only open beds, you're gonna get all sorts of patients. The site managers will push the unit to admit, even if the patients are not suitable for your unit. This happens a lot, since most hospitals operate at > 100% capacity.

https://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/finances/tuition-and-fees/undergraduate-student-cost-estimator 15 credits Btw, you can opt out of the $10 donation.

Check with U of C nursing before you do that because I don't think they accept the challenge course. You need a C- in the course but the challenge doesn't give you a grade.

Do your CPR mid-late December or early January or if you can. You need to renew it every year. If you do it too early, you'll need to renew it during your very busy final focus in your last term. A word on Titan Health... I'd be cautious going with them. It seems to me like they alternate between Heart and Stroke and Red Cross each year, which forces you to always pay for the full course and not the renewal (not sure if they do that on purpose... if so, shame on them). Since AHS prefers Heart and Stroke, go with a company that offers that every year.

**Assuming they didn't change the schedule for the upcoming year** You'll follow either the blue or the green schedule. Both schedules attend the lectures on Tues/Wed/Fri morning.

There are two schedules and you will be randomly assigned to one of them. You will have class 4 days a week and get either Monday off or Thursday off. If you have Monday off, then Thursday will be your full day clinical day (8 hours), and vice versa. On Tues, Wed, and Fri, your day will go from 8am to around 5pm (lecture in the morning, lunch, and then lab/clinical in the afternoon).

If you are re-doing all the vaccines, it is best to get started early because certain ones (like MMR, Hep B, Td) require multiple shots and will take a few months. I cannot remember whether they required N95 to be done before school... it's best to check your admission booklet for that one. Just note that the N95 certificate is valid for 2 years so if you do it before Jan 2020, you'd have to re-do it before you complete the program.

Yes, the U Calgary Student Wellness Services (https://www.ucalgary.ca/wellness-services) located on the 3rd floor of the MacEwan Hall (the building with the food court and book store) can provide the vaccines. They will also sign and update your faculty of nursing vaccination sheet. There are costs associated with the vaccines, but I cannot remember how much.

You need to book a N95 fit test with one of the local companies (for example, Eisan consulting https://www.eisanconsulting.com/). For vaccines, you need to obtain a document from your birthplace and translate it. If you cannot get such documentation, you'll need to repeat the vaccines.

Yes, see here https://nursing.ucalgary.ca/future-students/undergraduate/curriculum There is a 4-month break between term 6 and term 7 for transfers, whereas degree holders go through without a break.

I've been told they review applications on a rolling basis. When I applied back then I had a 3.87 but I didn't get a response until the last week of October. When I called them early October they said they haven't even reviewed my file yet. Stay patient and hopeful!

You are absolutely not alone! My first 6 months of independent practice were hell. When I applied to the job, my manager told me "this is the hardest unit to start your nursing career on." I understood that, but I really wanted to push myself. The patients are all highly acute, diverse, and the patient to nurse ratio is high. I received 8 orientations shifts in total. Before every shift, I would get so nervous that I would be having physical symptoms like SOB, palpitations, and bowel issues. Two weeks after I started my independent practice, I lost my patient to an unexpected code blue. I kept questioning my abilities... I wondered if there were things I could have done to save this patient. I am glad I made an appointment to speak to the CNE who helped me work through the issues. Now, I still occasionally get anxious going into work, but that anxiety is quelled by the knowledge that I have wonderful and supportive co-workers. Don't be afraid to ask questions and use any resources available to you! If everyone on the unit is mean, remember it's not your fault... don't hesitate to get out of toxic environments and go to another unit.

I'm trying to transfer my Alberta RN licence to BC. On the BCCNP website they state that applicants must demonstrate English proficiency prior to registration. Although English wasn't technically my first language, I've been in Canada since elementary school and so far have 3 degrees from Canadian universities (including my BN). I'm a Canadian citizen (for 20+ years) and English is the only language I converse in. It sounds absurd that BCCNP might request proof of English proficiency under such circumstances, but in their email reply to me they simply stated "BCCNP does not waive registration requirements. Applicants are required to demonstrate they meet all registration requirements." Has anyone encountered this before? Has any foreign-born nurses who immigrated to Canada at a very young age been asked to demonstrate English competency by BCCNP? I'm afraid to submit my application right now.

I understand. Hang in there! I distracted myself by going on a trip.

Best of luck to all the new applicants!

Hey Libby, I was able to secure a job immediately after my degree (finished December, hired same month). My "new nurse orientation" training had 50 or so members that month, and also had a wait list, meaning more than 50 people got hired within the month. My unit alone hired 7 new nurses in December, and the unit across hired 4. A few of my friends waited until February to write NCLEX and apply for positions, and they have been successful at finding a job (these jobs are at major hospitals e.g. Foothills, PLC, Rockeyview, SHC). Granted it will be 2 years until you finish, and things may change at that time. At the present, the job market doesn't seem too harsh for new grads.

That's strange because many of the new grads from the U of C (external to AHS) who graduated in December had no problem getting hired. I know the success rate is low for the online applications, but many had success going onto units and submitting resumes. I would learn the name of the managers (call the unit), write specific cover letters for the unit, and tailor your resume to them too.

Hi everyone! School is starting in a few weeks for you guys! Just wanted to offer a bit of good news and encouragement. I finished my degree early December and was hired a week later. Five out of the six people I hang out with regularly already landed jobs as well (all at major hospitals in Calgary). I know that the message boards can appear discouraging at times, but there are certainly jobs available for new grads! U of C also does resume/interview prep for students in the final term, so everyone will be ready to go by the time they graduate. Hope you all have a wonderful beginning to your degree/career!

Hi Ogonda, I'm glad you found the info helpful! Thanks for the advance congrats =) Job prospects are so-so right now and depends on the practice area. According to my peers in mental health, they are getting job offers after graduation. The med/surg unit I'm on is also hinting that I'll be able to work there afterwards (wish it were confirmed). Things seem a bit dicey in pediatrics, as I know a couple people who said their unit is not hiring at all. One person I know in occupational health will be working for the private company he did his final practicum with. Seasoned nurses I spoke to say that the healthcare field is cyclical and right now it's in a bit of a slump in Alberta, but things always get better!

Thank you so much Tito! If anyone here (or lurkers) feel like they benefited from the thread, please continue to support one another and future nurses by making a new thread during the next intake! It's been two years since I entered the program, and this program changes very quickly. I'll also be graduating in a month (time flew). You guys/gals will be the experts on the new requirements and program structure, so please share your knowledge with future students :)

Hi Glowree! Block week is for some courses that can be "fast-tracked" and completed in a single week. You won't need to worry about that for the first term since none of the nursing course apply. It's technically not necessary to be in school the first week. There is a welcome event with some info and where you get to meet your peers... but it doesn't count towards hours as far as I know.

Hi Tito! A lot of people in my year (degree holders) have children. I can already count 7 off the top of my head without trying very hard... some of them have multiple kids. There are also those who work during school! Nursing school is demanding regardless of whether you have children or not, but it's certainly possible to succeed in the program with a bit of work. I would not recommend the 4 year degree since that's not any easier... you just get summer breaks. It's a personal choice, but I prefer to take less breaks and just get it over with!