RN from Quebec to Calgary

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Specializes in postpartum.

Hi, Im an experienced RN ( for QC) with 8 years of experiences.I am currentely planning to move to Alberta ( Calgary).I've been searching throught Google to find informations and calling the Associations for nurses overthere to make sure im making the right move with my family.They have helped a lot with general infos but nobody can tell me how its gonna work for me as a nurse coming from Qc because:

1. I dont have a BscN.... that means that i wont be an RN in Alberta i get that but if i have 8 years of experiences as in RN ( in Qc im an RN) will i be an LPN or is there another appelation?

2. If i'm an LPN overthere with experiences will the start me at the end of the salary scale or do i start like an LPN that just started?

3.Is there anybody that moved from QC to Alberta with RN licence ( college diploma) and work as an LPN that could help me out or know a college cause i really need to know how thats gonna work before i start theprocess to move with my family.

Thank you :)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the Canadian Nursing forum

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Don’t move unless you have a job. Our job market is horrible and we are looking at healthcare cuts in our next provincial budget as well as possible wage roll backs.

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Specializes in postpartum.

Thank you for responding.

Yes i will try to seek for more infos about the job market at this moment and i wont move unless i find something.

But wanted to know if you have an idea about LPN's that we're RN's in Qc.

Have you met any? Do you know how much they get payed because woulnt like to move my family and get payed less than usual, big family of 4 kids.

And at the job do their experience as nurses get recognized?

Do you work in a big Hospital center? If so have you met any from Qc , i dont want to make a mistake........

Let me know please.

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To work as an LPN here you need to be registered with the CLPNA (College of licensed practical nurses of Alberta). My understanding you can only register if you’ve graduated from an LPN program. I know if one RN that moves from Quebec and she had to do a bunch of courses to be an RN here. Your best bet would be to contact CARNA (college and association of registered nurses of Alberta). They would be able to help you more.

You would probably be starting from the bottom. I am unsure of pay. Getting into AHS is very difficult right now. It’s not a good time to be relocating here.

I would recommend contacting CARNA first, get registered then apply for jobs. But be prepared it’s gonna take a long time.

I work in an ER in Edmonton. Most the nurses I work with are from Alberta.

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Specializes in postpartum.

Hi,

Thanks for the answer, i feel less anxious and will wait like you Said, not the best timing i guess ?!

Yes i did contact both places, they just told me to register but are not able to give me more informations.Start at the bottom for LPN or RN undergraduate salary scale? Nobody i called from those associations were able to Tell me its to make sure ill be ok while im finishing my BScn online course to be an RN There.

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Alberta has one of the highest pay rates in Canada. You would need a letter from your employer in Quebec stating how many hours you had worked for them. An employer here would look at and decide where on the payscale you would fit. It's called a portability letter.

I've never met a nurse from Quebec and I've worked in two provinces. German, British, American but none from Quebec.

It really isn't a good time to consider moving here. Our economy is in the dumpster. Our fearless leader is threatening to cut our wages (despite not honouring his campaign promises to reduce his wages by 10%). AHS and the Catholic hospital systems don't really know what is happening right now. What I have seen at work is if there are new hires, they are new grads because they are the cheapest. Sick calls aren't being replaced and casuals are being cancelled.

You have to remember that the hospital are all union. Last in, first out if the lay offs happen.

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Specializes in postpartum.

Hi, Fiona59

Thank you so much for answering my questions and reading about my concerns.Its pretty clear to me that i wont make the move right NOW and i will follow the news before i apply to CARNA at that moment....i will concentrate on finishing my BScN course it will also make it less complicated when i decide to move when things get better.

Thanks a lot Amandab13 and Fiona59.I really appreciate it ? .

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28 minutes ago, fabie0288 said:

Hi, Fiona59

Thank you so much for answering my questions and reading about my concerns.Its pretty clear to me that i wont make the move right NOW and i will follow the news before i apply to CARNA at that moment....i will concentrate on finishing my BScN course it will also make it less complicated when i decide to move when things get better.

Thanks a lot Amandab13 and Fiona59.I really appreciate it ? .

Good luck and hopefully things turn around here for us and you can make the move out west!!

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