Teachchildren123

Not only I am fluent, I am French! I moved in region where there is a hospital 1 hour south and another one 1 hour north. I HAVE THE HARDEST TIME TO GET HIRED! Believe it or not! With a "virgin file", I have been a preceptor in my old ICU, I am never late, competent, blablabla but none of the hospital is calling me back, despite numerous message left from me, one of them told me: I was just going to call you to let you know that:"We will not retain your candidacy"! They could not even give me a reason why! I am totally stunned of the way I have been treated so far... and getting stressed because I now have only 2 chances to sit for the board exam (originally, we have 2 years to sit for the exam, but I applied 1 year before moving back to Quebec so, lost that one year) or I will have to reapply and that is a story of it's own! Brace yourself with courage, be paper ready, go to the city if you want work and variety in your field. You will have to be hired by a hospital, complete a "Integration program" on a med-surg floor then be call by the board to pass the exam, I think that you have 1 or 2 year to pass the French exam. Contact the O.I.I.Q. to start with, they will guide you! Good luck! Hope we all find work in Quebec!

Erin, that question was answered already (I ask the same one!). Got to fiiq and download the "decret" should be a pdf document and browse over. your seniority should count entirely. You have a year to brush up on French (see I have to learn some of their abreviations and disease too, and lab values are different). The best way is to make french friends (funny enough: I am french myself but have way more anglophones friends!). Don't hesitate to write to me for translations, I will do my best for you. You can learn french, I learn english while going to nursing school! One more thing, be persistent in having the board OIIQ to approve your US education. Get to this soon, it takes awhile to go through and gatter the mountain of documents they need. Good luck Erin, Marie:nurse:

Fergus, your input (and all other nurse's too!) is precious and help us understand some of the differences between US and Canadian system. I will refer to this tread often and hopefully will be able to add to it once working in Canada, hopefully soon!

CNN has a special on AC 360 tonight on Richardson. I will tune in, it will certainely learn something! Hope it will improve standard of care there in Qc! :smackingf So, sorry this happened! Unfortunately, we know that unless a tragedy occurs, that is when "things" changes; it does not matter how much you fight for the good change... like most of us do each day for the best of our patients... just like the devil in holy water! Be your patient advocate no matter what! I know I am!:nurse::smiley_ab

You won regret the investment! She has instructive review classes! Did them all! Good listening!

Thanks for sharing the infos! Yes, the other province heard you! There is good and bad everywhere!

Thanks coola! That's what I needed! Hope it will help others too!

Fiona, I supposed that I should give them the benefit of the doubt... just strange how they were in such need 4 weeks ago though... Thanks for your support! Sniff, sniff!

Well! This is the day today that I was refused a job for the 1st time! I was planning to return to Québec (in my region), went for an interview in January (in the blizzard storm too) , I thought all was well. I asked do you need nurses? Oh! Yes, all the time...They verified my references (I always had an impeccable evaluation), I am a competent ICU nurse, preceptor, blablabla... I called the human ressources today to let them know when I would be moving and: "Well, I was just going to call you, WE ARE NOT GOING TO RETAIN YOU AS A CANDIDATE! Oh! Really? I asked why? -For no specific reason. -Is is because the Order of Nurses (OIIQ) have me do a 30 days of integration program to the hospital that would be hiring me (apparently this is a minimum asked for RNs that graduated from out of Quebec)? -Was there anything that did not satisfy your expectancies? What should I do to better myself? -No, no nothing, for no reason. -But, I don't really understand. There's is a reason. -No, there is no reason, I never promised you anything! -No, you did not, but you said that you needed Rns and that the next step was to talk to my manager... I said "thank you", since you don't need anyone today, I will contact you again when I go back to Quebec, if it is OK with you. -OK. I felt like a begger, :bowingpurinsulted and rather aggressive after hanging up.:angryfire You probably felt that: the heart in you throat! I was very upset, I am not the only one who has been refused a position I admit, but it is very unfair that they would not admit to any reason. Further more, I have now 1 1/2 year left to do that program, sit for the exam that is only given in March and Sept. if not I have to resubmit, pay the 500$... Most of the infos has to be sent by my nursing school, which is now closed. The cherry on the sunday is that the only other hospital which is 1 hour drive away (like the 1st place), never replied to my numerous calls after the interview too. May be I just don't do well in interview, despite feeling calm, collected, sure of myself, dress appropriately... For someone, who used to be the interviewer at my family's business... I should be an ace in interview!:bowingpur May be I should tell myself: May be they are affraid that I would take their own job! I don't want it! Mamma Mia, what a stressful day, my hubby's health is declining, I have to arrange for "sitters" for when I go to work,he has neuro problems, falls..., I can't afford partime... get his citizenship papers done... Rotten day! And I thought that they needed nurses in Quebec!!! Enough to make you reconsider! Any advice? Prayers? Funny stories? Share your experience!:urgycld:

Guys! You are the best! Congratulations to all of you! I am very proud of your dedication to advance your education. By being a CNA you have a lot more under your belt than you can imagine. Super! Keep courage! We need more people like you!

Interesting question! Unfortunately, nobody answered. I would like to know for kicks which university offers the best online or distance BSN program also. I contacted McGill last year to see if they were offering but they said not yet, too bad. May be someone out there did the distance BSN and can answer you question or... did you figured it out by yourself? Happy New Year!:wink2:

Oh Dear! I must have been dreaming! I misunderstood that you were talking about the students in specific to pushing the drugs. Now, I got it! Althought, I heard that :banghead:in Canada got demoted for giving starting CPR in the hospital on the patient the RN felt no pulse! Apparently, she was supposed to wait for the MD! That's got to be an urban tale! Thanks for understanding my misunderstanding!

Too bad I just found this question from you; you already went for your interview! The interviewer seems pretty "harsh" asking you about critical thinking when you are a new grade... that is very difficult having not been exposed to a wide variety of event... You know what I mean, I do not want to be demeaning, it's just some questions are for more seasonned nurse. But, may be they just wanted to see if you were going to come back by scarying you... and I am sure you proved them wrong! I was looking to see if you had anything to add on the O.I.I.Q. exam you going to pass, because as I wrote on other threads, I do not know what to expect either! Thanks and good luck!

I have to pass the OIIQ exam also, hopefully in Sept.09. Yes, theyoffer the exam in English, I believe that it is offered only in Montreal. I have no idea how the exam goes except from what I read from their Study Guide. I would like to know more about it too so I can prepare better. I asked on allnurses if anyone could post the most common meds used there and the normal range for labs: they are a little different than in the states.:spin Get the Study Guide from the OIIQ and do the questions, that's how I study. Review some of your school notes. You should be pretty good in French after spending 4 years in Montreal, take a few classes there if you want and make French-speaking friends and go out and speak French only with them, that's how I learned English when I came to the states. I could not carry a conversation even if my life depended on in... but with exposure you should be fine.:up: If I can do it, everybody can... I even did my nursing in English not knowing how to speak English so well so... Guys! STOP worrying about the French test! Good luck! Let us know how you did!:yeah:

This the link where we take our infection control and child abuse course for NY state: http://www.op.nysed.gov/nurse.htm

Thanks Fiona! I should have been more specific why I need a list of the lab values and most common meds. See, I am studying for the board of Quebec. I am currently a practicing nurse in the states but your labs are slightly differents than those we use here, therefore, I need to know your way to be able to answer the board questions. I'll keep in mind the info. you just shared thought. PS Here too, you see the normal range on the sheet of pt's lab results. You, like me, probably see more off range than normal!;.}

I have meet LPN's:redpinkhe that were way smarter and better than RN's. But, I do not know if they learn all of it in school, I doubt it since one way or the other you have to continue improving yourself, and you learn a lot on the job. If I was you, I would continue been a nurse's aide while finishing your RN classes; trust me you can learn a lot, ask nurses to accompany them in Foley insertion, suction... YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO TALK AND DEAL WITH PEOPLE! Being a nurse's aide should be mandatory to BSNRN/MD/NP/PA... they would learn about what goes on in nursing homes and the drama of people and sometimes... miracles! It is compassion that is hard to learn. Try to practice 1 year on the med-surg floor before moving away; so you have some kind of idea what to do, and overcome the initial beginners stress and forget a little about the honeymoon phase. You will get self confidence and this will help you make the best decisions in your practice. Trust me, 4-5-6 years in a lifetime is nothing to get an education... there is people who needs you now and all the time, later there and here too:saint: Good luck!

Oops! I thought I was still in the international posts. But still, you are not allowed to push the emergency meds in the code? Explain please.

Zookeeper3, you mention in your nice list: code-no you don't push drugs, you compress, watch and listen You mean to tell me that in a code you do not push emergency drugs? You are not allowed in CCU?Don't you guys have standards for codes and like us: Atropine for symptomatic bradycardia... I just don't want to give drugs in Canada like I am here as a standard. Thanks for the tip!

can any of you guys post a downloadable copy with the canadian lab values (most common like cbc diff, cmp, clotters, bgt) and most common medications used (generic and trade names would be awesome!). i know i am asking for some work from your part and i would be very appreciative. i am sure, immigrating nurses would too, specially if they are like me coming from the us where the metric system is not used everywhere and the lab values are calculated differently.:loveya: also, at what temperature does most np/md/pa orders cultures, anti-pyretics? when do you panic on your lower bgt? here, below 60 grant a phone call to a practician. we try not to transfuse rbc in higher than 7.5 and asymptomatic:confused: i asked de nursing board of quebec (o.i.i.q.) if they could send me a copy of the lab values and they replied that they could not, so i suggested that they include it in their "study guide".:angryfire:angryfire that would really help me a lot in studying for the board exam and would help newcommers too! thanks for sharing with co-workers!:heartbeat

Excellent! Renal is very complexe! I am a critical care nurse and my favorite doctors are the renal gals/guys. Always read their progress notes before others, than read the infectious NP/doc/PA notes. They are brillant, find diagnosis others don't, understand chemistry/physics/pathophys like no one. That is my way to learn quick about what is really going on with my patient. If you understand renal... you are on the right track! Keep up the good work!

Well, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANNUKAH, HAPPY HOLIDAYS...:santa::hanukkahstar::angel::gift::snowflake: We all know, it could be way worse! All us friend tied up by this wonderful professsion, witness of human tragedies & miracles! BE HAPPY EVERYONE.:dncgcpd: Have sunshine, warm breeze in your heart!:onbch::dancgrp::weathersunsmall:

Raining in Buffalo with a 41* F. I'm going home to Gaspe where I hope there will be snow for XMAS! I am sure snow no snow it will be nice to be home, it's been a long time since I have been there for the holidays. I bet you that Nova Scotia and UK is swell too!

Anyone working for agencies in the province of Quebec? I would imagine that they are growing like mushrooms by now! I am curious to know what are the conditions!

[color=deepskyblue] congratulations for your new position! (i can't wait until i say that in qc too!) i love it here but, it's been a bumpy road with the oiiq!. i supposed that the cpn status means a candidate to practicing nursing? if you graduated from the us, did you have to do a "program of professional integration"? i have to do this... i understand that i need to learn the qc system... but it's an hassle... 30 days in college or to a hospital that agrees to hire me, get an apartment, lose a month of wage. then, if the oiiq is satisfied with me, they will let me sit at the exam. kinda frustrating when you have been practicing for few years (9 years), in critical care, precepting... bilingual... originally from quebec. besides, i am a good nurse! matter of fact (am i going on a tangente? well, sorry, others might have to face that too), when i asked the oiiq if anyone that graduated from the us ever was accepted to sit for the board exam without ever having to do that program of professional integration, they told me (strangely with a vague tone)... very rarely... i am just curious! and somehow feels like i am on the oiiq leash!:paw: