27400

To be honest, your best bet is to ACE your consolidating placement. Start talking to the manager and even if they're not hiring now who's to say they won't be hiring 2 months from the time you hand out your resume.

It's still similar to a regular hiring process 1) you apply for an HFO - nggi position, 2) possibly go for an interview and, if it's successful you'll 3) possibly land a job for 6 months guaranteed. There's a lot of nursing graduates coming from different schools, so it is highly competitive. Just keep applying everywhere and don't just rely on new graduate guarantee. I think one of my mistakes as a pre-grad is that I didn't start applying in February, so start applying NOW. I find that most hospitals and health care institutions have a lot of posting between January till April-May. It was really difficult for me to find a job in the summer. Another challenge I found during the job search process is that there seems to be a lot of postings but those posting require you to have X amount of experience or X certificate to work on these units (which I currently found out that taking these courses weren't mandated, so technically you don't have to take them to be hired. It's up to your employer's discretion if they want you to take it). There's a lot of options to choose from but it might not be something you like at first. Right now, I'm working outside of the GTA. My plan is to do 1 year here and go back to the GTA once I'm semi-comfortable with the nursing skills I've acquired. I wish to move sooner but I have OSAP to pay back and rent is cheaper here than the GTA. I'm also looking towards attaining certification on a nursing specialty so that I can apply to those jobs after my one year of experience.

I saw somewhere that they have an nursing residency program for Mental Health. http://www.beamentalhealthnurse.ca

Yea, I remember you said you're tired of working OT. Wow, good for you =). Keep up the good work.

WHOA Joanna... wow, have you been doing a lot of OTs?

What do you mean by "inconsistent hours"? Most nurses in the field are on rotation. What's inconsistent with being on rotation?

Are you just looking into hospitals? Why not try nursing homes or subacute areas or clinics? It's worth a try. I have friends that are working nursing homes while they look for a hospital job.

On the letter sent by the CNO usually tells you how you did for each main competencies for those people who did not do well. I suggest that you take a look at both of the previous letters from CNO and see which competency you did not do well on and concentrate on those areas. Overall when answering CRNE prep questions, you should be asking yourself "What's wrong with this patient?" and then pick an answer. Then look up the answer at the back and try to relate it back to the question. It's not all about just knowing the answer but trying to relate the answer back to the question.

Say things out loud or talk to yourself in the mirror. Start with the least evasive procedure, etc.

I think you mean second entry BScN program. There's no such thing as entry level master's program in nursing. Which province/territory are you located?

I don't understand why they asked either, but they did ask. But I disagree about it giving you a leg up... maybe you were just good at interviewing and selling your skills to your manager? I know many people who took the ACLS and still haven't landed a job, ED or med/surg. It also depends on when you got the position because there are "hiring seasons." If you happen to miss the hiring season, then you're out of luck whether you have the ACLS or you don't have the ACLS. I've got a recruiter tell me I can't apply to their ED unless I consolidated in ED... I showed her that I have taken initiative in my learning by taking the ACLS and she still said she prefers experience over the certification. I'm not telling this individual NOT take the ACLS, I'm just making him/her aware that you're taking a chance and that it doesn't give you a leg up. By all means, if you want to take it--go ahead. Now if you did your consolidation in ED or CCU and you get the ACLS, now that's a different story. However, I will agree with you in regards to Coronary Care 1... take it if you're really interested in going to CCU, ICU or ED.

If you want a wide variety of placements to "chose" from... I would say UofT. A lot of the hospitals/health care facilities in downtown Toronto seem to have a soft spot for UofT student nurses. They get dibs on placements all the freakin' time! I'm not hating though since UofT is a force to be reckon with in regards to medical research or research in general. So it's expected for their affiliated hospitals to "teach" their students. A nurse is a nurse; therefore, it doesn't matter what school you graduate from as long as 1) you pass the CRNE 2) keep up with the work and 3) just be a sponge throughout your whole career. edit: That's only if you're interested in moving to TO. I'm not sure about other programs. As to YorkU. hmmm... not a big fan for personal reasons lol. Not the program itself...

1. since ubc and bcit both need at least 2 years of post secondary(30 or 60 credit) before applying to nursing program then which program you recommend to go first? i know that bcit recommend psychology but what about ubc? for each school look at which subjects they require you to have. e.g., how many bio, chem, psy credits do you need to be eligible to apply. 2.is it a good idea to take psychology in ubc then transfer to bcit's nursing? if not then which college/university you guys recommend? no, because each university will only accept a certain amount of credits from another university even if the course you took in ubc is similar to the one in the other school you're contemplating to transfer to. also each university has their own set of admission requirements. remember, universities are businesses... they have to make money somehow. so if you decide to transfer from one school to another, you'll probably loose 1 year. not to mention all the paper work and red tape. 3. i was thinking to go to langara but langara is no longer accepting any application for nursing program this year. is it a good idea if i work for a year and go back to school after? (to earn more money and experience by volunteer at a hospital) well it depends on what you feel like doing. if you think it's good for you to "feel out" the health care setting before you invest in becoming a nurse, then do so. would i personally do it? no, but that's just me. 4. other than those college/university i mentioned above is there any other college/university that have good nursing program? good luck!

Lol Fiona, thanks for pointing out that most Canadians measure distance in hours. I just noticed that now.

I think it was joanna73 who said don't get the AB license before you get a job offer. Just say that you're eligible on your resume.

Read the question thoroughly, understand what it is exactly asking you. Read all the answers and pick one. Then look at the back for rationales and again, read them thoroughly.

You DON'T need it but what makes one stand out from the crowd? If you have amazing grades, so does 100s of other applicants. And in other cases, IF* you don't have a competitive average, why would admissions consider your application without having some insight to what health care or nursing is all about? I understand that York might do it differently, but not all programs are alike. I know UofT requires you to write a Personal statement and letter of references. The University of Ottawa's application form requires you to list all your full time jobs, activities and work experience following your secondary school studies. McMaster University has an online supplementary application that you have to complete as well. If you don't feel volunteering well help your application, then don't do it. Meeting the admission average does not always cut it. Besides, I don't think MOST people are going to put all their eggs in one basket by just sending their application to one school. Therefore, each application you send out should be thoroughly thought out. And for future references: If you volunteer AND did your placements at a particular hospital, they're more likely to hire you since you're familiar with the system. That's a killer combo. It's a great way to network. I REGRET this big time. I know someone who worked in SMH, volunteered at one of the programs supported by SMH and did their placement in SMH... before he graduated, he got a job.

Trust me, you probably have better luck than me because you have experience now. But if you're interested in travel nursing, go for it. Seems really exciting and challenging.

I hope so too. I'm going to a job fair sometime October, I hope I have some luck there. I went to a hospital specific job fair that advertised "new grads welcome" but when I went there I just got a lot of cold shoulders. Some of unit managers won't even accept my resume because I lacked the certifications and experience. Once I told them I was a new grad, they automatically stopped talking or gave a "yes/no" answer. Anyway we will see. I have gotten interviews so at least I got some practice.

I've applied to Carecor, Comcare, Saint Elizabeth, CCAC, We Care, SRT, Nurse Next Door, ParaMed, Spectrum etc. lol. Most rehab centres, all hospitals and now almost all nursing homes within GTA... and I'm still applying outside of GTA and re-applying to some positions, if the website allows me. In regards to "rural" areas, I've applied to a few positions in Sudbury and 1-2 from North Bay surrounding area... I had more luck with getting a call from from near GTA hospitals, and rehabs.

I'm sorry Joanna, the last message was not for you, it was a reply to the OP lol. But yes, I'm sure you have learned TONS! Again, I applaud rural nurses for what they do. It is definitely a challenging area of practice. I mainly want to stay in ON because of illness within the family.

Well whatever works for you, then go for it. There are many factors out there that contributes to the high unemployment or underemployment of nurses. Not all "solutions" are possible for everyone. I'm just telling you MY own personal experience and the many road blocks I've encountered throughout this whole process. I'm just kinda offended at the fact that you make it sound easy to get a job, like you just send your resume anywhere and you'll get a job with a flick of a finger. It just came out very condescending. If you're thinking about going into nursing because you think it's recession proof, you are sadly mistaken. Nursing is a complicated and political profession. I'm not sure if Humber covers political issues and trends in nursing but through sociopolitical lenses you learn that nursing is neither black or white. Giving incentive to nurses do not always work well nor solve the "shortage" issue. In fact, it's more of a cover up of the real issue at hand--unsafe and/or undesirable working environments. Essentially, the government is "rewarding" nurses to work in these environments, instead of changing the environments itself. Why do you think there's incentives for these nursing positions in rural? Why is there "shortages" in rural areas? There are many factors that play into this issue and it's just not because people do not want to move "up north."

Hospitals participating in HFO NGGI only have less than 100 positions available split between 2-5 units. My next question to you is, how many new RN/PNs graduate in that whole year? Not all of them graduate on the same time either. I have actually gotten emails from hospitals saying they don't accept new grads unless it's HFO... take it or leave it. I've also applied to East of this province nearing Quebec... and guess what? They require you to do the interview in french. If you know how to speak french, good for you. P.S. Don't think you're the only one who discovered a great opportunity. Chances are someone else has already. Lastly, tell me how many of those positions you found on HFO require experience and a bunch of certificates as opposed to those "entry-level, zero experience RN/PN" positions--because if you have found a bunch, send them over here.

I think you've pretty much said it through "Is it because they have husbands/wives/children that they can't pack up and move?" and "Is it because rural life is unappealing and they just don't want to leave the big cities?"... Also, for the fact that even if there are incentives from the government, it's not enough. Giving incentives and bonuses don't really change much in regards to the work environment. The government is only giving you, the nurse, a bonus to DEAL with the work environment (usually work in a short staffed and a higher nurse-patient ratio environment... and possibly with less resources). Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against rural nursing; however, as a new grad--NO WAY! As much as I'm desperate for an RN position, I know my limits. Patient and MY safety first and foremost. Besides, I've applied to Health Canada's rural nursing position...do you know what they emailed me back saying? They do not have positions for New Grads. I have a relative that lives in a town east of the GTA and she told me I can use her address because she knows that employers around that area prefer to hire those who live within the community. Can you blame them? No. Is it fair? Maybe not.

Mainly research and teaching...