registered nurse

clinical research assistant

clinical research coordinator

medical administrative assistant

postdoctoral fellow

The Ottawa Hospital

Although this is one of the few places in the hospital where unilingual staff can secure full time work, it is contract based. Pay is fair, deductions are somewhat high considering decline in benefits. Job security is low to moderate. Vacation is usually dictated by your teammates of greater seniority.

The work itself is not terribly difficult, nor as engaging as advertised. It is likely very dependent on your team however. In this instance, the environment was somewhat hostile, unprofessional and deeply problematic and would recommend avoiding it as a prospective new hire. Management and HR do not typically address any issues or shortcomings. There will be no intervention with the aim of resolution. If there are any potential issues, do not make yourself a target, simply engage in your work, do not become vocal, and seek other opportunities promptly. If your experience is positive, that is wonderful. If it is negative, please do not let this organization be your only impression of this important and evolving field. 

Still, with the right perspective, and the understanding of the short term nature, this is a good temporary opportunity for a year or less, to get one's foot in the door or get some entry experience, and then move onward.

While I loved the job that I was hired to,do,and the programme I was hired to work for, my job changed 7 times in my last year. I went from supporting one Clinical Manager across three sites to supporting four Clinical Managers across all sites, which was impossible. It was cut back to three Clinical Managers across all sites. I was supported by my original  Clinical Manager to try to make it work. Ultimately, we were both laid off. 
It was a very politically charged environment. I would not recommend it to anyone. 

In addition to the above problems, the Director was very uncooperative accommodating my physical disability and the process took over six months. Had I not been laid off, I would have pursued legal action, but was forced to sign a nondisclosure document as well as being forced not to pursue the issue with the  Human Rights tribunal.

Healthcare is a very toxic environment to be in these days. I have worked in the industry for 35 years and have endured two layoffs due to budget cuts. I’m still looking for full-time work. 

Dedication,, hard-work and loyalty are not rewarded.

Great with a gym in the basement for a stressful day at work, working for other coworkers, workload ...
I have SMS computer work, OASIS blood and diagnostic imaging duties along with right fax and regular faxing of prescriptions, tests...  CCIS computer work that showed us the other hospital's status of beds available for transfers or discharges...
The easiest part of the job is going down the stairs to go to the first floor in order to get the mail and distribute the envelopes, boxes to the doctor's offices or research nurses or nurses offices.
The hardest part of the job was trying to obtain an ambulance for the Heart Institute or for the Burn Unit or to go to Cornwall or other institutions.  I learned how to work in a fast paced environment by multi-tasking and doing many things like answering the phone and opening the doors for visitors at the same time as I was wearing a headset to talk on the telephone .    The managers were busy with many emails and about 100 nurses to monitor.  I enjoyed the coworkers and the volunteers and the beautiful skylights bringing the sun in the office as it was the new state of the art desk.

A typical day at work as an Admission Control Clerk involves an understanding of the hospital setting and the general function of departments such as Laboratory, Radiology, Pharmacy, Operatice Suites, Emergency and the Post Analgesic Recovery Room. 

Since working at The Ottawa Hospital I have learned about various policies and procedures used in everyday health care. 

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the management. Management ensures a professional and attentive workplace offering many opportunities to broaden my skills and grow as an employee.

The hardest part of the job is to ensure prioritization of critical orders while in a high stress and fast paced environment. However this also makes the job the most enjoyable. It provides me the opportunity to perform well during these situations and ensure that the wellbeing of the patient is always the utmost importance.

I loved my decade spent at the hospital. The work environment is incredibly fast-paced but the support you have from coworkers makes it all work like a well-oiled machine. 
The learning curve is very intense and you have to be quick in this environment so it's not for everyone. You will have a lot of responsibility and what seems like not enough time to do it all. 
If you like problem solving, challenging yourself, and helping people TOH will be great for you. Just be careful not to burn yourself out because there is never a shortage of overtime if you're willing.
CONS: Staffing is quite hard to work with, as they've got a very difficult job, so that's something that may frustrate you at some point. The union, CUPE 4000, is not always on your side or looking out for your best interests, as they might imply, so you have to stand up for yourself sometimes.

I still have nightmares about my time at the Ottawa Hospital. I came into the job as a casual supply worker and left within 3 months. Throughout my time I was bullied by my co-workers, lied to by management who promised the world but delivered nothing, backstabbed by my trainer who left me during training to go for a 2 hour smoke break, while I had to answer angry phone calls from the departments who were missing supplies, and witnessed two nurses break down crying in the supply rooms because they were screamed at by the ward matrons. 

This problem with the hospital boils down to the fact management has no real power. They cannot fire you, they can't really discipline you without the union getting involved. I had to wait over an hour and a half for one of my trainers to show up as he was late. When he finally arrived, his reasoning was "I was sleeping". If you're an uneducated, lazy bully, SPD is the department for you.

This place is excellent if you are a young researcher staring out in science, a clinical fellow, trainee, etc. This is very much a science work culture where it is extremely competitive and long hours - however there is a good sense of fellowship amoung the PIs/scientists/technicians/researchers. 

Although I was contracted I always had job security and the benefits/pension was great. Also, management was very hands off and so I had some autonomy and could work at my own pace as long as the work got done which was good. Finally, I got fantastic references from my supervisors which helped me immensely in my next career going forward. If you are willing to work at the doctors/scientists' pace and adapt yourself you will be just fine!

Work load is easy to manage & staffing goes the extra mile to make sure your work/life are well balanced. Salary is fair. Management is polite and fast to reply to inquiries. Job advancement is seniority based, even if newer employees present greater assets. However, being unionized, your Job is secure for the long run, with position shuffling for casual / temporary staff. Work environment is mostly friendly, and coworkers work as a team. The Hospital's mission of treating patients like they're family is followed through daily, and ethics are maintained well. I personally had some experience with some staff members entering petty arguments, but it is resolved by management within a few weeks.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Lots of opportunity to change roles

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Toxic work environment. No respect for work-life balance. Corporate focus changes on a whim and frequently. Nepotism. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Very poor. You are just a warm body and if you don’t make yourself available 24/7, you will not be successful. Expectation is that you are never truly on vacation or away. Too many priorities with no time for meaningful work or ability to close off one project before having 6 more assigned. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Starts at 06:00.  Back to back meetings. Required to do frequent check ins with staff and advance projects despite constant meetings. Answering emails at 10:00 at night.

OHC is a staffing agency with a few regular clients. It can be a great place to work if you are able to impress some of their more frequent locations but it would be better to apply to those places directly. The management is extremely disrespectful and unorganized. As a full time employee i was expected to have a completely open schedule but would not be given enough shifts in one week to even come close to full time employment. The company also pays their employees minimum wage with no benefits even though their employees often have to travel to different locations every day and often have to work 12 hour shifts or longer with no food provided.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Registered nurse 6 salaries reported	$43.00 per hour
Clinical research assistant 1 salary reported	$30.15 per hour
Clinical research coordinator 3 salaries reported	$71,951 per year
Medical administrative assistant 8 salaries reported	$27.19 per hour
Postdoctoral fellow 4 salaries reported	$51,362 per year

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