thleenium

When I started school I was really surprised at how almost everyone wants to do peds! It had never crossed my mind and I have no interest in it whatsoever (I prefer the other end of life, thanks!). Maybe they forget that kids can get very, very sick, and that peds nursing is also family nursing.

Lots of work; busy; constant demand for accuracy, attentiveness, and good documentation. It's a steep learning curve for those with no background in anything health/medical/physiology related. You get lots of body substances (of every colour, consistency, and smell) and sick people. The hours are anything but normal unless you have some kind of clinic job or are a school nurse. On the other hand, this means you don't have to contend with traffic hour! Some days your patients will make you want to bang your head against the wall. And on other days you'll wonder why you ever considered doing anything else...like the mornings you enter your patient's room to, "Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" I don't think it's possible to really know what it's like until you try it. Maybe start as an LPN (RPN in ON) and see if it's for you? That's what I suggest to people who are thinking of going into nursing. It's shorter and cheaper and we do virtually the same things as RNs (at least in AB). If you really hate it you at least didn't invest a lot of your life into it! Think about why you're considering nursing and what attracts you. That might help you make your decision.

You'll probably get the provincial College/union speakers in your "transition to professional nursing" class. I don't know about pay rates, but in Alberta we apparently now sign as LPNs with our temporary registration. See this statement by CLPNA. Check with your provincial College--maybe they have a practice statement for Ontario.

Was it just her comment that made you second-guess your choice? Because if that's all it was, and YOU love your work, I wouldn't worry much. Who knows what the job market will be like in 3-4 years? It is constantly changing...which means that we can't exactly predict the future. Do you want to leave a job you love and spend 3 or 4 years doing something you don't enjoy as much "just in case"? We need people in LTC who love their jobs. I'm glad you're one of them!

Oh--the "listening to music" one looks easy. I haven't taken it though!

I have taken a half dozen courses with them. They don't tend to be easy (they expect university-level work!) and a lot of them are more involved than the online syllabus makes them appear! Stats was alright, but you said you weren't into math, but both the English composition courses are fairly light. The community health course has so much reading you'd think you were in grad school: don't take it. NUTR 331 is enjoyable (though in-depth) and the professional ethics one isn't too bad either. They're very well organized and the course is clearly outlined in the student manual.

Me too! You don't just "feel" this, CuriousStudent. It's a fact; the public is uneducated about what LPNs do these days. When I decided to go into practical nursing, I had all kinds of comments about how LPNs weren't as skilled as RNs. One person told me that PNs were "just techs." Even now, when half done the program, I continue to have to educate friends and family as to the role, education, and skillset of PNs. "No, we don't just do lifts, baths, and feeding, these days that is typically an HCA. An HCA is not an LPN. LPNs are professional nurses. We cram 90 credits of study into a two-year college program. Yes, we give meds; yes, we start IVs; yes, we are independent professionals who are responsible for our own patients." The explanation is getting really old. And I haven't even graduated yet! Eep! End rant.

Is this the current Care magazine? Which page number? I didn't see anything!

Just as an update, I am at NorQuest and I like it so far. The instructors are great and the student body diverse. I haven't had any problems with their admin. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to become a PN.

Your school advisor would be able to give you the most accurate, up to date suggestions.

I can vouch for the deliciousness of this. I had it at her house! It's great on rice too.

You have to look at the collective for the specific agency you're curious about. http://www.aupe.org/my-union/health-care/health-care-collective-agreements/ Click on the AHS one. It looks like it's $25.99 as of this coming April 1.

Now there's a good idea! That might actually get things done!

I highly doubt it. They are very particular and it seems to be extremely difficult to get anything to transfer. Not to mention how slow everything takes to get done there! You're probably better off with Athabasca.

Oh--I failed to mention that as soon as they told me they were full for Jan, I reapplied for Sept. That was on the first day of winter classes.

Has anyone else had problems with admission at Grant MacEwan in Edmonton? I applied there for both Jan and Sept 2010 and have nothing but problems. I'll spare you the details, but suffice to say: I transferred there (fully admissible) because I felt so strongly called to nursing. Since Jan was full, I took some of the required courses that semester. They labelled me as "lacks early acceptance" (not according to all their pamphlets and web documents!) and I have heard nothing since March. No one will give me any information about my file. I've emailed, gone in, phoned, and written a formal complaint (which was not responded to). I applied six months ago and am still waiting to hear from them! The apparent incompetence and lack of professionalism is appalling, especially from a post-secondary institution attempting to market themselves as a "university". Customer service is lacking. And with over a thousand applications per intake, it would be advisable for them to hire an additional admissions person for the BScN (there's only one lady doing it--really). Unless you are applying straight from high school within a short time after applications open, I would think twice about attending. It's unfortunate, because it seems that they turn out great nurses and I've heard good things about the program from people I know who are in it. But the lack of professionalism and integrity is serious. The message I got was that they are not interested in anything but my money. (Tuition is more there than at UofA, and they constantly pressure you to "apply for the next intake right away".) I know there is at least one other person who had a bad experience with admissions there (we were classmates and she is also on this forum). Anyone else?

Can anyone give me any information as to the transferability of Canadian nursing licensure to other countries? (Yes, I know most people work the other way around.) I am specifically thinking India, Africa, and the Middle East. Would a Canadian LPN be able to get a PN license in India? What about an RN? Or can anyone point me to a reliable source of information?

Thanks for responding, caliotter3! I would definitely go the bachelor's route...if I wanted to.

I realize this is a rather silly thing to post about, but I am going to ask anyway since I am so uncertain about what to do. Nursing and medical work in general has always been something I've been interested in and something I've wanted to do. I am two years out of high school in Alberta and anxious to get on with doing something. I have the reqs/marks to get into pretty much anything. I have just started as an NA in LTC (on-the-job training). However, I would like to be able to do things beyond baths and feeding (much as I enjoy doing those). A HCA certificate would be a possibility, although the scope is awfully limited. Doing an LPN diploma looks great, but from what I understand, you don't know as much as an RN, nor can you make many decisions. (Please correct me if I'm wrong on this.) As well, I would rather work through the program fairly quickly, but via distance, and I don't think anywhere has a FT distance LPN program. I could go into the degree program (I've applied, actually), yet I dread four years in school. I have serious doubts about whether it would be worth four long years...six (six!) when you include the year's wait til September and another year working in Canada after I finish the program. I expect to be back overseas working in the health field at some point; the sooner the better. (If I did a bachelor's, I would work a year in Canada before going overseas to work, however.) I recently went and did a stint in a developing country in a home for the mentally ill/elderly/handicapped and LOVED it. There's a strong sense of calling in me to be there rather than there. Can I ask your advice and wisdom? What would you do in my situation, from the details I've given you? Would you get the HCA certificate, then work a while, then do the LPN diploma, and then the BScN? Would you torture yourself with six more years in Canada when you sense a calling to be overseas? Would you do a nursing degree in a developing country (say, India, Egypt, Pakistan)? Would you jump into the LPN diploma and see how it goes? Or would you do something else altogether?

"The time spent in school varies province to province. I trained in Alberta where we did four academic semesters but went back to back for 13 months instead of two academic years." Fiona59, you've probably answered this in another post, but what school did you attend?

Edmonton! I don't know where I'll be going yet: I'm waiting for comments on LPN schools.

I am pondering applying to an LPN program here in Alberta. Could anyone share thoughts on where to go and where not to go and why? From searching the forums, I have so far gathered that for-profit schools are not recommended, but BVC and Norquest are both of good repute. I live in Edmonton, and am willing to move, as long as residence is not to expensive! Can anyone tell me anything about RDC or Columbia College? What about LCC or Medicine Hat? Any recommendations or threads I should read? I would prefer a shorter, more intense program. I'd consider distance, but not the way Norquest does it.