manchesterchick

Hi#
In the process of coming over in the next 12 months.
Done the Rn exam and passed and planning to work in the Okanagan region, preferabley Kelowna area.
Not got a job yet as they keep offering medical and would prefer surg or er
, community would be great but seems to be in short supply.
Would love to hear from Nurses working in any part of the Okanagan, about their experiences and comparisons to NHS etc.
Just had word to send our passports for "stamping??" and then medicals
Cheers
Dee

marina

Hi Dee, I was wondering if you made it yet to Okanagan. I am currently doing some hours prior to my registration and will sit an exam in October. I had a had time getting into the hospital in Vernon. Not sure if I want to stay here. Hopefully, we can discuss a few things with you.

manchesterchick

HI Marina,
not yet made it.
We applied for permament residency and decided to wait for that first before we go over as I wish to work part time, (casual) and would prefer no nights.
I have already done the RN exam , I di it last year in Vancouver and just need someone in the OK to take me on. I am hoping Kelowna, but we shall see.
We have had our medicals , but there is a slight blip on hubb's chest x ray so they want to do TB screen and repeat chest xray.
All of which means another 4/12 of waiting.
What area have you been working and how have you found it?
Where are you from originally and how are you finding Canada?
Apoogies if we have spoken before , my memory is sieve like at the mo!
Cheers
Dee

marina

Hi Dee,
I am originally from Russia, lived in UK for the last 13 years. I worked in St Thomas' Hospital, London for the last 10 years. We decided to move to Canada for all the right reasons at that time. We have been here nearly 7 months. My husband is a psych. nurse and he is working full time. I just wanted part-time. As I said before I am doing some hours (250 to be precise) prior to registration and due to do the RN exam in October. How did you find it?
I did find it a little restrictive and slow in terms of hiring process: having all the required papers from CRNBC I waited 4 months to start my hours! I called and e-mailed and there was no getting through. So much for nursing shortage!
My husband had a funny experience as well. He had a job offer while we were still UK and when he came first it ended up being a casual!? Eventually he applied for a full time post within the hospital but not for the original position.
It was very frustrating for all of us. We have 2 small kids as well so there was a lot to organise for them too. In general I found that a few nurses come to work in Vernon hospital from Kelowna even though there is work in KGH.
I also found that it is not as cheap to live here as I expected. You do find out things only once you start actually living here. All the beauty now seems less appealing to me and maybe we will go back to UK eventually but not soon enough for me. I also wish I joined the forum before we came just to have that incite from other people who had first hand experience. Good luck to you. Keep in touch and ask any q. you would like to find an answer to. I am hoping to move closer to Vancouver for now and then we shall see.

manchesterchick

HI Marina,
gosh it sounds like you had a time of it.
We are under no illusion as to how expensive it now is in Canada, especially in the Okanagan.
We have family in Kelowna and have been visiting over the last 10 years.
At the beginning of the 10 years it was really cheap but it has become really popular.
I will be honest with you regarding the exam.I did a lot of studying for it usingthe canadian crne practice book and also a big canadian test book.
I was determined not to faile and so i worked solidy each night for 1 year.
When i opened the exam i could have died as i thought it as quite hard, having said that I passed and so I was ucky
YOu will be at an advantage however , as you are already working in a Canadian environment ,so it will be easier for you I am sure.
I am a worrier generally, so just do your best and I am sure you will be fine.
What kind of nursing do you do in Canada?
Do you have to do nights?
There is also another forusm called Access Okanagan, which is excellent as a resource. The people are really friendly.
Is Vancouver not more expensive than Kelowna area?
I would also like to work in Psych, as they say that in Canada you don't have to be psych nurse to work in that dept, but I have had no joy up to now.
DO you have your permanent residency yet?
If you do you don't have to even be a nurse you can work as anything you choose as you have the same rights as Canadians(except the vote)
We are waiting for this before we come over as I like you want to work part time.
It was great talking to you and keep in touch.
I am just on my way to wokr now but I will let you know the name of the other books I studied from when I took the rn exam, if you like.
We also have alittle boy aged 4 and we have to organise him as well.
Take Care
Dee

marina

Hi Dee, I worked in theatres as anesthetic nurse. There is no such thing here or it is very difficult to find. I would like to do something else not nursing but you know that it is better paid here than other jobs. Yes, we do have permanent residency and we can move around. You kind of scared me with the exam, would you mind telling me which books exactly you used apart from CRNE PREP book. I would be very grateful. My kids are 7 and 4. We have no family here and have not made many friends yet. Vancouver is more expensive than Kelowna or vernon for sure. But I want to go visit and see for myself what it has to offer. With regard to psych. nursing: keep trying. have you looked at the Interior Health website for jobs? You could post your CV there and apply for any jobs on the site interiorhealth.ca . It takes a long time for them to reply. I applied for community job around January - February time and was invited for the interview only this months. No idea how it works. I heard people trained here to have similar experiences as well. And another thing you could try external recruitment person in Kelowna. I will leave you a number for Vernon external recruitment person and she can point you to the right person in Kelowna. Her name is Donna Webber 250-558-1393. [email protected] Keep trying and let me know when you are planning to land, maybe we can get together.

manchesterchick

Hi Marina,
please do not be scared about the exam. I had convinced myself I had failed when I did it, as there were lots of "canadian" questions, which are easier answered if you work there.
The other books I used are the "nursing made easy" range
Basically, you can get them on amazon.ca or any book store probabl.
I got 4
Nursing made easy for Pediatrics, maternal, Psych and medical surgical.
I also got a huge book called Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing.
PLease do not be worried or feel that you have to get these, the reason I went over the top with study is because I had saidt to myself I would not do the exam a second time.
I am sure you have great advantage working overthere already,
Have you had to do nights in Canada?
Also have the Canadian Nurses been friendly with you? I wonder how they take to foreign nurses in general?
Where abouts are you living at the moment?
Well better dash , and certainly I will get in touch when we land.
Do try access okanagan as well , I am sure you will make friends that way
Dee

Izzy Steven Psych RN

Hi Dee and Marina

I'm not wanting to steal your thread, I am also a psych nurse looking into the Okanagan. I was a little worried as Marina mentioned her husband wasn't employed in the position he was expecting. I wondered if we could chat via my email. We made a big mistake career wise in New Zealand and returned to UK so would not like to repeat it.

Cheers
Izzy

marina

Dear Izzy,
I am not sure how that works with the e-mail. Let me know I would be happy to help. I would love to hear about New Zealand as well.

marina

Have you had to do nights in Canada?
Also have the Canadian Nurses been friendly with you? I wonder how they take to foreign nurses in general?
Where abouts are you living at the moment?
I have done 2 nights so far on rehab unit. need to do 2 more on surgery.
Nights or days here 7 to 7 due to lack of staff I guess. Working full time my husband does 2 days and 2 nights or 3 days and 1 night. As casual you can choose not to do nights of course. In general nurses are OK. Although I would choose UK any day myself. They have LPN(licensed practical nurse) and RN/RPN working together. RN overlooks LPNs. I heard there is a more profound divide between the RNs and LPNs in Kelowna. We are in Vernon at the moment which is 50 km/90miles north of Kelowna. We both found that there is a bit of a distrust to us as we are foreign nurses: being told what to do by 2-3 year old grads:curse:.
The other thing is their system is more reliant on nurses: there are no junior doctors/registrars in the hospital. Patient care is divided by the physician and if need be internist. You have to chase them up for anything that is needed: phoning, faxing etc. The goal is to get patients out of the hospital as soon as possible, even on psyche wards. My husband was shocked initially at the way things are conducted here. But you just have to get on with it basically. I think that is enough of moaning from for now.

manchesterchick

Hi Marina
to email you just click on my name , or izzy's and the email link is on there.
if you want to make conversations more private it is best to do this as anyone can read what you put.
I suspected that there would be a bit of the new grad thing bossing about etc, and I can understand why you feel annoyed with it , as I would. I guess once you have your foot in the door and your experience is accepted then
it will get better for you.
I dread that as it has taken me 18 years to get where I am today, but it is the lifestyle I am going for and not the career aspect.
i think I need to try it out at least.
We are still waiting on medical results up to now and as I said the earliest it will be is Sept and then there is all the organising to do etc.
Well better dash
by the way, how is the weather over there at the moment.
Also try Access Okanagan...you will make loads of friends and contacts
Dee

marina

I'm not wanting to steal your thread, I am also a psych nurse looking into the Okanagan. I was a little worried as Marina mentioned her husband wasn't employed in the position he was expecting. I wondered if we could chat via my email. We made a big mistake career wise in New Zealand and returned to UK so would not like to repeat it.

Izzy, I sent an e-mail to you. And was wondering if you actually got it? Thanks

Izzy Steven Psych RN

Hi Marina and Dee

Sorry for the delay in responding I've been away for a few days. I received Marina's email which was very helpful, just off to work now will respond soon.
Cheers
Izzy