ponylife

Hi, I have been sifting through the search function but can't really find much on the day to day job differences so thought I would ask.

What are the main differences you have found around the nurses role when moving to Canada, especially BC, from the UK?
I have just got everything sorted and applying to NNAS currently, but wondered if there was any major changes in what you do day to day? Ie anything we do here that they don't do or vice versa, Staff-Patient ratio or major drug differences?

I was shocked at how expensive pain killers and OTC drugs were in the supermarket so trying to find out any other big shocks prior to finally arriving, hopefully soonish, if NNAS doesn't take a life time, hoping around 2 years isn't a too ridiculous hope! Thanks

Shakyuk

I can't comment on the differences. But with NNAS just keep on top of everyone involved. My girlfriend is going through the NNAS process at the moment. It seems nobody does anything unless you're chasing them.


My girlfriend is very... laid back. And so I've been generally doing everything (oh joy). I found with nursing, if you read threads Tirytory and Silverdragon102 have commented in/started. Then you're going to learn a lot about nursing in Canada.


Often the nursing threads can be quite long, it's worth just searching generally for a nursing thread and reading all the way through. The nurses on this forum have a wealth of knowledge and there is a lot of information in these threads.

Silverdragon102

I can only comment for where I live in NS. When patients are admitted to hospital in most cases they remain under the care of their GP or if they do not have a GP or NP looking after them then whichever GP is working in Emerg takes responsibility. For me in LTC I found it difficult getting used to relying on faxes for prescriptions and in most cases discussion with GP regarding patient/client cares. Thankfully we have a NP that collaborates with GPS that is assigned to us that takes a lot of the stress away. Drug names are same or very similar to the UK as are blood results and diabetic blood glucose monitoring

ponylife

Thanks for the replies, laptop died a tragic death over Christmas! Interesting that they remain under the care of the GP, would that still happen over a specialist team if there was involvement of a specialist team? Sometimes we have multiple consultants/teams looking after a patient, ie. oncology and the neurosurgery if they have come to us for brain mets but always the team with the 'current' issue would be the lead and unsure how a GP would fit in with that.

I found this blog which summed up some of the ideas I had, the idea of finding a prescription in the notes and writing it up myself would worry me. I guess I am just used with the rigidity of charting and we have everything online so we know only authorised people are able to prescribe something and it has been checked by a pharmacist: here is the blog if anyone is interested.
https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/132028202/posts/421

Some of the examples were taking X-rays and running your own patients bloods in the lab, I would have no idea how to even start with this! We do A/VBGs, BMs in the unit but nothing more.

I have also seen most people wear scrubs, I personally like being able to establish someones role and/or seniority by what they are wearing and wondered whether there was anything similar.

Atlantic Xpat

I've just come back from an appointment with my youngest daughter at our local hospital. Everyone, but everyone wears scrubs with the possible exception of some Dr's. (The cardiologist we saw didn't). There is no way, in my mind to distinguish between nurses (and level of nurse), ultrasound/x-ray techs, cleaners and the staff at the onsite Tim Horton's. All are clad in scrubs.

ponylife

Thats what I thought, different uniforms makes life easier. Scrubs in Tim Hortons, seems extreme!
Have also seen that there is no equivalent of sisters/ward managers/matrons, and the managers they do have aren't based in the ward, was just interested in how this works as Canada seems to love 'seniority' for holiday/rotas etc and how this relates to day to day management of the ward and who will take charge.

Atlantic Xpat

Well, yes, my understanding is that the newly qualified / converted nurse should expect to be last in line for plum vacation times, extra shifts etc until they've built up seniority. Unionised profession and all that. Seniority is all. (My MiL was a nurse here in Nfld).

jamesmc

differences ...well the big one I get told is SENIORITY is king ,doesn't matter if you are the reincarnation of Florence nightingale the person that has more time in gets the job good or average. AS a thought try for the fly in jobs up North in MB &SK or the likes of Rankin inlet its a good way to climb the "tree"

Atlantic Xpat

That only works of course if the isolated place you are working in because no-one else wants to, is in the same province and therefore the same union as the big city/small town you'd rather work in. I may be wrong, but seniority doesn't generally transfer between provincial unions.

R I C H

I believe this is correct. On a similar issue, I worked for a healthcare provider and we had different unions representing staff performing the same job across BC. They couldn't transfer seniority, vacation allowance etc if they chose to get a transfer between locations.

bats

Your link didn't work for me so I couldn't see the part about taking x rays. This would only happen if you were in a remote community, I've a friend who does Northern nursing in aboriginal communities and there she takes basic images.

Radiographers are called MRTs here, medical radiation technologists and take a nationwide exam for certification. So no you wouldn't be taking xrays.

Terminology is different and many more exams are performed here as well as more views in those exams. This isn't better, imho it just generates revenue for the radiologists and isCYA - cover your arse- medicine.

Scrubs are worn as are street clothes. not only is there no indication of seniority but there no indication of what discipline you are in. Not that patients ever took any notice of this in the uk.

I got to like the outward casualness, wandering around with a coffee in your hand, chatting away.

Seniority in terms of job status, vacation time choice does not always transfer from one hospital to another.

Souvy

Yes. My SiL is a nurse in Quebec and has been for years, but not full time. I think this year was the first time she got both Xmas Day and New Year off.

ponylife

Christmas/New year makes sense, I have just worked these and happy to do so as those that had it off have worked the previous year or have small kids, the idea that you need to pull your shifts to earn it in the future works to some extent but seems that Canada has just taken it to the other extreme.

bats

Woah, he's in Dawson City, what an experience. I'd love to try that.

I agree with him on manual handling- it's terrible. Poor patients pulled and shoved around. Lifts up the bed pulled by their armpits. Lifted and swivelled out of chairs onto the table. There are pat slides but they aren't used properly. It makes you weep to see the way old people are hauled around. Crutches are old fashioned brachial plexus damaging ones.

X-ray use is way more here, much more so that unnecessary CXRs for NG tubes. Children are xrayed often, every cough gets a CXR, two views. Every abdo pain three views. Walking patients for ? Fracture to knee or ankle. Four views. It's not good practice in my view and it was hard to fight years of training to argue with the devotees about doing them so I decided that at least it meant I had a job.

I'm retired now and don't miss it one bit. I thought I would but no.

Silverdragon102

In NS and working in acute care and a member of the NSNU then RN and LPN members are expected to wear black and white scrubs. This is after the union president spent time for whatever reason in hospital and noticed that many complaints was not knowing who the nurses where.