natalyia

Hi Camelhappy1, are you still interested or know of anyone else interested in rural nursing in AB? I know of a company that pays well for rural nurses and for referrals. Send me a PM for more info.

Send me a PM and I'll give you all the information on the new company

Hello oneLoneNurse! I worked in Philly for some time as well! Which hospital were you at? Where are you looking to come back to - where is home? Have you considered Alberta? Nurses there are the highest paid in Canada, and there are many exciting things about to happen there for nurses looking to travel. Please respond to me in a PM and I'll give you more info.

Absolutely! Most of them function throughout the entire US. The problem with the Canadian system is that some provinces have health regions, and some function as the US does - each hospital for themselves (Ontario). That is why nursing agencies can exist in Ontario with relative ease and little to no involvement from the unions. Basically, the system of operation in Canada is not uniform and therefore, travel companies like the one in BC, or nursing agencies, as those that function in the east, cannot at this time service the entire country. On a side note to one of your last comments on your colleague working in the US, when I left the US I was making $128,000 a year working 4 days a week, choosing my own shifts and time off and enjoying many other perks and benefits of the job. What we need to keep in mind however, is the bonuses that they give are not without stipulation. Most of the bonuses are given upon completion of the assignment and are contingent upon several factors outlined on the contract. For example, missed shifts during the contract not 'made up' are considered breach of contract in some cases and are grounds for them to withhold payment of the bonus. A Canadian colleague of mine worked for a company, who shall remain nameless, that promised her a $7000 completion bonus. A week before the end of her contract they fired her for answering her cell phone in a patient's room!!! All I'm trying to say is, it is not all it's cracked up to be!! You don't get something for nothing and in some cases, you don't even get the 'something' you are promised. Even though I wouldn't trade my time in the US for anything as I gained valuable experience and financial gain back then, working in a broken system and worrying about protecting my nursing license on a daily basis became too much. Remember, they don't pay you a 6 figure salary and give you amazing perks and benefits to work at the Ritz!! In most cases, you are in the worst of the worst when you are getting paid those kind of dollars. Basically, the companies that are functioning in Canada can offer similar pay and benefits as the US companies do, and you don't have to work under 3rd world conditions. You just have to do your homework and research and find them. For example there is a company I know of that is starting out paying $50 and hour and offering many perks and thousands of dollars in bonuses throughout the duration of the contract, instead of only at the end. It is up to us nurses to do our due diligence and find what is best for us, and for our own flailing, 'nurse-shortaged', healthcare system.

Circumscribed meaning only rural areas? No. I worked in a suburb of Vancouver (30 min. from downtown Van.) and to my knowledge, they operate throughout most of BC.

Hello janfrn! Actually, Canada does have a travel nursing agency. Currently, there is only one operating out of BC. It functions exactly like the US travel agencies - I worked for them, and I worked for 2 travel nurse companies in the US. At this point, with the looming recession and low American dollar, it makes no sense for a Canadian nurse to travel to the US and work, if your goal is strictly to travel for financial reasons. When I was a travel nurse, the exchange rate was $0.60 to the dollar, so I made a pretty penny working there. Now, Canadian nursing agencies and the BC travel company pay what the US companies are offering and more (in some cases, you have to do your research to find them). You get basically the same perks and benefits as well.

Hello Ricquet! I do have a wealth of information for you, as I have worked in Alberta. What is your specialty? Are you looking to do travel nursing in Alberta? How many years experience do you have? The nurse to patient ratios depend greatly on your specialty. Send me a PM with specific questions and I would be happy to help you any way I can!

Send me a PM with specific questions, i.e. where you want to go, what your specialty is, etc. Also, keep in mind that you will not be able to work as a travel nurse until you have worked at least 1 year. Actually, I wouldn't suggest anyone travel with less than 2 years exp. but that's just me. Anyway, since you just got out of school, I would suggest you take the Canadian nursing exam in the meantime, as you will not be able to work here unless you have it. Anyhow, as I said, PM me with any other questions you may have and I will be happy to help you!

Just be prepared for all kinds of things! As I said, be open minded and don't expect the experience to be smooth sailing. They contracted you there because they are in need, which can unfortunately mean, a chaotic unit! If you are adaptable, and have great clinical skills, you will do fine!

thank you for clarifying that suzanne4! spiritmagejkt's info. presented is not entirely true. I returned from travel nursing in the US in the last few years and when I left, there was no reciprocity with our Canadian nursing exam in any state therefore, if a new Canadian nurse wants to travel to the US, you must have completed the visascreen process (which by the way is expensive, arduous, and you must have taken the NCLEX) and that whole process can take up to a year or more. I just received information about the reciprocity 2 days ago from a US travel company re:this very topic so the info I'm giving you is fresh off the press. This is why I question why so many Canadians are still opting to leave Canada, when there are travel and agency nursing opportunities here that are the same and better than what you find in the states! I should know, I've worked for several of them! I wonder if it's just that people don't know about them or what?

I went to Delta, which is about 1/2 hr. away from Vancouver, for 5 weeks and it was interesting to say the least! Solutions is a good company and is quite on par with the 2 travel companies I worked with in the US. The hospital was very disorganized however. I ended up working in the ER most of my assignment even though my contract was for med/surg.! Lucky for them, I had ER experience from several years before but that was not the point! I really should not have been pulled to an area, not a part of my contract, and on top of that, Solutions did not pay me the extra amount that ER nurses get for the shifts that I worked there! I was pulled to the ER often too, at least 2x/week. So my advice to you is to be very open minded on your assignment, because things like this do happen, even with the best of travel companies!

What did you decide to do? Are you now travelling in the US? Why don't you consider a Canadian travel nursing company, especially since the recession in the US and the low American dollar?

I'm doing some independent research on the migration of Canadian nurses to the US. Where would you say are the most popular states for you all to travel to? I myself was a travel nurse in the past, and the popular states for Canadian nurses then were California, Texas, Florida and Hawaii. Is that still the case. Any others you would add to the list?

Hello Pancia! What did you decide to do re:travel nursing in the US? If you do decide to take the plunge, make sure you do your due diligence and research the travel company, hospital and accomodations/area you will be staying at. Have you considered travelling within Canada? With the Canadian dollar doing so well, it is less adventageous to travel south of the border these days, especially since Canadian companies can offer much of the same perks and benefits the American companies do.

Hello nursemoons14! I worked for Solutions Staffing last year, as well, I've worked in Ontario and 'travel nursed' in the US. What is your specific question? Are you still intrested in travel nursing? Solutions Staffing is not the only company in Canada, I'm not sure if you are aware. There is a company in the works to start servicing Calgary. Are you a Canadian RN?