EmmyR

I studied health science in university because I'd always wanted to be a doctor. In second year I realized that everyone in my program wanted to be a doctor and I didn't want it as much as they did. I picked up a minor in business administration, thinking I'd like to do my MHA (Masters in Health Administration) and work toward becoming a CEO. Realized that I wasn't passionate about managing people and budgets and when I graduated in 2009 I took a job at a public health unit as a health promoter. FIRST ADULT JOB!! I've been working for two and a half years now and while everything about my workplace is great (salary, benefits, coworkers, flex time, vacation), there isn't any job satisfaction. I thought I would be working with people, teaching them life skills, educating them about better health and instead I sit at a desk all day and hammer out e-mails, policies, plans, logic models, etc. I've always been drawn to healthcare and I think nursing will give me the satisfaction I'm looking for. I'm starting a second entry RN program in January and I'll be starting my second career, as an RN, at 26. No kids yet, just a husband who's going to be doing a lot of weekend traveling for a while :)

I swear I just about peed myself when I read Cletus the Fetus. I appreciate your sense of humour, even if others might not!

Are you friends, or Facebook friends, with anyone in your classes? There are more than 20 of us in the group so one of them might already be a part of it and could direct you to the link.

I work in Ontario for a public health unit. We don't have anything like AHS to regulate everyone. If you are hired as a public health nurse or registered nurse at any of the first three that I mentioned (public health unit, community health centre, family health team), you work 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday, start with 4 weeks paid vacation, and although you are unionized and there is seniority, it only affects lay offs and vacation scheduling since everyone works the same hours.

I wanted to add that you don't need to work in a hospital/LTC setting, especially since you are getting a BScN. There are organizations out there that offer Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 if that's what you're looking for. - Public Health Units - Community Health Centres - Family Health Teams - Schools - Doctor's office - Canadian Blood Services - Occupational Health (ie: Paramed) - Community Care Access Centres

I was waitlisted at Western with a 79% and was told their cutoff for Sept. 2011 was around 83% and I think they asked for a minimum of 75% to consider applications. I don't know what Humber's cutoff was this year but for all I know, I could have been the lowest GPA they accepted, the last person before the cutoff. If your average isn't above 75%, I wouldn't apply because all of the other second entry programs (Queens, McMaster, U of T, York) are probably even more competitive than Humber.

I'd call Humber and ask - I don't think I've seen any info on how many are accepted into the program or what the cutoff is. The cutoff probably changes from year to year depending on the applicants (start at the highest GPA and work their way down until all the spots are filled).

I've started a Facebook group for those who want to join: UNB-Humber 2nd Entry Class of 2014.

To all those currently attending Humber, I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer! I'll be starting the second entry program in January and so far I've gotten no answers from the school so maybe you have information that will also be relevant to my program. Scrubs - is there a Humber uniform that we need to wear or are we allowed to wear whatever coloured/styled scrubs we want? Even if we wear the scrubs we want, will we need to buy different ones for our placements to go with the organization's rules? Class schedules - my SRS says that I won't get any registration info until 4-6 weeks before the start of the semester. Is that the same as yours was? Is it a mad dash when the schedules go up to select yours before the section is full or did you find that you had time to log in and select what you wanted? Clinicals - I think you start in second semester, but have you had any information yet about how clinicals are chosen? Are the options posted on SRS and you just sign up for the one you want? Residence - did any of you who are first year students get into the suite-style residence? Any and all help related to Humber, the nursing program, etc will be really helpful!! Congrats to all of you who are almost done the first month :)

I apologize for coming across as condescending, it really wasn't my intention to offend anyone. My reality appears to be much different from what is going on in the rest of the province and so I made assumptions that people don't bother applying outside the GTA. I work at a public health unit (my job is the reason I'm leaving public health and going into nursing! good riddance!) and we've just hired 2 nurses and 5 public health promotion positions within the last few months, some of which are held by nurses who didn't want the clinical work. 4 of these 7 hires are from the GTA. The hospital we work with always has new faces at the lunch tables and the newspaper is filled with 2-3 nursing positions for hospitals, long term care, family health teams, community health centre, etc. every week. I see available nursing jobs everywhere and so I wondered why more people from down south weren't applying to come work here and get some experience. I apologize again - I read your post, 27400, of all the places you've sent resumes to and it's awful that you haven't found anything yet.

Thanks for answering. When I suggested rural, I didn't necessarily mean nursing outposts or James Bay area, just communities like Sudbury, North Bay, etc. I also don't think I'm alone in discovering an opportunity - the nurses I work with told me about the free tuition with return of service. I'm lucky enough to live in an underserviced area with several workplaces (hospital, health unit, long term care) and some nurses who work in our area are from Toronto and I just wondered why more people didn't come here to work first and then go back once they have experience. Here's some of what I've found - hopefully they can be of use to you or others. https://www.hfojobs.ca/Community/IndividualNursePostings.aspx?navid=207&fid1=321&csid1=5083&csid2=0&xNid=0&layid=196&lang=1 https://www.hfojobs.ca/Community/IndividualNursePostings.aspx?navid=207&fid1=337&csid1=13828&csid2=0&xNid=0&layid=196&lang=1 https://www.hfojobs.ca/Community/IndividualNursePostings.aspx?navid=207&fid1=352&csid1=13766&csid2=0&xNid=0&layid=196&lang=1 https://www.hfojobs.ca/Community/IndividualNursePostings.aspx?navid=207&fid1=428&csid1=1737&csid2=0&xNid=0&layid=196&lang=1 https://www.hfojobs.ca/Community/IndividualNursePostings.aspx?navid=207&fid1=428&csid1=1737&csid2=0&xNid=0&layid=196&lang=1 https://www.hfojobs.ca/Community/IndividualNursePostings.aspx?navid=207&fid1=113&csid1=13776&csid2=0&xNid=0&layid=196&lang=1

I've been reading all of the threads and posts relating to not being able to find a job in Ontario, despite experience and the willingness to "relocate". I have to admit I'm not feeling particularly sympathetic because I'm not sure I believe people when they say they've applied "everywhere". Does the definition of everywhere only include every important place in the GTA and surrounding GTA areas? Or does it also include rural areas? I've been on the Health Force Ontario site several times just to get a feel of what is out there, even if I already know I'm doing a return of service to my town. There are a lot of postings for full-time permanent RNs across the province and that isn't even getting into the part-time permanent of full-time temporary. I don't want this to come across as a rant, but I'm truly confused. If people want experience, what is preventing them from leaving the GTA and moving to a rural community? Rural areas are dying for nurses and there's government money to go to an underserviced community. Is it because they have husbands/wives/children that they can't pack up and move? It is because they don't actually want to work until they get what they want at Sick Kids or UHN or wherever? Is it because rural life is unappealing and they just don't want to leave the big cities? I'd love to get some insight from those struggling to find jobs and what "tried everything" means. Thanks!

I thought that by paying my tution fees that I'd be able to start registering for courses - apparently not! We can't register until 4-6 weeks before the semester starts. How on earth do they expect keeners to just sit and wait that long? Anyhow, I'm excited to have "met" a future classmate. Good luck in patho!

Here's what I've found in my research: University of Ottawa - May start York, U of T, McMaster, Western, Trent, Queens - September start Humber - September start (if you need to do preparation courses) or January start if you can get credit for the 5 prep courses Some applications require more than others (ie: references, autobiographical sketch, volunteer and work experience, etc) while others only rely on your grades. I was told Western doesn't generally let anyone in with less than 83% although every year is different. U of T, Queens and McMaster are also competitive. I got in to Humber and my grades definitely weren't horrible but they weren't stellar either. I think my high school grades helped me out a lot. Good luck, hope this helps!

Hello everyone! I've been a lurker for about 6 months and finally decided to join in the conversation! I've been accepted to Humber's second entry program and will be starting in January 2012 (I've been given credit for the preparation semester).This will be a second career for me and I'm beyond anxious start. I've worked in public health for 2 and a half years as a health promoter but decided that creating policy after policy isn't the life for me. I've seen a few threads about the program but none are recent and I wanted to know if anyone else has been accepted or if anyone is currently enrolled or recently graduated. I'd love to hear about anything and everything from your clinical placements to the scrubs to the class timetables! I'm always trying to find out more and more about the program and Humber told me to "relax" and that I would learn more later on in the year. I'll be living 6 hours away from home (and from my husband ) so hopefully I can get in to residence and do the whole residence advisor thing next year. For those who are currently in residence or who have lived in residence, is 24 too old to move back in? I lived in residence during my first degree and loved it! Living off campus in Toronto terrifies me and if I don't have to, I'd rather not. Anyhow, I don't know if I shared too much or not enough but I'm looking forward to being a part of the discussions from now on instead of reading the threads and wishing I already had stories to share :)