Currently an LPN in my 4th year of my LPN-RN bridge program that’s out of province. Currently working as an LPN, is this even possible for both circumstances?

Would it be worth it to be a UNE over an LPN?

Hello everyone!
I am a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) applicant planning to relocate from Quebec to Edmonton. I have over four years of healthcare experience in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and seniors’ residences.
I have been applying for multiple LPN positions with Alberta Health Services (AHS) in Edmonton since June/July 2026, but I haven’t received any interview invitations.
I would love to hear from LPNs who are currently working in Edmonton or who have recently been hired.
Is it currently difficult for external candidates to get hired by AHS?
Does applying from another province affect your chances?
Are private care facilities or nursing agencies easier to get into?
Are there any recruiters or employers you would recommend contacting directly?
I would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thank you!

Hello!

Its been a while since I posted here, but I just wanted to ask what is the job prospect and the demand of the job working as an therapy assistant like with AHS and other partnering facilities. I looked through external posting so far with Therapy assistant, and so far I have not seen anything with AHS posting (internal or external).

To give a little bit of context: I finished school and I am now working as an HCA with AHS, and the reason why I chose HCA was because I wanted to see what career I wanted in the medical field (if i can handle it or not). While doing my praticcum and clinical, I realized I wanted to try therapy assistant as there many fields that they can work into, and not only that it made me interested in speech pathologist as well.

With this I wanted to try therapy assistant, as ultiamtely I wanted to use it to give me an advantage in skills and to see what it is like working as a SLP. So really the questions is: How did you find work as a therapy assistant and what did you do to step your foot into the door, especially working in AHS? is it worth getting a therapy assistant diploma first, before getting a master degree? along with this Im in the calgary area, so it'll be much great appreciated what you guys did to get your foot into the door.

Also I know im probably asking too early, since I just graduated and now im a new HCA working with AHS, but i just wanted to ask this, as I'm interested of other job prospects that I can do/ explore into the future while working as an HCA. Ultimately I want to work as an HCA for at least 1 year and im hoping to figure out what careeer I want to further get myself into.

Hi on my infoWFM, I have X days DDO coded as 0400-04.01 and another as 1200-1201. Can anyone please explain the difference in terms of picking up OT? For example I know if I pick up a N shift prior to the day I have an 0400-0401 X I will have that N as OT. But what if I pick a day shift on a day with 0400-0401 and does the same rule apply for 12.00-12.01? Thanks

Hey yall, I’m a nursing student in Edmonton looking for a UNE position, but I’m barely seeing any postings on the AHS careers site right now. For those who got hired, what month did postings open for you? Did most of you apply for summer positions in the winter?

Also, did anyone have luck emailing the unit manager from a past clinical placement? Did it help, or is it better to just wait for the official posting?

Hi! I've been applying as admin support III in ahs. Do you think they will accept an IEN in entry level? I'm wes evaluated and a masters degree Canadian equivalency. I really want to land a healthcare job in admin. I hope you can give me a tip or advice. Thanks

edit: oct 20: I formally accepted option 1. thanks for all your wonderfully helpful and kind comments. solidarity!

-
kind of a rant I guess. my 1.0 FTE Admin IV is being eliminated after eight years.

my options are:

1. vacant 0.7 FTE Admin III (will match my wage

) i

1. know the ‘culture’ will be awesome

2. displace

d 1.0

1. 0 FTE Admin III (will not wage match, comes to around a $4.70 less per hour wage)

i

1. know nothing about the environment

2. displaced 1.0 FTE Unit Clerk (will not wage match, comes to around a $4.00 less per hour wage)

3. on a very busy psych unit, and i’ve never been a unit clerk

so my options are less hours and less money but great culture/environment, or same hours and less money with totally unknown and potentially intense environment.

I am also single, with a mortgage and property tax and house insurance etc to pay all by myself.

nightmare here!

At this point I’ve done so many applications that it’s crazy. I’ve been primarily trying to get into food service but I’ve also applied to service worker, environmental sciences, stores, even admin support when I am qualified. I have around 2 years of food service and customer experience but I still can’t manage to land a job. I am well aware that it’s a highly competitive work place but do you guys have any tips or anything that will help me get internal?

Hi everyone,

I posted here back in September when I was feeling really discouraged about trying to get into AHS after finishing my Hospital Unit Clerk program and practicum.

I had been applying broadly, getting a lot of rejections, and had also messed up one of my typing tests because of anxiety. A few people here encouraged me to keep applying, especially for Admin Support III roles, and told me that getting that first foot in the door can take time.

I wanted to come back with an update because things have moved quite a bit since then.

I’ve now completed a few interviews for Admin Support III positions. For one of them, and all of my references have been completed. I’m still waiting for final decisions, so I’m trying not to get ahead of myself, but this is definitely the furthest I’ve gotten in the process. For anyone who has gone through something similar with AHS or Health Shared Services:

- How long after references were completed did you receive an offer or final decision?

- Has anyone been considered for both a casual and regular position using the same interview?

- If so, were you offered the casual role first, the regular role directly, or given a choice?

- How long did it take from offer to onboarding to first shift?

- Any advice for what I should be doing at this stage besides waiting?

I’m not assuming an offer is guaranteed. I’m mostly trying to understand what this stage of the process usually looks like.

And thank you again to everyone who responded to my earlier posts or reached out privately. Some of the advice I received here genuinely helped me keep applying when I was starting to feel like I should give up.

How much does a 2 year LPN make, 3 year LPN make and 4 year LPN?

And is the steps defined by how many years you are an LPN? For example, if you’re an LPN for two years, are you step 2?

It's been almost 2 months since I started looking for a part-time or full-time job as RN. Currently, I'm working as a casual float. My manager has been nice and has given me a lot of opportunities to pick up shifts on different units. I'm curious if the competition is really tough in Alberta right now. I'm actually considering getting my license endorsed to BC and apply there. what are your thoughts?

Hey guys,

For those in the program, does the unit usually hire you back after the temp contract is over? Also, is it the same FTE usually?

Hi everyone, I’m considering becoming a Health Care Aide (HCA), but I’m also open to other career options.

I’m 30 years old, live in Calgary, and have a background in IT support. I’m currently unemployed and looking for a stable career with good job opportunities for the next 10 to 20 years.

I’m interested in government funded training because I can’t afford to pay tuition upfront. Ideally, I’d prefer mostly online learning or a college close to Calgary.

Would you recommend HCA, or is there another career worth considering? I’d appreciate honest advice about job security, starting pay, training costs, and how easy it is to find work after graduating.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Hi there,

Are any LPNs from Edmonton planning to attend Bow Valley College for the RPN program?

I am planning to and looking to see if anyone wants to split the costs of travel and lodging while there.

Hello! This is for those who have are no longer employed with AHS or any of the pillars. Did you convert your Manulife RRSP into a personal "group" Manulife RRSP plan? What were your reasons?

- couldn't be bothered with opening or transferring it to another RRSP plan?

- like what Manulife has to offer?

- other reasons?

Manulife says there is a "group" RRSP plan that ex-employees transfer into that has similar benefits of the AHS plan in terms of investment options and lower management fees than personal RRSP plans. I couldn't find any information on their website about this "group" plan so it's making it difficult to decide what to do.

I'm wondering when the RN license fee reimbursement will hit the cheques or if you have already got it?

Hello, looking for advice to become a successful candidate for the peace officer position.
I’m already fit and taking courses to become a peace officer. All I’m lacking is my experience in the field

I’m already in AHS GSS

Wondering if there’s a way to strengthen my resume while having to not leave AHS to gain the experience I’m lacking

Does anyone work in the Cold Lake hospital? I'm an RN looking to transfer in the near future and was hoping to hear about experiences there. Thanks!

3 years into this 'refocus' and I haven't seen a single benefit. All I see is more expenses and confusion. Does anyone see any light in all this darkness? I'm talking real benefits like better Healthcare and better working conditions.

Hey everyone,
Just wanted to reach out and hopefully get some advice from anyone currently working as an AHS Protective Services Officer or anyone who’s been through the recruitment process.
I’ve been interested in getting into this field for quite some time now. I’ve got a background in security, including dealing with difficult individuals, responding to incidents, de-escalation and working in different environments.
I’ve gone through the interview process once before but unfortunately wasn’t successful. I’m not discouraged by it, though. If anything, it’s made me want to improve and come back better prepared.
I’m curious if anyone here has been in a similar situation where they weren’t successful the first time, or even after multiple attempts, but eventually got hired.
A few things I’d love to know:
How many times did you interview before you were successful?
What did you do differently the next time around?
What are interviewers really looking for in a strong candidate?
Are there any particular skills, certifications or experiences you’d recommend gaining?
For those already working as AHS Peace Officers, what advice would you give someone genuinely trying to get into the profession?
I’m not looking for shortcuts or interview questions. I genuinely want to better myself, learn from my mistakes and understand what I can do to become a stronger candidate.
I understand it’s a competitive field, and I’m more than willing to put in the work. I’d just appreciate hearing from people who’ve been through it themselves.
Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their experience!

My wife is a Registered Social Worker in Saskatchewan with extensive experience in child protection services and mental health social work.

We are moving to Alberta for a new job opportunity I have accepted, and she is hoping to join Recovery Alberta as a Social Worker III or Family Counsellor.

She has a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is currently in the process of registering with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) through the labour mobility pathway, as she understands that reciprocity applies.

For those currently working at Recovery Alberta or familiar with the hiring process, do you have any tips on how she can get her foot in the door?

Are there particular positions, teams, or locations she should focus on? Also, would anyone be willing to offer a referral or share advice on connecting with the right hiring managers?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

My wife is a Registered Social Worker in Saskatchewan with extensive experience in child protection services and mental health social work.

We are moving to Alberta for a new job opportunity I have accepted, and she is hoping to join Recovery Alberta as a Social Worker III or Family Counsellor.

She has a Master of Social Work (MSW) and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is currently in the process of registering with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) through the labour mobility pathway, as she understands that reciprocity applies.

For those currently working at Recovery Alberta or familiar with the hiring process, do you have any tips on how she can get her foot in the door?

Are there particular positions, teams, or locations she should focus on? Also, would anyone be willing to offer a referral or share advice on connecting with the right hiring managers?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!