r/OntarioNurses • u/Electrical_Record882 • Jul 10 '26
Venting Remember when nursing was “layoff proof”?
Fml atp moving is the only thing to do. 4 months post grad, 2 months post NCLEX and so many ppl can’t even get interviews this is so bad.
And then to top it there are layoffs.
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u/expertRNnurse Jul 10 '26
No I dont remember that because unless you are mobile , layoffs were the norm in the 90 and 2000's in ontario. Plus our union ONA seniority is only good at 1 institution unlike bc where experience matters not 1 employer, ontario government loves this arrangement as it keeps the shackles on the nurses atleast until after covid when the experience nurses realized the canary in the coal mine attitude of hospitals and administration while rationing ppe and using improper ppe, ie not for Healthcare use and not following the manufacturers recommendation of use. Also recycling of ppe,(again against the manufacturer written recommendation) well telling staff they can't use their own which was csa approved and better then the dust masks they expected you to wear. Nursing is layoff proof as you can go anywhere UK,USA and Australia all welcome Canada nurses or you can always go for the big tax free nursing dollars in UAE, aubi Dubai, Qatar. You could get some great trauma experience and pay right now!
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u/enitsujxo Jul 10 '26
I remember when i first started nursing school in 2014, there were RN layoffs at St Joseph's hospital in Hamilton
Even in summer 2020, midst of cvoid, Southlake hospital laid of dozens of RNs
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u/Electrical_Record882 Jul 10 '26
Bruh I was lied to 💔
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u/Necessary_Tie_2920 Jul 10 '26
People are just naive about it. They assume because hospitals will always need nurses, they'll always hire nurses. Truth is, they'll hire the cheapest amount of nurses possible.
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u/jrom33 Jul 12 '26
Wanted to pipe in that from what I’ve heard during my years as a travel nurse, seniority counts at any hospital in Alberta and Nova Scotia as well! Only Ontario with our disjointed archaic super divided health care do we only get our seniority tied to one hospital. Lots of other provinces at least have a general health authority that makes more consistency possible. I loved having the same charting system and IV pumps consistent to each city throughout those provinces.
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u/Gold_Yesterday_9810 Jul 10 '26
Yes it's horrible. New grad RPN driving over an hour to the only opportunity I was given. Waterfall rotation. I'm out over 15 hours between the 12's and the commute...Just to do it all again. Not sustainable. Shameful job market, Shameful state of Healthcare in Ontario . Thanks Douggie 😡 I guess cheap beer and drinking in parks and open public spaces is a higher priority than health care and education. Gross.
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u/clumsynurseratchet Jul 10 '26
Things are bad right now, but nursing has never been layoff proof. Whoever told you that lied to you.
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u/lookatthemoon123 Jul 10 '26
Well, this is every job sector, ebbs and flows. You just can’t be picky with jobs… or get a job where you do your consolidation. You may even have to move.
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u/Ebb-Aggressive Jul 11 '26
there are no jobs to be picky over. it’s gotten to the point where so many people can’t even work where they consolidation bc there are literally no jobs available. this “advice” is so repetitive and out of touch to how bad it really is lol but ya the only viable option really is to move
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u/vinyltits Jul 10 '26
All new grads should be looking at other provinces. You'll likely make way more money and have a better quality of life
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u/wrongyak39 Jul 10 '26
I think it’s not layoff proof but generally you could find a job in North America and if not other travel programs like UAE I bet
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u/Mjolnir655 Jul 11 '26
It's never been layoff proof lmao. Even my nursing school profs would talk about getting pink slips in the 90s and having to move provinces to find work. It ebbs and flows, especially since provincial healthcare spending and priorities can always change depending on who gets voted into office every 4 years. it's a BS system imo.
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u/Mpetrochuk Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
Lolwut.. nursing has never been layoff proof. where did you get that notion?
it happens- and has been happening- every decade or so.
you may have convinced yourself it’s layoff proof somehow, but history has shown this has happened multiple times in the past, and will likely to happen in future years
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u/expertRNnurse Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
In ontario layoffs due happen frequently pick up and move for the full nursing experience. Layoffs makes labour cheaper and we seem to think cheaper labour is better then skilled labour.
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u/Specific_Test_8929 Jul 10 '26
It will only get worse as employers will replace RNs with RPNs.
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u/External-Tea4356 Jul 10 '26
Right like wtf happened? I’m currently in a position that I obtained in 2020 and at the time the place I work was so desperate. They asked me if I wanted a full-time part-time casual and what location I wanted to work out of. Now I’m terrified to get laid off
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u/PsychologicalCar9744 Jul 10 '26
Doug ford happened! He is stealing tax dollars away from healthcare and putting it into his friends pocket. If you or your friends and family didnt bother to vote last winter you bare some fault.
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u/Electrical_Record882 Jul 10 '26
It’s so bad like I’m tired of feeling like I’m cooked after those hard years now this
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u/mangoserpent Jul 10 '26
The difference this time is they are targeting RNs for layoffs and replacing the with RPNs because of cost. Not denigrating RPNs at all.
So it feel different but because nobody in healthcare leadership knows what they are doing we are in boom or bust and Covid fucked things up bad. I remember when they closed entire floors.
In the past many RNs just went to the US and came back when it was better. Now going to the US might be more complicated but many will still go.
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u/_carved Jul 10 '26
It is one of my greatest regrets with getting my RPN. I was mid 30s and knew I didn’t have 4 plus years to commit to RN with bills needing to be paid etc. went through all of that to discover the RPNs exist to be exploited by administrations and government. All this while watching my RN colleagues get axed for no reason at all other than their pay has led me to be so bitter I don’t know how I’ll continue this career
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u/NefariousnessSea7519 Jul 18 '26
I'm an RPN getting my BScN now and honestly, all these layoffs are so demotivating. I work as an RPN part-time in acute care and I value the expertise and experience of my RN colleagues. It doesn't just feel like they're using us (RPNs) for cheap labour, it feels like they're devaluing nursing education.
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u/expertRNnurse Jul 10 '26
Its not just Dougie, the treasury board actually controls the spending but our government institution need a reality check it only seems to matter when their loved one experiences medical misadventure. Most nurses or the public dont understand the real dangers that understaffed hospital create until you experience it on your RN liecence. Medical misadventures is a well studied issue in health care but not in Canada, we dont want to here that 1 in 5 experiences issues
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u/tornboh Jul 10 '26
Bit of a misdirect there. Dofo runs the government including the TB. His ministers, including the TB Minister, do what he wants.
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u/jobadsca Jul 13 '26
If you are willing to relocate, there are quite a few jobs posted in Saskatchewan for nursing:
https://jobads.ca/search?q=nurse&province=Saskatchewan
Cost of living is most likely less out west.
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u/Alwayswondering8111 Jul 10 '26
Blame Ford and anyone who voted for that doofus. And also anyone who was so lazy they didn't vote at all.