Hi Sue
We've been here about 10 weeks now so are about at the same stage as you. You're bound to have bad days and its tough starting over but you'll get there in the end. These hurdles seem huge now especially when you are so far away from family& friends but you'll be fine.
Mandy x
Hi Sue, Im a nurse to and I left my first shift got in the car and cried my eyes out, I felt totally out of my comfort zone. Like you I think moving to a new dept. is hard let alone nursing in a completly differnt country, different drug names that was my thing. My first shift was on a medical ward and each patient had about 10 drugs Dr's seemed to use a mixture of generic names and brand names I just felt rubbish. I am pleased to say I did go back the next day and I have now been in Australia 7mths. Things do get easier but dont be to hard on yourself, have a good cry, let it out and try and keep positive, the emotional rollercoaster will carry on for a bit longer I wish you and your family all the very best and Id like you to know you sound like a very lovely nurse.
Hi sue
It all sounds a bit overwhelming. Thats just natural. Give yourself more time to adjust. I'm sure you're not alone in how you are feeling. Try to do something extra special on your days off. Take care of yourself. Let us know how you get on. Luv Wendy
PS. Bolton2England - Hiya, Lovely to hear from you. Don't have regrets. save up and return if you wish. It may take time but thats ok. Enjoy your time at home though and again do extra special things. Luv wendy
Sorry to hear your not having a great time of it yet, im a nurse and been here over 3 months-its hard to go to a new job with a whole new healthcare system...to be honest i still dont like my job but im keeping my options open for now. And i know what you mean about working so many shifts in a row, i had to do 2 weeks of days where i was on for 7 days in a row-its just not a life! I now nights, 4 one week, 3 the next-and its MUCH better as have several days off together to spend with daughter and plan trips but i guess night shifts arent for everyone. Im still finding it hard to meet people and feel pretty lonely at times but its still early days, keep your chin up. Hope things pick up for you soon.
Dear Sue,
I am currently in the process of getting to australia but i wanted to remind you of the reality of nursing in the UK. The NHS has contracted all of its services out to private companies so officially were not aloud to make drinks for relatives unless there loved one is dying, which is really kind not!!!, it also means we have never got enough bedding and the food is just a joke. Staff have to provide their own milk along with tea and coffee, so they don't care about there staff being hydrated. On my ward there is one nurse per 13 patients so as you can imagine care is stretched thinly and if you have one very poorly patient you might as well forget the others. The management are moaning that every single form they keep developing aren't being filled in, which is just more paperwork for us. As nurses we are expected to play role of social worker, physio, OT, nagging doctors to be doing the basic jobs they should be doing and yet nobody helps us with our role. And something else i am noticing more and that is being spoken to like dirt by both patients and relatives when we are doing our best with what we have got. In this country we work and fit our lives in around work with what i have experienced of Oz they work to live and enjoy their lives. My Husbands family moved out there 25 years ago and and they have said you got to give it a decent chance, they have told us to give it at least 2 years which i know sounds like a long time but it will still fly. So hang on in there and keep us updated with how you get on.
Location: leicestershire to perth, fingers crossed!
Posts: 559
hi sue good luck hon, take that wine and your husband and go watch a sunset somewhere on your next time your able and give each other a massive hug!!
bolton to brisbane, i think you brave, and your plus point is at least you validated, so you can go backl at leisure next time good luck to you guys too!
Having a bit of a downer if someone had given me the air fare back to uk this week sure would got on plane have been here 6 weeks (honey moon period i keep getting told)
Been at work for 4 weeks hubby still looking for work so much for promise " ring us when you arrive wont be a problem" He has been great, a great house husband only so much cleaning though . Think his fuse is running short I am working short days 8 hr shifts am full time so have been rostered 6 or 7 i days in a row not sure if coming or going Where i have gone to work nearly died on first day no support term i think hit the floor running (Oh the promises )difficult enough starting new job in your native land I ask questions but just get told well thats how we do it. one young nurse asked me today if I was newly qualified on asking why she said "oh you were offering patients relatives a cup of tea, you will soon learn" I replied its part of good care and dont plan changing a habit of a lifetime. she was not amused.
We are still looking for car sent hire car back monday as went to pay and collect new (2nd hand car) and they had sold it said we didnt leave a deposit was not asked was just told would hold till monday. not happy am now having to cycle to staion to get to work extra 2 hrs on my day so now cream crackered and grumpy Then yesterday looked at a car was told what we would get inc in price then saw it advertised on ebay for 5,000 less and was also staing make an offer spoke to garage and made a offer he said no then today rings hubby and said spoke to his boss and we could have car then 2 hrs later called to say needed 500 dollar deposit advised i was at work and asked OH could pay with credit card over phone sure he thought came off the bannana boat hubby refused and he said there are other people interested and we will loose the car told him cant do anything till mon he was then quite rude good job he didnt speak to me I would have killed him.
I just am struggling with all these hurdles I appreciate it wasnt going to be easy but not sure how much longer can fight perhaps sleep might help am trying to keep a brave face up for the family children in school and seem to be settling and cannot keep up rooting them
sorry to go on just needed to get it of my chest any advice would be much appreciated
just read your post and wanted to reply. dont give up it will all work out, its the hard times that make you appriciate the good when it works out and it will all of a sudden fall into place. And dont stop making the tea its nurses like you who make such a difference to familes who are going through a hard time and make such a difference.
Dear Sue,
I am currently in the process of getting to australia but i wanted to remind you of the reality of nursing in the UK. The NHS has contracted all of its services out to private companies so officially were not aloud to make drinks for relatives unless there loved one is dying, which is really kind not!!!, it also means we have never got enough bedding and the food is just a joke. Staff have to provide their own milk along with tea and coffee, so they don't care about there staff being hydrated. On my ward there is one nurse per 13 patients so as you can imagine care is stretched thinly and if you have one very poorly patient you might as well forget the others. The management are moaning that every single form they keep developing aren't being filled in, which is just more paperwork for us. As nurses we are expected to play role of social worker, physio, OT, nagging doctors to be doing the basic jobs they should be doing and yet nobody helps us with our role. And something else i am noticing more and that is being spoken to like dirt by both patients and relatives when we are doing our best with what we have got. In this country we work and fit our lives in around work with what i have experienced of Oz they work to live and enjoy their lives. My Husbands family moved out there 25 years ago and and they have said you got to give it a decent chance, they have told us to give it at least 2 years which i know sounds like a long time but it will still fly. So hang on in there and keep us updated with how you get on.
I completely agree with you Beverley! I recently moved from a ward into the critical care unit. Whilst critical care can be tiring and stressful it's by no means as bad as being on the wards (in England anyway). I was exhausted every single shift. Neither my kids nor I had any quality of life because I was too tired to even interract with them. There were two qualified nurses to twenty four patients on my ward and as you so rightly say it only takes one patient to be really ill or 'go off' and you're stuck. Many is the time I have been the only qualified nurse on duty looking after them all. I'm 43 years old and have never been reduced to tears in any of the jobs I've ever done prior to nursing, but I have shed many a tear on the ward and I'm not one reduced to tears very easily.
I worked long days (13 hour shifts) and more often than not we managed to get a 15 minute break in the morning but that would be it. We weren't allowed to have a drink at the nurses station (we had to go to the kitchen to get one) and we literally didn't have the time to do it because that took us away from the ward base. We were tested and were clinically dehydrated!!
I have been assaulted (by another nurse) visiting her mother who had had surgery two days prior and was experiencing trapped wind. I couldn't get to her for an hour because I was attempting to stabilise another patient who had become extremely ill (possibility that his aortic aneurysm had burst or he was having a cardiac event). When I could get to her I apologised to them for having taken my time, explained why, but was thumped in the chest, told 'it wasn't their problem' and 'I should have been there much earlier'.
I have been verbally abused by other staff, relatives and patients.
Morale is non existent. Everyone is exhausted. Nursing is not caring any more (certainly not here) and it's not through the fault of us nurses.
It must be hard to settle into a new job in a new country, but please try to tough it out. There are going to be hiccups, and some quite major ones I would imagine, for quite some time. I know that I'm certainly not expecting an easy ride but I'm determined to give it plenty of time to adjust because I can't stand being here any more.
Where i have gone to work nearly died on first day no support term i think hit the floor running (Oh the promises )difficult enough starting new job in your native land I ask questions but just get told well thats how we do it. one young nurse asked me today if I was newly qualified on asking why she said "oh you were offering patients relatives a cup of tea, you will soon learn" I replied its part of good care and dont plan changing a habit of a lifetime. she was not amused. 
