Transportation in alberta

Holyhell · Nov 14, 2008

hey,

thanks for the information. wow, and i was so loving the area near rah. too bad its so dangerous around there. fiona59: what are the shifts there? 6am-6pm or 6:30am-7:30pm or 7am-7pm? and what time does it get dark over there during summer and winter months?

thanks for pointing out caritas to me. i was reading caritas collective agreement for misericordia and it says full time is 8 hours a day, is this correct? and that you can have 6 to 7 consecutive days of work? how often does this happen? seems kinda excessive to me. :no: i glanced real quick through it so i may be misunderstanding.

anyone know how good fh (bc) and vch (bc) is to ien's with regard to relocation assistance etc? vch has a good one but is it reimbursed after a year of completion only? the wording is kinda confusing. :confused: how about fh?

hey fiona59: how soon did ch assist with opening accounts for the nurses? was it days or weeks? i could use a banks statement or even a paystub to get my drivers license. the tricky part is going to be determining what address i use on alot of my paperwork if i'll be using a temporary residence before settling down with a more permanent residence. i guess i'll figure it out when i get there.

i applied to the following boards in bc, ab, and sk. the ab board is pretty good cos they set up an online account so you can keep track of paperwork as they come in to their office and see outstanding paperwork etc. i called the other day because they should have received my verification of licensure papers cos my board here said they sent it out on 10/28/08 and when i call day after remembrance day, they still didnt have it. apparently it takes about 10 business days to get there which is well over that time limit so it should be on someones desk ready to be inputed into the computer system. anyways, this lady was so rude! a simple question turned into her say something like, "is this phone not working or am i mumbling my words!" geez the nerve of the woman! :argue: i really couldnt hear certain words clearly and is it wrong to ask for clarification? anyways, they say that once they receive paperwork in the mail which she stated that they receive hundreds everyday from all of the world blah blah blah. anyways once its received, they input it but that takes about 2 weeks because they only have two people doing it! what the!?! :banghead: rediculous! anyways, after thats done because of high inflow of registration applications, it takes like 3 to 4 months to assess someone! i guess in the greater scheme of things thats not too long compared to most other countries etc but i'm ready to get the ball rolling and start working!

anyways, in sk, they send you a nice email with a pdf file with all the paperwork they have and whats outstanding. but wait! its deceiving because you think they are on top of their game but in reality they are not. i called several times. every time i was transferred to the same lady who never picks up her phone or even returns her messages! urgh! so i have no clue whats going on there. only god knows and srna.

anyways, at bc they can only tell me that they received an application and cant tell me at all what they do or dont have cos apparently nothing is inputted into the computer system! :confused: the guy says everything should be in the computer in a few weeks, maybe by end of the month. originally they said it takes 6-8 weeks to be assessed once everything is in but i dont know, just to get paperwork in the computer has taken one and half months so its kinda grim on the expedience of everything.

everything is up in the air while i twiddle my thumbs, try to study for crne and research potential places to work at, places to live, drivers license issues etc. maybe in the grander scheme of things it a good thing because i wont be running around feeling clueless before i leave or even get there. i have a friend from south africa whose migrating to australia and she's freaking out and she leaves first week of jan! she feels like she has no time to get her stuff together. luckily we went to school with this girl who was an exchange student from australia and she's moving close to where she currently lives so they've been communicating alot.

hopefully by the end of the month i'll be able to see some progress. in the mean time yall be seeing a lot of questions from me! i know i'm already driving my family crazy with all the questions and second guessing :clown: . all i know is that everything else will fall into place. i just need to find a hospital that is a great teaching hospital that orientates their income gn's well and makes their nurses comfortable and confident when they step out on that unit.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 16, 2008

What are the shifts there? 6am-6pm or 6:30am-7:30pm or 7am-7pm? And what time does it get dark over there during summer and winter months?

12 hour shifts are 7a-7p. University Hospital has different hours of work, they pay 11.63 hours for a 12 hour shift (minus the unpaid meal break) but the rest only pay 11.08 hours.

In the winter, we go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Sunrise today way 8:10 am and sunset was at 4:35 pm. By the winter solstice it will be rising around 8:40 and setting at about 15:55. In the summer, it's light really early, with sunrise at about 4 am and setting at about 10 pm.

I was reading Caritas collective agreement for Misericordia and it says full time is 8 hours a day, is this correct? And that you can have 6 to 7 consecutive days of work? How often does this happen? Seems kinda excessive to me. I glanced real quick through it so I may be misunderstanding.

No misunderstanding. The scheduling provisions require working alternate weekends for full time for direct care providers, and to achieve that and to fit in with the other provisions, it's "legal" to schedule six 8 hour shifts in a row. I don't know how often it happens, but if you have to work ten 8 hour shifts in two weeks and you do six in a row, then you're getting several days off in a row too. Maybe Fiona59 could bring us a full time line from her unit, where they work 8 hour shifts. Then we'd be able to see.

Anyone know how good FH (BC) and VCH (BC) is to IEN's with regard to relocation assistance etc? VCH has a good one but is it reimbursed after a year of completion only? The wording is kinda confusing. How about FH?

Relocation assistance is pretty much standard across the province. In BC they have a range, depending on where one is coming from, and it could be as little as $2,500 or as much as $10,000. But they won't give anyone the full amount until they've been employed there a full year. Interior Health is the only region whose relocation agreement I've seen, and they have an advance where you can claim up to 50% of the money AFTER you've started work but before your year is up. After you get the money you have 60 days to back up that claim with receipts.

I applied to the following boards in BC, AB, and SK.

In defence of the Colleges of Nursing, they are just as short-staffed as any other employer in the provinces. Until very recently they had enough people to do all the work in a reasonably timely manner. But over the last year or so, the number of applications they're receiving every month has gone from about 40 to more than 200. New programs have had to be developed to assess credentials for a wider variety of places than ever and the sheer volume of paper involved has required the Colleges to have to find more space. They're just as anxious to get people through the system as the people who are waiting, but it all takes time.

I've got to go get ready for work at my REAL job now. Be back soon to see what else you want to know.

lolita_cross · Nov 16, 2008

Hi Holyhell, May I know how do you get work visa without RN license ?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 16, 2008

Hi Holyhell, May I know how do you get work visa without RN license ?

They may have already a RN license in their own country. If you have eligibility from the province you can look for a employer and get wok permit and start work whilst waiting to sit the CRNE.

Would suggest reading the threads in the International forum as there are a few on IEN and going through the proccess

lolita_cross · Nov 16, 2008

Hi Silverdragon102,

I heard many people failed CRNE exam. That's why I'm planning to sit for CRNE exam . I will quit my existing job once I pass the CRNE exam.

By the way , can I bring my husband with me if I'm holding work visa like Holyhell. Thanks.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 16, 2008

Hi Silverdragon102,
I heard many people failed CRNE exam. That's why I'm planning to sit for CRNE exam . I will quit my existing job once I pass the CRNE exam.
By the way , can I bring my husband with me if I'm holding work visa like Holyhell. Thanks.

Better to post in the International forum as taking this off topic

But yes your husband can apply for a work permit backed onto your work permit but has to be included in your initial application as well as apply himself. Put both applications in one envelope when you send it in. Alternatively can apply at the border but I think easier to apply same time as yourself. If Husband not planning on working then all you do is add his to your application as accompanying you

Holyhell · Nov 16, 2008

hi lolita! janfrn is right. i am already licensed and registered here in usa. you cant apply for registration in canada unless you've already obtained registration in your own country first. since you are working lolita, i assume you are registered already in your home country. you can only get a work visa after a canadian employer has provided you with a job offer. but most wont even do that unless you are at least assessed eligible by their board of nursing first. while i've been waiting, i've been studying and researching hospitals and possible areas to live etc. and then coming on these message boards for clarification and insight from the experts! make well informed decisions because its never a good thing being stuck honoring a contract to a place you would never have picked in the first place if you had at least did a little digging on the basics!

hey janfrn! i totally understand the backlog but i wonder why theres been such a huge influx recently? i guess i was still in shock over how rude the lady from carna was when i wrote that message! i mean, she sounded like she needed a vacation or a change of job cos i'm sure saying the same thing to every ien who calls has to be driving her crazy :bugeyes:

wow those day light hours are crazy! we have been getting dark here before six recently. but never at 3 or 4 in the afternoon!!!!!!!

during nursing school, i had clinical rotations at this one hospital that had a lot of canadian nurses. b/c since then i was contemplating moving to work in canada, i would ask questions whenever the opportunity arose. anyways, my point is, i was always impressed with their knowledge and delivery of care. i mean, i had never seen or heard of a flexi-seal fms until this nurse showed me how to use it in the critical care unit. made me wonder why others werent using it, :nono: . she definitely left a great impression on me. well anyways, my heart is set on ab so hopefully it all works out. otherwise my friend in bc is gonna see a lot of me cos thats my second choice :rolleyes: . i'm not favoring sk at all, even tho their cost of living is lower and housing affordability seems better of the 3.

hey janfrn! how long does it take the hospital to orientate their ien's at the u? i've seen one hospital in bc that has a 10 week classroom time for ien's. is the u that developed in orienting their ien's and gn's? and during this time, the ien's get paid right? my recruiter for ch said that they require certain things, i cant remember exactly off the top of my head, i'll have to go back to the email to verify but it was my understanding that there will be a skill check list to be completed etc as part of deal. which is great b/c not only does it reassures me, it reassures the hospital of my ability. i'm looking to work in a step down icu unit like pcu or something similar and then work my way up to icu after i've build confidence and the knowledge. do you know if canadian rn certifications (eg. critical care, geriatrics are some examples) are recognized in the us and vise versa? would it be a good idea to start with simple certifications that would also help with knowledge (diabetes, htn) and after some experience in the field then work myself up to gaining that critical care certification (which isnt an easy task)? what would you suggest? over hear nurses earn more with certifications, is it the same in canada?

thanks for taking the time to read my posts. i've always been accused of asking too many questions thanks anyhow! hope yall had a great weekend!:)

suzanne4, RN · Nov 16, 2008

Not sure if you are actually aware of what is happening in Alberta now in terms of nurses from the Philippines before you start with more advice to others. They are being brought over as LPNs and in that role, not as RNs because of the assessment on their training. Please take the time to do some reading here.

Not sure if you have obtained approval to sit for the CRNE exam, but be aware that the exam is about as different from the NCLEX exam as one can make it.

Also be aware that there are only three chances of passing the CRNE exam or one gets their visa cancelled. No matter which country that one is from.

And yes, Canada is quite cold at this time of year and the days are going to be getting shorter; just like the US. But even more noticeable.

Best of luck to you.

Fiona59 · Nov 17, 2008

But would you walk home to an apartment on Kingsway and 112th Street at night?

A couple of my coworkers do. They've never had any problems that they've mentioned.

Anyhoo, shifts, somebody was asking.

My unit has 8s and 12s available. It is a 12 week rotation. The 8 hour people work six shifts back to back about once out of that rotation. The 12s can have four back to back with long stretches off in between (well, if they hide from the staffing office).

The union contracts have a clause in them somewhere that states how many shifts can be worked back to back before the employer is in violation. I remember that one LTC actually has it written into the contract that they could schedule seven back to back shifts on a regular rotation.

As to orientation, well, there are introduction to Cdn. nursings hours, then the usual hospital orientation (forms, IV pumps, glucometers, dsgs, etc) lasts about a week, then it is seven shifts on the unit and you are working on your own. You are supposed to bring experience to the job. A local new grad gets the hospital week and the seven shifts and has to hit the floor running.

Only specialty areas get an extended orientation (ICU, the OR, Dialysis) and these positions are sought after by existing nurses within the system (and if they aren't desirable positions, it says alot about the Care Manager or the rotations).

The Canadian concept of orientation is very different from the American.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 17, 2008

hey janfrn! i totally understand the backlog but i wonder why theres been such a huge influx recently? i guess i was still in shock over how rude the lady from carna was when i wrote that message! i mean, she sounded like she needed a vacation or a change of job cos i'm sure saying the same thing to every ien who calls has to be driving her crazy

the reasons for the sudden increase in applications are multifactorial. the main one i would say is the retrogression in the us causing far more nurses from economically disadvantaged countries to abandon their plans to move there and looking more closely at their second (or third, or fourth) choice, canada. some are hoping that canada will offer them a back door into the us, which it won't. others are just looking for "somewhere that isn't here" and canada is as likely a choice as any other for them. for some it's the easiest route out of their current situation. if you read some of the posts you'll find that there are those who are looking for the shortest and easiest path and not the best one. alberta, being the only province considered to be relatively recession-proof because of our oil and gas reserves and high wages, is an attractive destination, at least until people find out how high carna has set the bar. more about that in a minute. alberta has a significant shortage of nurses of all categories and has been aggressively recruiting nurses from other provinces and other countries. the health region recruiters offer employment to nurses who then have to have their credentials assessed and licensure arranged. for each applicant who succeeds in working their way through the process to full lcicensure and employment, there are probably 5 who don't... but who still have to be processed. it's like a perfect storm.

carna's self-stated primary mandate is to protect the public; they do this by enforcing their minimum educational standards, nursing practice standards and code of ethics as they apply to all registered nurses in the province. iens must meet these standards in order to be registered here. some iens from some countries do not meet the minimum educational requirements and are thus not eligible for registration. as an example, if the nursing program the candidate graduated from did not teach intravenous therapy as an integral part of their program, that program would not meet the minimum standard. all nursing students in canada are expected to be certified in bls when they're accepted intot he program and to maintain their certification for the duration of the program; some countries don't even require it for graduation. if the education a nurse received is not equivalent to that received by a nurse in a canadian nursing school there will be stipulations made to the applicant about upgrading, and the processing of their application stops. the administrative burden of this type of program is huge. add to that multiple phone calls every day, from the same people who called yesterday and twice last week and the week before, that interrupts the flow of the process, tempers will be come short. the people working at carna to assess the thousands of pending applications are simple humans and will be grouchy sometimes.

wow those day light hours are crazy! we have been getting dark here before six recently. but never at 3 or 4 in the afternoon!!!!!!!

edmonton is at 53 degrees, 32 minutes north latitude, only 7 degrees south of the arctic circle. we're on the same latitude as hamburg, germany and liverpool, england. at the summer solstice we get 17 hours and 6 minutes of daylight, plus twilight. it's only completely dark for about 4 hours then. orlando, fla on the other hand is at 28 degrees 32 minutes north and on roughly the same parallel as hawaii.

hey janfrn! how long does it take the hospital to orientate their ien's at the u? i've seen one hospital in bc that has a 10 week classroom time for ien's. is the u that developed in orienting their ien's and gn's? and during this time, the ien's get paid right? my recruiter for ch said that they require certain things, i cant remember exactly off the top of my head, i'll have to go back to the email to verify but it was my understanding that there will be a skill check list to be completed etc as part of deal. which is great b/c not only does it reassures me, it reassures the hospital of my ability.

nurses from the us, the uk, australia, new zealand and a couple of other countries will receive a similar orientation to a homegrown orientee. that is because the education and nursing care provided in those places is similar to how we work here. the content and duration of orientation will depend on the individual care area and the individual nurse. for nurses from countries where nursing practice is very different, the orientation will be longer and more indepth. alberta and ontario have formal comunity college bridging programs that are 4 semesters long. ontario, i believe, requires the bridge for nurses from many countries; alberta allows some discretion on the part of the employer. the orientation on my unit is a minimum of four weeks, with 5 classroom days; for new-to-icu but not new to nursing, it may be anywhere from 4-8 weeks and for new grads it's 16 weeks. the skills checklist is an important part of the assessment of the orientee's learning needs. the orientee's preceptor is responsible to follow up on that. orientation is paid time; nurses who are still awaiting the crne will be paid as grad nurses until they have their pass and registration, at which time they'll be bumped up the pay scale and paid retroactively for all hours worked in the interim.

i'm looking to work in a step down icu unit like pcu or something similar and then work my way up to icu after i've build confidence and the knowledge. do you know if canadian rn certifications (eg. critical care, geriatrics are some examples) are recognized in the us and vise versa? would it be a good idea to start with simple certifications that would also help with knowledge (diabetes, htn) and after some experience in the field then work myself up to gaining that critical care certification (which isnt an easy task)? what would you suggest? over hear nurses earn more with certifications, is it the same in canada?

certifications are recognized by the employer in terms of the knowledge and skills imparted to the nurse when choosing candidates for employment, but not in terms of educational allowances on one's pay cheque unless they've been earned in canada. the exceptions to this are university or college certification, diploma or degree programs. and the allowances are not cumulative. you will only receive the highest of your qualifications. for example, if you have a masters in nursing, ccrn certification from the canadian nurses' association and an international board of lactation consultants certficate, you'd only be paid for the masters. the types of certificates you mentioned (diabetes, htn) aren't considered to be the same as certifications. they would count toward continued competence though.

not sure if you are actually aware of what is happening in alberta now in terms of nurses from the philippines before you start with more advice to others. they are being brought over as lpns and in that role, not as rns because of the assessment on their training. please take the time to do some reading here.

now about the lpn thing. that came about as the result of an unmet expectation that the education being provided to bsn graduates in the philippines was much more closely aligned to alberta's bscn education than it actually is. the filipino registered nurses who are here working as lpns had been hired before their credentials were assessed, and were physically in canada at the health regions' expense when this discrepancy was discovered. the province had to enter into some damage control and it was decided that these nurses would be given the opportunity to write the lpn exam and work as lpns. the choice of upgrading their education to allow them to write the crne at a later date, i believe, was left to the nurses. it isn't a program, it's a stopgap measure to salvage a situation that was unsolvable any other way; there won't be any more people following this path.

not sure if you have obtained approval to sit for the crne exam, but be aware that the exam is about as different from the nclex exam as one can make it.
also be aware that there are only three chances of passing the crne exam or one gets their visa cancelled. no matter which country that one is from.

totally true.

and yes, canada is quite cold at this time of year and the days are going to be getting shorter; just like the us. but even more noticeable.

it was was just starting to get light and was -6c (21f) at 0740 this morning when i left work. there was frost on every parked car i saw. our snow melted when we had a couple of unseasonably warm days and our temp went up to +7c (44.6f). those days will be very few and far between until at least late march now. there's snow in the forecast for tonight and for thursday; calgary got a bunch earlier today. if you've never driven in snow, you're going to have a big learning curve. i can't remember, holyhell, did you say you have a fla driver's license?

Holyhell · Nov 17, 2008

Thank you very much. You have been very gracious in answering my questions. I appreciate it.

Yes I do have a drivers license. I have to exchange it within 90 days for a Canadian one. I was gonna fly in instead of driving up and take advantage of public transporation but since somone mentioned how cold it gets there waiting for public transportation and possible safety issues with walking, I decided to ship my car instead after landing.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Nov 17, 2008

Bring money. You'll need to put a block heater into your car (about $75 plus labour) so that it will start on those -40C days, and you'll need snow tires (about $600 to $1000 plus labour depending on the make and model you drive).