OgopogoLPN

BC, Canada. 5 years exp. $26.80/hr plus various shift diffs. LTC and acute care/same pay. Fully paid benefits/pension also with that

Yikes, I better follow what's happening...if I stay on my self imposed timeline, I will be writing the CRNE in 2015, or 2016 at the latest. Either way, it will be the new format.

It's hit and miss. There's 3 schools pumping out new grads to very, very few jobs. Some new grads are being hired casual in LTC and acute care, but get very few hours. The summer is busier of course, but for casuals right now, it's very slow. I graduated in 2008 and it took me 2 years to get a permanet position (in LTC). I now have over 5000 hours and still can't get a permanent or even a decent relief in acute care. There is the odd private home that is hiring, but one of the two is just brutal to work at. Very, very high workload, poor management, high turnover of staff. They went to a private provider like Advocare or one of those a few years ago, so I think the pay rate is much lower than union pay.

I live in the Okanagan, and from everything I've heard online, in person and 2nd hand info, then entire Lower Mainland right now (and for the past few years) is completely brutal for LPN jobs. There are NONE. Experienced LPNs are applying everywhere like crazy and not getting ANYTHING. From UBC, to North Van to Chilliwack. NOTHING. Public, private, acute care, LTC.... I know it sucks.

That would be overtime in my world. Wouldn't matter one bit when it fell from one week into the next, or one pay period into the next. Anything after 4 consecutive 12 hour shifts or 6 consecutive 8 hour shifts is OT in my union.

I live in Kelowna, and there are certainly diploma RNs at KGH. I would assume that since you have been working as one for many years, they wouldn't require a BSN at this point, but of course that is up to CRNBC. As for the job market, some new grads are getting hired, but all casual of course at first. It would be almost all nights and weekends on the heaviest med surg floors. It may be worth your while though to contact IHA's external recruiter (I can't recall her name, but I've heard great things about her!). I've heard of other RNs negotiating transferring seniority hours from other provinces before. It may be an avenue you should look into. Kelowna General is rapdily expanding and opening a cardiac care wing and will be doing advanced cardiac surgeries when the expansion opens. This may be a perfect opportunity to contact IHA with your experience and see if the external recruiter can put you in touch with the future manager of cardiac services. There were about 20 postings for cardiac RNs that came down a number of weeks ago, but the positions don't even start until next September. I think that there are so few formally trained cardiac RNs that they were seeing who was interested and perhaps offering eduction in anticipation of the new cardiac centre opening. The website is http://www.interiorhealth.ca/roomtogrow/default.aspx Don't forget though, Kelowna is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE to live in!!! I believe it's the 3rd or 4th most expensive in Canada after Vancouver, Toronto and Victoria. Very beautiful though. I love it here. Love the water sports, parks and beaches in the summer. The ski hills and hockey in the winter. Great neighborhoods, great schools. ETA: I just looked at the external postings for Kelowna and there are TONS of postings for cardiac related RN jobs!!!

I like the Vocera system...for the most part. It does have occasional glitches. I like being able to locate my coworkers, even if they don't respond to a call. I like it telling me the time if I can get to a clock right away, or I'm taking a break outside (don't wear a watch). Vocera amuses me. I love to swear at it and it responds in the low tone and remprimanding voice "I beg your pardon" :lol2: And the alway amusing "beam me up Scotty" and you get the Star Trek type music. Overall, I have no beef with the Vocera System.

Fiona59 may have some words of advice for you....

I'm sorry to hear you weren't successful with your 3rd attempt with the CPNRE. Other than a refresher and perhaps a waiting time, I doubt there's many more options for you I actually thought one would have to retake the whole program to be able to write again. Best of luck with your future endeavors.

No, it doesn't mean you failed. It just means yours is taking a bit longer in the mail.

I will make about $52,000-$54,000 gross as LPN with 3 years experience. This is FT, some OT, but not much. This doesn't include my paid benefits/employer contribution to pension/LTD coverage.. If that's included, that would add another $10,000 for the year or so. I am happy with what I make for a 12 month course.

I don't know if it's the same in the states, but to be eligable to take the CRNE as an American RN, one must have already passed the NCLEX. So I imagine it might be the same in the states. To be eligable to take the NCLEX, one may have to have passed the CRNE. Besides, there would be all sorts of other hoops to jump through to work in the states. The job market there is crap, way worse than in Canada and I'm sure that they would hire American nurses over green card Canadian nurses any day. Just as I would hope that Canadian employers would hire Canadian nurses over landed immigrant nurses from any country.

Yes, but that is the heart of the issue on these threads. Posters are asking what to do after failing the CRNE or the CPNRE the alloted 3 times. No one here is discouraging someone from trying all 3 times. It's when they aren't successful after that and still hoping for more chances that they are being told that perhaps it's not the right path for them.

When I got my pass in the mail, it included paperwork I had to fill out and sign to get my full license, after I paid the rest of the fee of course. So my envelope wasn't "small". I'm in BC.

There are a few rotations at my hospital that are 8/12 hour mix. Not many, but some.