CanadianRN16

Hello, I had similar problems with my pediatric surgical placement in school. My preceptor was not a good fit, and the nurses on the unit were not supportive, talking to my preceptor behind my back about their concerns. I had trouble staying awake in the morning reports, had difficulty 'reading the room' for appropriate conversations/ volume, and spoke out loud when reading my patient charts. It made me question if I would succeed as a nurse. It wasn't until after that placement that I started taking medication, which made a big difference. Once I was able to organize my thoughts, it was easier to work towards organizing my day. I took lots of notes to help cheat sheets to include my assessment findings/ important information and set up to-do lists. I'm currently working in Home Care and feel like I've found my niche! You are able to focus on one person at a time and are constantly on the go; it suits ADHD really well. Plus, you need to learn to be a generalist and be able to do a wide variety of skills, so there's always more to learn. Do not give up; you'll find your place! Take time to reflect on what you can improve on and make an action plan for your next job opportunity. When mentioning this to employers, you can say it was not a good fit for you, and you have a concrete plan to address areas for improvement. Use your non-nursing experience to your advantage and draw on transferable skills that also apply to nursing. Just because your residency did not end well does not mean it can't be used as a learning experience to help you succeed as a nurse somewhere else ?

I don't imagine you'll find yourself without work in long term care given the increasing needs of care for the baby boomers. Most likely your role as a RN will change though, and you will act as more than a floor nurse. It seems everyone's scope of practice and roles are gradually increasing to meet healthcare needs. in Canada, RNs are supervisors and managers in long term care. In my province they are even looking at including basic drug prescription in our scope of practice.

James Bay area is in desparate need for nurses, if you don't mind going up north! My facility in Ottawa and others in my area are also looking for nurses, no one wants to work in long term care apparently. Goodluck!

If only the government were so accomodating. As an American immigrant, I was forced to take an English proficiency test.

Unless you can find another trained staff to help you (RN/LPN/CNA) you by no means should transfer that resident. Unfortunately that resident is limited to a bed pan otherwise. That's an unsafe situation in which you are compromising your own safety as well as the resident's safety by transferring her by yourself.

Dont sign the contract until you understand what is implied in the contract. Also, how do you know you're liable for 'eveything' if you can't understand your contract?

I agree. Ideally I want to apply to the University of Ottawa, they have a solid Primary Health Care program. You also have to factor in the pool of applicants at your time of application. If you meet the minimum requirements and have the money for the application, it never hurts to try. Right? I was speaking with a GP the other day about becoming a NP, and he told me to consider medical school. They like NPs because of their knowledge/ experience and they know what they are getting into as a medical professional. So I don't see why that wouldn't correlate to NP programs and why your years of nursing/ life experience would be a hinderance to you, especially if you have a convincing essay explaining your drive to become a NP.

I find when I try to rush opening the med packs, pills fly everywhere...-_- Do you have access to the pill crusher pouches? If I have to crush 10+ pills I try to do them in one go with the pouches.

Which Canadian schools require that? In Ontario, even U of T has minimum GPA of 3.0. I'm currently working in Long Term Care and plan on spending time up north. The NP at my work offered to give me a reference when I apply for graduate programs. My focus is to boost my non-academic credentials.

I have the same cGPA and am interested in NP school too. Do you have experience in your desired program stream though? I feel like relevant experience and references would be a large part of the selection process.

Beyond joining the RPNAO, I don't see how you can spruce up your credentials/ CV. Your CV is fine. I hear Toronto is a tough market, and it's only been 2 months. Since you're a new grad with no paid experience, you'll be less desirable than RPNs with experience. The easiest way to find work (if you're not picky about your work location) would be at a long term care home or through one of your clinical placements. Keep applying and stay positive, you'll get there!

If you failed in 75 questions for the third time, it indicates you really need to reevaluate your study plan. I found uWorld to be really helpful with loads of similar questions and detailed rationale. Also, it won't drain your piggy bank.

As some one who endeavoured to learn enough medical French to pass the OQLF exam, it's not impossible. If you pass the OIIQ, there's no need to take the NCLEX. It's just a matter of learning the vocabulary. Once you need it in practice, it won't take long to pickup. If you're that concerned about language, there's Vanier and Dawson in Montreal (or just do a non-professional science DEC and go to an out of province university). Also, I hope you know you'll need a bachelor of nursing degree to work as a RN in any other province.

There's no Canadian NCLEX, it's the same exam . As an American citizen in Canada who has taken the NCLEX, there's minimal barriers to me obtaining licensure in the US. The easiest way in the country is to apply for school. If I were you, I'd contact the programs you're interested in and see if you could qualify with a US degree. In order to qualify for NP programs in Ontario, you need at least 2 years of work experience in a related area for the three accredited streams (or an A-/A GPA).

In Ontario, there's a current trend to minimize RNs in favour of RPNs. Many new grads in my area have trouble finding work. Do what you have to do to stay afloat financially and keep applying for jobs until you get that interview. I doubt there's much more you can do to land a job beumyond what you're doing. I wish you the best of luck in your search!