Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi Folks,
I have been coming on to this site for a while now and have found it very useful.I was wondering though,there are several health authorities in BC and there does not seem to be anyone specifically that you can talk to from the UK if you wanted to about working here,I just wondered if anyone would be interested in this sort of thing being set up by the health authorities,I am happy to be a port of call and have helped a couple of people so far,in fact I am sure they would support me in saying that it would be good to have someone there for a chat or whatever,I know I found it hard but was lucky to have my best friend here which helped tremendously,so if anyone is interested and if I can help anyone let me know,just a thought for the future as there are so many nurses coming from the UK it would be good to have 1 or 2 people who they could contact,thanks for reading this and I value your feedback,

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi,

Just wondering if u would like to talk then sure it would be ok.

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

hi cathy i'd love to talk to you have left you a message on facebook.speak soon susie q

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Cathynpaul

Great idea. This as we know is quite a big step for everyone and there are lots of questions to ask and it is good to have someone in the actual areas to answer questions if they can.


Can I hijack and ask if any nurses on here are going to Red Deer, Alberta or Alberta in general?

Thanks
Mandy

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi cathy,
this is a good idea and i would be happy to be included as i am almost there!

i couldnt have done it without you and its funny that we got to become friends through this site.

it does state in the fraser health info that i was sent that there is something set up with the friends finder on facebook but i havent come across it.

would be happy to take part.

kae

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Same here we would be glad to take part. We are in almost identical position with Kae just on the finishing stretch now;)

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

hi trophy
i moved to cochrane ,calgary,alberta as a nurse from uk ,i worked with cathy before we left the uk and would be pleased to answer any questions,you can pm me if you like

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi Susie q

I have sent you a pm.

Mandy

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

To those nursing in Alberta we are coming over in 2 weeks for our recce and first face to face meet and guide round hosp. any tips on questions to ask. Our LMO is being assessed at the moment so hopefully coming over sometime this year. We are coming to Calgary and looking around foothills

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi md5307

On our recce to Red Deer I asked all the basic questions you would ask of any employer, (don't mean to sound patronising). I also asked about an adaptation period due to the difference to UK.

Will you be supernumery for a period of time? I will be supernumery for 12 weeks in the ICU where I will be working.

Will there be 'classes' / information on preparation for sitting the CRNE?

Do they provide temporary accommodation on first arriving?

There is an area on the RCN website for nurses wishing to work abroad. This is quite informative.

Do you work at MKGH?
I worked there in 1998 for 18 months.

There are other people here who will give you more in-depth information than I can, this was just my experience when we visited the hospital I will be employed at.

Best of luck
Mandy

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi DF

Just sent a pvt message to you.

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi.

I'm thinking of moving over to Vancouver, bc, intially for a year but possibly more long term. I was wondering if anyone had any advice about getting nurse registration in BC. I am a bit concerned that I won't be eligible as I did very little maternity care in my training.

I was also wondering which are the best (or biggest) hospitals in Vancouver. Currently I work in a busy A&E at a level 1 trauma centre in the North East England and would like to move to another big A&E if possible.

Any advice would be really appreciated. I am hoping to move over in Jan 2010 if I can get everything organised by then.

Thanks

Hannah

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi Hannah,

i dont know how much you know already but i applied to my original nursing school (trained in 1992-95 so classed as the p2000 diploma course) we did a mother & babby module (maternity) which included both clinical and theory. i had no trouble with mine getting verified except my initial form was rejected due it being called one thing in he UK syllabus and something different in canada-although the same is covered.

the process of getting registered with CRNBC is a lenghty process so i would look at their website (google them) the website is good and it talks you through what is required in the international students section.

my job is with fraser health- im in oncology so i cannot comment on the A&E side of things, but hopefully someone else will come along soon and advise.

i will PM you then you can have a look at the hospital i am going to as they have there own website that you can look at. I have to say the whole process hasnt been too bad..i would have been there sooner..only hadnt sold the house!

anyway..if we can help any further just let us know- you may want to pm cathynpaul as she is at the same hospital as me she may have moreinfo on the critical care side of things and know of a contact...cathy has helped me alot.

regards
kae

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hey.
Thanks for reply. Did you apply for your job direct to Fraser Health or did you go through a agency?

Hannah

Re: Nurses coming to Lower Mainland BC
 

Hi Hannah,

i got my contact from here on facebook! through cathynpaul..im sure cathy wont mind me sharing this but i simply asked a similar question to you..as in where to start, we pm'd each other a few times and then exchanged numbers. she talked me through the whole thing and then gave me her contact who is a recruitment consultant from fraser health..who has been excellent.

i had a telephone interview within 2 days of contacting her...they like it if you have a web cam. it makes it easier than just over the phone..i had a few probs with my phone call as the portable phones battery went dead!

i was then offered a job there and then..me and OH booked a recce and i met with the manager from the unit i have my job on..the interview was 3 hours!!!! but not anything you couldnt cope with...except explaining what macmillan means!!!! the terminology can be a giggle sometimes.

anyway we hadnt even got the house on the market so had to let the 1st job go as the position needed to be filled by jan 09 and my interview was back in sept 08...they kindly kept my file open and i just let them know when i had sold the house (dec 08)..since then everything has happened quite quickly as you can see from my timeliness...the longest was registering with CRNBC that took at least 5 months. were going over on a TWP, once ive done my initial 3 months we will be applying for the PNP.

sorry to waffle on only the explanation may help others in a similar situation. i dont think you need to use an agency, if you are able to narrow down which hospital you would like to work at then you could just check out their vacancies, fraser health has an online application whereby you fill in a profile up-load your resume and cover letter and fill in the jobs your interested in, they will then contact you, i did fill those things in but i had already contacted the person cathy told me about.

where abouts in England are you at the moment...if you want to pm me your more than welcome..happy to chat also.

hope this helps

kae