blissity

Depends on where and how far you are willing to go to work. There is always full time nursing positions. Don't give up hope just yet!

P.S. You can also try Olds, Ab which is 45 mins outside of Calgary. They are willing to take on new graduates if you show them willingness to commit to a year or two of work. Try giving the hiring manager there a call. Not sure if the shift schedule is something you are interested in though. Last time I checked it was permanent part time nights or something but that may have changed. Good luck with everything.

Must be willing to relocate. Where are you applying? Is it mostly urban centres like Calgary? Try applying to rural north areas. E.g Slave lake, lac la Biche, Etc. Pick places that are maybe 1-2hrs outside of Edmonton. That way if you need to go to city, it's not that bad of a commute. You just have to broaden your choices. Full-time work is available so don't be discouraged.

P.S. You will not be getting charge responsibility of a unit right off the bat, and you are always given an orientation for a couple of weeks before you start which includes buddy shifts. When you go to the interviews ask the hiring mangers what their orientation is like and how long. When I got hired, they told me orientation is a few weeks and you can always ask for more buddy shifts if at the end of orientation you are still uncomfortable being alone. And even when I was alone and had some questions, I could always ask the charge nurse or fellow colleagues for help and they were happy to do it as long as you show willingness to learn. Good luck!

Don't waste money and time going back to school for just 'rural nursing'. When we graduate we are trained as 'generalists' so as long as you have a good solid understanding of the basics, everything else is learning on the go from your job. You won't get that in school. I'm glad you like rural nursing because there is a huge job market out there. Full time lines are always available in rural northern Alberta and Manitoba, especially for new grads since no one else will come here otherwise. I work rural northern Alberta and I'm saving money and paying down my gigantic $52k student loans. My workplace is good, co-workers are nice and most do their part and management is not too bad either.

It's to chat about your preferences. The phone call is pretty easy going so really nothing to sweat about. They ask what positions you are looking for, where you want to work or are willing to go etc. they also give advice on how to improve your resume and cover letter.

AHS Candidate Management is a program I registered for when I initially signed up to make my profile on AHS website. This was the first email I received from them. " My name is T**** L*** L***** and I am a Talent Attraction Assistant with Alberta Health Services (AHS) Candidate Relationship Management team. I received your online career profile when you created an account with us. Your profile contains information regarding your Placement Preferences, Education and other Career Information plus your resume. In addition to our online career search services, Alberta Health Services’ Candidate Relationship Management team works with particular healthcare professions that are considered to be occupations in demand at AHS. Because a Registered Nurse is considered “in demand”, you are being offered the opportunity to partner with one of our Talent Attraction Advisors who will work with you through your search for a position with the AHS team. This support is available at no cost and no obligation to you. However, our Candidate Relationship Management team is only supporting external healthcare professional in demand, who have already finished their program. Also, you must have or began the application process with College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA)? Their website can be found at: College & Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta - CARNA. This is needed in order to work as a Registered Nurse in Alberta." After I finally received my RN licensing. Second email went like this. "My name is N*** M**** and I am a Talent Attraction Assistant with the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Candidate Relationship Management Team. Our records indicate that you are a healthcare professional who is seeking employment with Alberta Health Services. As a healthcare professional in an occupation currently in demand at Alberta Health Services, you are eligible to utilize the services of AHS’s Candidate Relationship Management team. This team of recruitment professionals is in place to assist and guide your search for a suitable match between your qualifications and interests and the employment opportunities currently available at AHS. Please contact me by return email if you are interested in this complimentary service. After confirming some basic information, I will transfer your file to one of our Talent Attraction Advisors who will be happy to guide you and coach you through the AHS recruitment process. I wish you every success in finding a position within Alberta Health Services. " Anyways, I got into contact with her and spoke over the phone what type of job I was looking for. I emphasized the fact that I was willing to go rural to receive full-time work. She then passed me onto a some HR person who was recruiting nurses for the Northern Health Regions of Alberta and that was how I found my job.

I feel for your situation. Have you tried going through the AHS Candidate Management? That was how I landed my full-time job in Northern AB August 2013. I graduated from Ontario last June as well. My hospital is still hiring nurses especially in LTC. It really depends on how far rural you are willing to go. When we're a grad nurse, it's slim pickings but if you can stick out in the country for at least a year there are full time positions to be had.

Well I was hoping to write the CRNE in Calgary and not have to transfer license to CARNA. I am just waiting for my CNO package right now to figure out whether they would do that for me or if I have to fill out the online application from CARNA directly. Worse case scenario would be working as a server + health care aide while waiting to get into AHS or going rural.. Maybe I'll pick up bartending as well as I've heard they pay well over the summer (could get me through till Fall 2013/Winter 2014) P.S. Would Airdrie, Okotoks, and Cochrane count as rural?

So should I be applying right now while I am still finishing up my consolidation? And just write in the resume that my graduation is June 2013 and CRNE exam + licensing is in progress? Or should I wait till I finish writing it and getting registered+licensed in Alberta to apply? I just looked over the recent posting for RNs and most are asking start date to be ASAP or early March 2013.. Also, would it okay to contact the departments I am interested in working prior to applying to AHS online? Not sure if the online application is the ONLY WAY to get into AHS.. I would prefer to meet up with clinical coordinaters of the units and talk to them about possible job openings that they may have. I know I can easily get hired where I am consolidating at right now (Inpatient Neuro) in London, Ontario. But I have my heart set out west...

Well thats quite disheartening to hear. :/ I do have about 4 months worth of savings for this move and I know people there as well. I guess I will try to apply early by April and have a side-job lined up too. I am willing to take part-time or casual to get into AHS so I think it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Or maybe I am just being overly optimistic haha.. Anyways, thank you so much for the info guys.

Hi there, I am looking for information on the nursing job market in Calgary for graduate nurses. Are there any full time positions available this coming summer? Ideally I would like to get hired for August/September (once my RN licence and registration is done) What's the nursing atmosphere like at Peter Lougheed or Rockyview for those who are currently employed there? I would love to work at South Health Campus as well but since it appears to be at the outskirts of the city, transportation would be an issue for me unless I can get a car. Any information would greatly be appreciated. Thanks. - Kim