jenago

I agree with talking to the director of nursing. Talk to ther first before quiting. Explain your concerns and hopefully she will be able to improve the situation. If not then I would suggest not staying in that type of situation because the residents safety is at risk as well as you losing your license if anything goes wrong.

Hi there, to clarify, nurses in ontario can either go to college and get there diploma in nursing or go to university and get there bachelors degree in nursing. In January 2005 Ontario stopped the diploma program and required all nurses entering the preofession to have a degree in nursing. They still allow diploma nurses to practice but anyone wanting to write the license exam has to have a degree. I already have my nursing license for a year now. Thank you so much for your advice and encouragement, it means alot to me. ~jen

Hello there, I am in a tough situation and I need some advice. I graduated from a nursing diploma program in aug 2003 in toronto and got my license in march 2004. Since then I took a break from nursing and now I'm trying to get back into it. I am having a hard time. I really want to work in a hospital med/surg or peads and have applied to almost every hospital in the GTA but no response. I acknowlege that I have a few things against me: 1) no experience 2) no diploma 3) took a year away- rusty skills I recently took a cont. education course in patient assessment. But I'm not sure what else I can do in order to be more attractive to hospitals. I need advice of what I should do. Will getting my degree help? (there is a 2 year program) Should I just forget about nursing all together and do something else? I would like to hear your opinions. Please respond.

Hello there, I am in a tough situation and I need some advice. I graduated from a nursing diploma program in aug 2003 in toronto and got my license in march 2004. Since then I took a break from nursing and now I'm trying to get back into it. I am having a hard time. I really want to work in a hospital med/surg or peads and have applied to almost every hospital in the GTA but no response. I acknowlege that I have a few things against me: 1) no experience 2) no diploma 3) took a year away- rusty skills I recently took a cont. education course in patient assessment. But I'm not sure what else I can do in order to be more attractive to hospitals. I need advice of what I should do. Will getting my degree help? (there is a 19 month program) Should I just forget about nursing all together and do something else? Please help!! Thank you kindly, ~jen

Hello, I wrote my test last year. There are courses you can take in community colleges that are ok. Humber college offers one. The only thing is that it is costly. If you don't want to go that route get a really good Book that will help. I am not sure what the newer books are, try asking some of your professors if they can recommend any. I hope this helps.

Hi there, I can sort of relate to your situation. When I graduated nursing I also had a lot of self doubt and still do which is why I haven't worked as a nurse yet. From what I have heard, working as a LTC nurse is more challenging than in a hospital setting because the RN is bascially in charge and in can be scarry for some. Try discussing with the Director of care or your supervisor about your concerns and maybe find out if they have clinical support. This may ease your anxiety. Believe in yourself. You can do it! If you are really unhappy, try finding a job in a hospital setting, or ask to be put on a shift where thier are other nurses (RN's or RPN's) in the building who you can ask for help. I hope this helps.

Hey there, some places don't actually ask for nursing/clinical references. Some of them are pleased with references from past jobs if you let them know that your present company doesn't know that you are leaving. I had an interview with a LTC facility that just needed 2 refernces the only thing is that they needed to be supervisors or managers. I am in the Toronto area too. If you are interested in working in long term care try Leisureworld, RegencyCare, or other LTC companies in the area. you can check thier job postings from their websites. I hope this helps. jen

Hey there, I am considering working in the U.S. as well. I live near Toronto and a few times a year there is a large nursing recruitment fair with hospitals looking to recriut Canadian RN's. Check out the website http://www.healthcareerscanada.com/ Check to see if they will be coming to your area. It is a great place to meet and talk to some of the recruiters form various hospitals and agencies.

I am hearing that there are shortages in some areas while some are cutting back jobs. Can anyone tell me for sure where thet know there are nursing shortages in the U.S or Canada. Thanks

I am in sort of the same boat. I graduated and took a year off and now I 'm looking for a job and haven't landed on yet. I agree with taking a refresher course. Also try talking to nursing professors, career advisors from school or other nurses, they may have some good advice...that's what I did. Good luck to you. ~jennifer

Hello there, I am in desperate need of some advice. I live near Toronto, Canada. In Aug 2003 I graduated from an RN diploma program and then went on to get my nursing licence. Being someone who suffers from low self-esteem and low confidence, I didn't pursue my nursing career right away because I thought "I can't do it, I'm not good enough". That was a little over a year ago and now I feel confident and that I can do it, however, I have been looking for a job in a Hospital but I haven't had any luck. I have had a few interviews so far but no job offers. I am so worried!! I have even started to think about applying to the U.S in hopes that I may get a job offer there, even though it may be scarry moving out and living on my own in a different country. Another option may be going back to school to get my nursing degree which will take 2 years. I am really excited about working as a nurse but I am losing hope. Please HELP!!! ~jennifer