CDNORRN

When I was searching for a job, I found the best way to get any response was to send the resume directly to the department manager or supervisor,,,NOT to HR.

I have seen lots of chatter on here amongst UK nurses discussing jobs in Canada. Is it true that many are finding jobs in the Maritime provinces? And, which provinces are they? One of my colleagues is wanting to go to PEI. Do there seem to be many prospects there? Thanks!

Not bragging. It's true! I worked there. Do you know how hard it was to get to take call. Seniority always seem to get first dibs on taking call.

Here in Ontario, most OR's will have RN scrubs. And yes, there is a growing concentration of RPN's joining us in the OR. Budgets, I believe are the biggest reason for this. During orientation you will be scrubbing to familiarize yourself with the services and procedures. If you show an interest, most will be happy to help you. RPN's can circulate with an RN (two circulators). It took me 5 months to find a job in Ontario. They key is to send resumes or make contact directly with the OR manager. HR has a habit of not passing them along to the OR. In the US where I also worked, they have surgical technologists. Some have done the time, spent the money and often write an exam that actually certifies them in their specialty. Others, as previously mentioned, have been trained on the job (fewer and fewer) and others military trained. Hope this might be of some help.

It's a dream too, inspired by a colleague who did manage to live in marinas along the west coast of the US. Most were based in CA. We/I just recently sold the sail boat and bought a power boat. The plan in the next couple of years is to do the Great Circle Loop (Loopers) down the Mississippi out from Mobile, Alabama...into the Caribbean...and eventually up the ICW, back into the Great Lakes(home). Contracts or per diem work along the way would help generate some income. Plus, help keep me in touch with my field which changes rapidly. I totally believe it is possible. My colleague would commute to work on her bicycle.

I have seen both tap and sterile water being used during colonoscopies. What do you use in your facility?

Removal of a foreign body - esophagus or rectum or other orfices

Wow, I sure can feel the pain and frustration. I wish we could get a couple of boat loads of UK nurses to help lighten the load over here. If it's any consolation, a new law was passed last week here in Canada. Until now, when you crossed a border to work in another province, you had to "re-qualify" . Not so any longer. An RN, is an RN in every province regardless of where and when you got your license. Maybe this will help the CRNE relax some of their criteria. Who knows!? Almost 2 years ago I was attempting to move to UK, to practise as a specialist, to which I had found several job postings. My stumbling block....the English language proficiency test! Not that I couldn't sucessfully do it, but, why should I have to. I understand the rationalle behind this, however, my mothertongue, education, and entire life has been immersed in the english language. Aargh! One day I might just have the ambition to go ahead and do the test, just for fun.

There are no restaurants open in SLO after 6pm. And, it's a college town, what's up with that? Even Pismo had places to stop into after work. ...just curious...

As Zana2 pointed out, "sorry", is very cultural. If you rethink the way you respond to certain situations where you would instinctively respond with "sorry" you can still reply with sensitivity and respect. Words such as "unfortunately" and "sadly" work well in many instances. It also will relieve you of the responsibility of the situation. ie, "...it's unfortunate that...." or "...sadly..." have worked for me. As far as doing non-nursing duties, I will bend over backwards to help a family member or visitor if time permits. I am an embassador of my facility. I learned at my first corporate job orientation that I have a responsibility to promote a positive image. Every single person in the hospital, staff or visitor, is a consumer/customer or potential consumer. It's all about customer service. Greet everyone with with a smile or hello. Ask, "can I help you find something?" to someone who appears lost. Never walk the halls with your head down, looking at the floor. These are all important niceties that can promote a positive hospital experience.

Both unionised facilities that I have/do work gave me parity for my years experience. I had to provide proof of hours worked from previous employers. This proved to be easier that I thought. The responses were usually in the mail to me within 2 weeks.

Start applying for some of these specialty positions. Take some courses/classes, do some reading. Branching out will only make you more marketable. Many of the comments from LTC are the same or similar. Why subject yourself to a lifetime of misery?!

Palo Alto/San Francisco is pretty much the same area. Just an interstate connecting them. The distances are close in the "Bay" area. SF is an amazing city. I would recommend that for a first assignment you take their housing. It is expensive in the area. Most people want to re-sign, then you could be on the lookout for your own housing.

Hearts are definitely a specialty unto their own. These rooms work like a finely tuned clock. In my experience, these girls (and they mostly are female) almost always only work hearts. The biggest disadvantage to that is, they have really limited themselves if they might be needed in another service (ie, break relief or a sick call) or if they move to a place where they don't have a heart program. Getting a good general orientation to all services will make you more flexible and give you some confidence should you be required to shift to another temporarily. I know well that morbid look of fear when someone comes to do relief in ortho. It can be a scary place outside of your own four walls. You'll know early in your orientation if hearts is the place for you.

I had graduated from nursing school 5 years earlier and then took the NCLEX in NC. I spent 1 week in a review course, F & S Nursing. 3 years packed into 1 week. It just reaffirmed everything I already knew plus helped to "read" the questions in order to chose the correct answer. Expensive but worth it. Kaplan was also my source for practise questions. Sucess the first time. You might want to try F & S if you're anywhere near North Carolina.

I did get off topic here, yet my comments stemmed from reading other posting throughout these forums with huge negative undercurrents relating to other populations wanting to make better lives for themselves. The fact that the OP has chosen to take her profession elsewhere is a personal choice. It is not for us to criticise. She has worked hard to obtain her education. Paid her bills. Taxes too, (working while in school, your income is taxable), we are ALL tax paying citizens in one way or another. And, our parents too have payed taxes for education. And how about student loans, those for nursing school in Canada can easily be in excess of $10,000 per year, depending on living conditions. Given the current situation, the availability of jobs (in Ontario), there's not much for new grads to look forward to. Guaranteed full time jobs are a bit of a joke. I'm just trying to be compassionate to her needs, not know fully what they are. I didn't like seeing the criticism for her personal choice. Sorry for rambling. On a final note, the two tests are very different. The suggestion to study for each one independently is a good one. You have to do a mind set shift when moving on the the second one, regardless of which one you do first. Over and out!

The original poster is looking for useful information to her particular situation. Somehow, and this infuriates me, two others have chosen to make this a "chew" session, for lack of better words. This empirical attitude is exactly the reason why some popultions in the world are view as they are. What happened to the kind and caring supportive enviroment we should be giving our peers, especially "our young"? Who cares where we come from or what our skin color, religious background and beliefs are??? We, as nurses, are here for the care of the patient. Respectfully and lovingly. If you're not, you had better find a new job.

Two years, as suggested, seems rather optimistic, especially if you're going to work your way through all the services. Look at each new scrub experience as a challenge. Challenge yourself to put together the things you already know, then think beyond the basics. Today you probably feel like it's the first day driving a car with a manual transmission, jumpy and jerky. Before long, it will be smooth sailing. Relax.... anticipate... pay attention to the surgery... ask questions, get involved. MOST surgeons love to teach and will walk you through the procedure. Have fun!

Ensure that you have your Visa Screen in place. Can't to to US without it. I spent two travel contracts in Tuscon. TMC does seasonal work for nurses in the winter as well as traveller contracts. As a traveller, all you do is show up at your apartment. All is in place for you when you arrive. Cross Country Travcorps is a big travel agency. I found them most helpful with the VSC, they have alot of Canadian nurses on their payroll. They also have a great number of asssignments to choose from. PM me if you need any more information. By the way, I LOVED Arizona.

You still CANNOT violate the privacy of the patient. It is reportable, the physician responsible to the pt. will do the reporting.

You didn't say in which area you are experienced... If you have a specialty it will be much easier to find a job. Try Kaiser Permanante, UCSF, they usually have lots of postings. Walnut Creek isn't too far to travel either for you. Try John Muir and one other I can't remember the name of...just a start.

Subscribe to Healthcare Traveler magazine. I think a great deal of recruiting companies pay for the advertising in this mag but you can also get some great information from it too. It's free. Having travelled for a couple of years, travelers tend to stick together and you'll get all kinds of stories about experiences. I learned which companies to stay away from and how to negotiate the things I wanted. Overall, I might suggest CA has some great experiences to offer and great pay. A traveler friendly state overall. Keep asking lots of questions and you'll get answers to what you need to know.

Just a little FYI about applying directly for nursing jobs. I returned to Canada and sent out 15 applications to HR departments at individual hospitals. Months later (5) I received only one call back from a hospital. It was after that, when I got more aggressive, I learned that the way to get a job is not through HR but the department head/manager of the unit that you want to work. Call the hospital, ask for the name and extension or fax of the manager and contact them that way. Sad but true!

I don't know where you live in Canada but, I live in Ontario. Conestoga College offers IELTS throughout the year. I haven't yet applied to take the test (waiting for winter to be over, don't want to travel through a snow storm).This is just the first step to getting to the UK. The test sites are offered in Toronto and Kitchener. Google search "Conestoga College + IELTS" you'll find info there.

Still looking for help on this one! Thanks.