I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I found out today that following my SEC assessment in London in early February, CARNA have decided to grant me registration as a graduate nurse in Calgary!  I was so relieved that I can go straight into employment once we get to Canada.  The room with all our 'car boot' items is fit to bursting, but a very kind friend of mine Ange has offered to come with me next weekend to try and sell a lot of it.  

We are now just awaiting the arrival of our visas for the mad rush to begin with shipping companies and flight bookings!

The countdown continues!!

At last I have had my medical for my visa today in Liverpool.   Following my knee op two weeks ago today I am still currently off work but had dosed myself up ready for today.  

We have already sold a lot of furniture etc and the house is beginning to look very bare, some rooms are even echoing its that empty!  With the invites having gone out for our leaving party we are storming ahead with the check lists.  We are hoping that with the medical out of the way that the visa's won't be long behind them.  

We have spent an increasing amount of time looking through current rentals in Calgary and are hoping to be able to contact our realtor very soon with a confirmed date and a short list of potentials and we've already purchased the necessary edible payment for him (He will know what we mean!!)  I will be handing in my notice at work next week, then we will be on the final countdown.  I have yet to hear the outcome of my SEC assessment, so I'm getting worried now that it will be bad news, but all I can do is wait for them to arrive.  With the credit crunch having hit Calgary we have heard that things have slowed down on the jobs front but we both believe that we would still be in a better position than in this country.  We have  also decided to start the perminant residency application as this usually takes about 12 months so I have downloaded all the forms today ready to fill in (another job for me whilst I'm off work).

Just think in about nine weeks we could be writing these posts from Canada!!!!! 

An Update of our Progress

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

The speed is picking up as we start to plan for our move.  We have had an e-mail to say that our visas have been forwarded to the Canadian High Commission for processing so we should have them both by the end of April at the very very latest. This means we are still on target for an early May departure.  We have arranged for our property to be managed by someone whom we know (who is very experienced in managing rentals)  so we won't have to worry about it when we go.  

We have now set up, what we call ' the nerve centre' of operations in our spare room!  This is basically an enormous wall planner, a detailed check list of everything that needs to be done (which is being continually added to!) four folders of all our documentation, leaflets, lots of post-it notes and some rather brightly coloured markers!!  

One of the most drastic things that has taken place over the last week is that Sophie has started the unenviable task of going room to room to sort our all our belongings as ideally we don't want to take too much with us.  We have already made the decision not to take any furniture and will be selling that before we leave, but once you have decided a cupboard is not going with you, it is amazing how much stuff that little cupboard contains!!!!  

Initially we thought it would be similar to moving house, with the added bonus of being able to buy new furniture at the other end.  This however, as we have quickly gathered, is not going to be the case.  We have designated different bedrooms in the house to different fates for the contents within them, one for car boot, one for taking and another for storage in the UK (i.e.friends lofts!!) Things that are staying put are things that will go in our suitcases.   This way it will give us a better idea how much we actually want to take, and hopefully allow us to be realistic about what to actually take.  The house now looks like a cross between a minimalist show home and a flea market depending on which room you are in!!  

Sophie completed her SEC assessment last week and now just has to wait 5 weeks to find out how she did.  She has also had her date for her knee op and has managed to get a cancellation for the 3rd of March so should be fighting fit for the leaving party (which has now been booked for the 2nd May).

Will keep you posted with any other developments.

London SEC Assessments

Well tomorrow I am completing the 2 day SEC nursing assessment down in London and am just waiting for Nige to come home from work to take me to the train station (so just killing time with a quick post).  What with the severe weather conditions down there, I was worried to begin with that it may be delayed (wishful thinking I think) but so far everything is going ahead as planned.  I'm not sure what order things will take place over the two days but am starting to get very nervous.  I plan to do a final bit of revision on the train and then tonight at the hotel but have come to the conclusion that I can't learn a three year course in two weeks so can only do my best and hope that I do enough to convince the assessors that I don't require any further training.  If however I do have any identified 'skill gaps' then to get out to Calgary and complete the training as soon as possible so I can continue doing the job I love!  

Wish me luck!!!

Winter/Calgary Sports Update!

Nige here.

Just a quick update on our Canadian sports adventures! I have been putting quite a bit of time in at the Ice rink in a bid to start playing Ice hockey and have since joined the local Recreational team, the Flintshire Phantoms http://www.thephantoms.co.uk/. 3 training sessions in and I'm comfortably the worst player on the team, but I love it and the challenge of learning a new sport. Managed to get all the kit second hand as a job lot on ebay for £155 to include 2 pairs of skates (1 new), hockey stick, all pads, socks, 3 hockey tops including a brand new Calgary Flames top, helmet, gloves, kit bag and the all important box! In time I'm sure we'll get some pics up and maybe a short video (but only when I'm upright more than I'm horizontal!!).

Unfortunately Sophie hasn't been able to skate since hurting her knee during October half term when we went to Chillfactore http://www.chillfactore.com/ in Manchester for a second session on the snow. This means her progress has been halted somewhat. However, her knee has improved now and we took the opportunity to get down to the snowdome http://www.snowdome.co.uk/ at Tamworth this Friday for a 3 hour Recreational Board and Ski for £25 each including board/skis, bindings, boots and helmet for me which I needed. Took a little bit to get back into it, but we were soon flying from the top of the slope and had a great morning with some noticeable improvements. Really looking forward to getting on the slopes in Canada now!

Must try and get some piccies etc to add to this!

Update from CARNA and our Next Steps to Calgary!

After putting in my nursing registration application in September I received in the post today a letter from the College and Association of Registered Nurses in Alberta (CARNA) saying that as I have no childrens nursing experience then they are unable to continue with the application. As I am sure you can imagine I was very upset but am sure that I am not the only one this has happened to as in the UK, we specialise in either adult or childrens nursing. They have told me I can apply for a restricted temporary permit but will have to complete a SEC assessment and subsequently any additional training required in Peadiatrics before I can apply for a Temporary Work Permit. After this I will be able to take the main CRNE exam once I am working in Calgary. Disappointed would have been an understatement as it seemed I'd have to sit the assessment and any further traing at Mount Royal College, Calgary, whilst not working!

Since this news and speaking to CARNA (who would not change their decision), the International Float Pool Manager for the Calgary Health Region and Mount Royal College, I have been able to book myself in for the SEC assessment here in London on February 4/5th, then possibly some training if required during Feb/March whilst Mount Royal College are over carrying out the SEC assessments for International nurses. Must get my nose in those textbooks and get studying!

Nige's job offer has also gone quiet and even after speaking to the company last week, there doesn't seem to be any movement which is also frustrating! Who said things were meant to be easy?

This has prompted us to take a different option on the visa front for now as Nige will be out of work at the end of April, so we want to be heading out to Calgary no later than June, otherwise he'd have to find work here for a short period of time. After realising that the Bunac visas are not just for students, but for anyone who is 30 or under, Nige has now applied for these as a way of getting us started in Canada as they will allow us to work for 12 months and they are offered purely on a first come first served basis until the allocation has been taken up. These will basically cost us £300 each, which we thought was a small price to pay for the comfort of knowing we can leave for Calgary with an open work permit in place by May, incase my nursing registration gets prolonged or I have to do some training in Canada. Just going through the process of Police checks (£40 each) and filling in the work authorisation application, then I'll have to have a medical (approx' £150) due to working in the Nursing environment. These would have had to have been done anyway, so no extra cost for us.

Fingers crossed that things are now looking more promising after the initial shock of the letter back from CARNA, denying me my registration.

Exciting News

I am so excited as last night I received an e-mail from CARNA the nursing regulating body in Calgary to say that they have now forwarded all my documentation to be processed!

Although it may not seem like a big thing to most, for us its another step forward towards our new life in Canada!!!!!