campbe11

Crocs (non-vented clogs)! Everyone hates them but they are one of very few shoes that keep my legs/knees/feet from aching :)

The EEG is not clinically diagnostic for brain death and neither is MRI. The physician must perform as assessment of brain stem reflexes (e.g. apnea test, cold caloric/oculovestibular reflex test, etc.) and, depending on the situation, a brain perfusion scan in Nuclear Medicine will be done. The gold standard for determining brain death is the perfusion scan...

Originally from Bellevue, WA Received my BScRN from Seattle University in Seattle, WA Currently living and working in Calgary, AB - and loving it! :) Miss the rain/greenery/water of WA though!!

I know of LPNs who work in ICUs and peds floors as well - sajeda_, just be aware that some areas may not use a LPN or RPNs license to full scope though. Depends on the unit.

has anyone had to be interviewed when they applied to for a twp or a pr visa? as a condition of getting a twp you need to prove that you will leave the country after your permit/visa expires. i can document that my family lives in the u.s., that i have a good relationship w/ my previous employer (whom i am leaving to go work in canada), and proof of funds but that's about it. if anyone has had any experience with this, what sort of documentation helps as "proof", and would like to share i would greatly appreciate it :)

I can understand how that could easily happen. For myself, I had friends who have had success with immigration lawyers and gave good references for them (although they were to expensive for me to afford at the time). If I had had the money I would have gone that route since they came w/ personal recommendations.

From an IEN's perspective (US citizen to AB, Canada) It is a long, complicated (as it should be), and expensive process. It is important to do your research, although the CIC website can be a bit confusing. There are Canadian consulates in some states that provide general information services if you need them. You could also try consulting an immigration lawyer if you can afford it. First, as Silverdragon102 mentioned, you need to decide what provence in Canada you would like to live in. You then need to apply to the nursing certification board in that provence in order to eventually sit for the exam and become licensed to work in that provence. As Silverdragon102 also stated, there are a couple options you can try in order to enter Canada to work as an RN. However, some of these options are not available right now (a nurse is considered a 'federal skilled worker' and you cannot currently apply to obtain permanent residence and work as an RN because there are a limited amount of spots available for nurses emigrating to Canada - and they have reached that limit). For myself, I am able to "move" to Alberta to work as an RN with a temporary foreign worker visa. I was able to go this route because I was able to find an employer to sponsor me into the country (a necessary part of being able to obtain the visa). The job market in Canada as a whole is not any better than that in the US (or so it seems). They will always hire their own before outsiders unless there is a special skill that is needed and cannot be found within their own provincial pool. I was also lucky as I am able to get a visa through NAFTA since I am a US citizen and nursing as a profession falls under the foreign trade agreement. It made things SLIGHTLY easier. All in all this has been a stressful, long (7 months and counting) process. Often I did not really know what I was doing, and there is a lot of conflicting information. Had I to do it over again, I would hire an immigration lawyer. Hope this helps.

I'm so nervous! It seems Alberta results must have been sent out, but I haven't received mine yet. I'm in the U.S. though so maybe it will take a couple more days than expected. Congratulations to all who have already passed, and good luck to those who will be writing again.

Thank you for correcting me. I should have clarified that my assumption was taken from seeing so many postings for ER positions on the AHS website. As for the taxes, I didn't do my research beforehand. I apologize. However I will save my comments about how much "i pay" in the US for healthcare.

It took me a VERY long time to get a job offer in Calgary, AB....and in the end it was all about "who I knew" rather than my experience. Even when my experience is in a highly specialized area. I would suggest being prepared to wait it out for a while in terms of job offers (but maybe I was just unlucky?) They will, obviously, hire their own nurses before looking internationally. Although, if your experience is in ER nursing it appears they have a very high need in AB at the moment. Another thing on AB, the pay may be higher - but the taxes are VERY high. I will be making about half of what I made in the US...but I will also only be working part-time (as that was all they had available). The things we do for love

It feels like it's been longer than (almost) 4 weeks since the exam! The wait is the hardest part in some ways....i'm excited and nervous all at once. I took mine in Calgary, AB. Anyone else take theirs there? Didn't feel like the material was all that different from what I learned in the U.S. (as in, I didn't specifically need to review canadian nursing textbooks), but we'll see if that was really the case once I know if I passed or failed

Can any IEN tell me how long it took them to receive their temporary work permit once they requested it from CARNA (where they send it to you by email)? Thanks!

To clarify - in my opinion there is a shortage & more nurses are needed (and will be needed). HOWEVER, there is no money available to staff hospitals with RNs the way they should/wish they could. Very sad. Just my take on things.

I should also add, I will be living in Calgary with my boyfriend when I (eventually) am able to move....so I ask about jobs in that area respectively.

Are there any IEN's currently working in Alberta who could update me on the job status for RN's in this provence? I know they just built the new hospital, but from what I have been seeing on the AHS job website the need is mainly for ER nurses (sadly, I have no experience in that field). I also have seen a few new grad positions available, but mostly the jobs are for experienced nurses (I have 1+ years of inpatient experience in the U.S., but i'm not sure I count as an IEN...). I am registered with CARNA, will be taking the CRNE in february 2012....all I need ("all"...haha) is a sponsorship from an employer. However this seems like it will be the biggest hurdle by far. Thanks in advance! :)

Took my NCLEX-RN today - 75 questions!! I got the "good" pop-up, but who knows! :/ Keeping my fingers crossed. I had a pretty mixed test. Only 1 med question, at least 7 SATA questions, lots of peds content, some nutrition, PHARM (yuck), 4 infection control. If felt pretty 50/50 between prioritization and questions evaluating knowledge of patho. A few delegation, but not as many as I expected there to be. Good luck to everyone!

I took mine today (75 questions) and just checked and got the "good" pop up! :) Lets hope its right!

From what I've heard, most of the 2009 grads from my school in WA found jobs - just took them a while. I got hired where I'm doing my senior prac at. Its still pretty tough around here. Seems like the hospitals are just hiring the students that are doing their senior pracs at the site or their nurse techs :/

my mom will be :) For our graduating class we decided to let each individual choose who they wanted to pin them - whether that be family or faculty.

@maximus418: VMMC is really great. Can't say enough good things, but they are currently in a hiring freeze :/ I'll be lucky if I'll get the job I was verbally offered. The only negative I can think of is that they see a smaller patient population (lower census overall than the surrounding seattle hospitals). Hope this helps!

I am about to graduate from SU with a BSN and I would highly recommend their program. They are in the process of restructuring the clinical layout so that may help with the Nurse Tech situation, although I was a NT the summer after my junior year and I had no problem finding a job. I would ask the SUCON what the clinical/course schedule would be for you if you were to start there. What I think is best about the program are the small class sizes, and the fact that the teachers really go out of their way (for the most part) to make sure they are available and you are doing well. Only negative I can see is that they have high turnover of their clinical faculty and the cost Good luck to you and congrats! If you have any questions about SU, let me know!

I sometimes catch myself doing this. It's really unprofessional and not excusable, I can only imagine it makes people feel awkward/uncomfortable. :/