Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Northern dreaming

I was so discouraged at work today as the day unfolded into very close to a nightmare, meaning I'd have been screaming if I wasn't very much awake - but enough whining. It sure made the checking out of the Nunavut Nurses ad/website I found in the nursing journal more than a temptation and an escape plan. Here check it out for yourself:

www.nunavutnurses.ca

Salary + BonusesNurse compensation is detailed in the provisions of the Collective Agreement between the Government of Nunavut and the Nunavut Employees Union. The current contract was ratified in July 2008.

Nunavut Nurses Base Salary:$68,710-$102,458
Northern Allowance:$13,563-$31,251
Annual Special Allowance:$9,000-$19,500
Signing Bonus:
$5,000 on signing,
$5,000 at 18 months
$10,000 at 30 months
Monthly Retention Bonus:
0-5 years of service=$375 per month
5-10 years of service=$400 per month
10-15 years of service=$450 per month
15-20 years of service=$500 per month
20+ years of service=$550 per month
Mentorship Allowance:$500 per month to provide mentoring to recent graduates.
Professional Development Initiative:$3,000 to $6,330 annually per nurse depending on the home community, towards the cost of attending conferences, taking courses, etc.

Now I haven't packed my woolies yet but I'm just saying (to quote the baby daughter) it's something worth considering. Would clear up the visa balance in a hurry and would be a great start to head out on some of my travels. Even with my deficient math skills it's not hard to see I'd be making at least double up there and that would be for example a homecare nurse which would be less responsibility than the present.

It sounds as if my proposed travel partner (travel dependent on not having to give up her firstborn son to cover the incident below) would be ready to head north with me for sure.

I read your blog we should be together. My car broke down yesterday and it looks like the transmission. Hopefully most of the work is covered by the extended powertrain warranty I bought but....The story includes the two characters I met at this local garage could have been from the hills in Arkansas, I swear, no one could be that dirty and greasy at 9:30, without a build up from over the week. One character initially makes the diagnosis then retreated to his computer and the 'father' who is as clean as a whistle and claims he does all the work although his son is 'self-taught'. Can you picture it? I call my brother who is working painting at a nearby school and he tells me 2 of the supervisors on site are going back to town so maybe I could get a drive with them. So I'm waiting in this garage and they pull up, windows down hollering - Is there a damsel in distress here? which did cause #1 son to look up from the computer and say - that's just what you need. I walked over to the truck and one guy says, we got you a med. tea at Tim Horton's, I said thats lovely thank you but a stop at the liquor store is more appropriate!I called the dealership when I got back and the service supervisor looked it up and I have a powertrain warranty up to 115,000 kms so hopefully the necessary work is covered. The estimate from the other garage was $2,300 so needless to say I walked around in a fog for the day. I haven't heard anything yet so I figured they haven't looked at it yet.

So please send positive thoughts to her as it appears she requires an intervention in the luck department this week.

Now, enough dreaming, I must get my act together and find surfaces for the cleaning wildwoman who will arrive in the a.m.