Official nurses thread!

**planky** · 24-02-2008, 10:11 AM

Hi guys, I'm Alison, I work in elderly/medicine and have been wkth NHS for 5 years; so not as experienced as some of you! My husband works in IT. We have 3 sons; 20, 15 and 10. We are just at the starting point with the agent and are having lots of panic struck moments like 'Oh my god...what are we doing'! and we've just started!!!!!
We are very undecided on what area we should go to but seem to think it will be Perth or Gold Coast......it all seems unreal.
Anyway, I think this thread for nurses is an excellent idea then we don't have to bore other people silly! I've millions of questions; main one at present is 'When should I start applying for jobs and how do I do it'? This will obviously help us decide where to go. Or is it far too early, would imagine I would have to have visa or register with a state before employers would even look at me, but as I said I don't really know what I'm doing at moment...just going with the flow!
Any advice would be invaluable!

**jill cakebread** · 24-02-2008, 10:15 AM

Hi everyone, Im a midwife working in Sheffield, very busy unit but go home most days thinking what a brilliant job, the other day delivered two babies in one shift, was buzzing all that day. How many people can say they feel like that about their days work. some days feel honoured to be part of a very personal event. Hoping to work in australia just for a year applying for jobs now, going for holiday in May and would like to go September.

**Mongrel** · 24-02-2008, 11:17 AM

Hi all been in Perth for two weeks now. I have worked with stroke patients for three and a half years since i qualified. Im 47, a late starter! Start work tomorrow at Sir Charles Gairdner hospital on the neurosciences ward, two orientation days mon and tues. Very nervous but looking forward to it at the same time. This thread is a fab idea! Its nice to be in direct contact on here with other nurses :)

**Bonnie and Clyde** · 24-02-2008, 11:50 AM

Hi All,

Great idea Mags.

Good luck at work tomorrow Yorkshirepom - let us know how it goes!

Im in process of sending off skills assessment. Thanks to help here (inc Mags!) it will be in the post early next week. Isn't the worst bit when you are waiting for the other parties to do their bit - Im waiting on get my certified docs back via friend of a friend. Wouldnt go down that route again!

Anyway, then on with the 175 application. Looked at all 38 pages last night - gulp!

Tricky bit for me now is proving Clyde as defacto partner. Wish Id kept more evidence!!! Ah well, good to meet you guys - Good luck.

Bonnie x

**dawnie** · 24-02-2008, 12:58 PM

I worked on orthopeadic trauma and elevtive ward for nine years and now work on isolation ward c-dff and mrsa. I would like to go to australia but have been told too old as im 45, 46 this year. What other way round could i try if possible could any one give me any ideas thankyou dawn

**Mongrel** · 24-02-2008, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by dawnie

I worked on orthopeadic trauma and elevtive ward for nine years and now work on isolation ward c-dff and mrsa. I would like to go to australia but have been told too old as im 45, 46 this year. What other way round could i try if possible could any one give me any ideas thankyou dawn

I was 46 when i applied.I am here on a 457 visa, the hospital is sponsoring me. Then they will sponsor me for pr. Hubby came on my visa. You are not too old!:)

**sharon** · 24-02-2008, 01:53 PM

Gday,

Ive been on the gold coast for 3 months working on a neurosurgical ward at the Allamanda hospital. So far everything is going well the staff are really friendly, ward manager is great as in off duty and stuff as I have two kids millie 5 Harry 4. Staffing levels are great I have just come in from a late shift and had 5 patients and none of them were really unwell.

Having said that I was one of the few who wasnt leaving the UK because they are disillusioned with the NHS, I actually loved my job in the UK, I worked as a specialist nurse with patients who have had a subarachnoid haemorrhage for 2 days a week and worked for 2 days with the critical care outreach team. so although the ward is nice it is not very challenging and for anyone who is used to working as an autonomous practitioner they may find that it is very much going backwards as in you cant do anything without the doctors strict orders and this can be frustrating as well as possibly deskilling.

but it is only early days yet and for now the job suits me as I can focus more on settling into life down under. Which I have to say has so far been a lot easier than I was expecting, my kids have just took to Aussie life with no problems ( mind you what kid wouldnt when your at the beach most days and in and out of the pool.) Also the Allamanda is a private hospital so I dont know if things are the same in the public sector.

Word of warning anyone heading to wellington point, Cleveland areas, my friend has been working at Greenslopes nad she said it is worst than in the uk, on most shifts she has 10 patients on her own with a care assisstant and most of them are on a PCA and need assistance with all their ADLs she also said morale is really low all the staff are moaning and looking for jobs elswhere, as is she, she has just had an interview at the redland bay hospital. I do trust her opinion as I worked with her for 7 years in the UK and she is a hard working positive and motivated nurse, so BEWARE.

good luck to everyone

sharon

**BRAMBLE** · 24-02-2008, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by dawnie

I worked on orthopeadic trauma and elevtive ward for nine years and now work on isolation ward c-dff and mrsa. I would like to go to australia but have been told too old as im 45, 46 this year. What other way round could i try if possible could any one give me any ideas thankyou dawn

Hi, I think if you go down the sponsorship route there may be a way around the age thing. I'm sure there is a way round it. Have you spoken to an agent or done a thorough earch of the DIMA site?

Good Luck ! Sarah

**BRAMBLE** · 24-02-2008, 03:14 PM

Hello all, I am a critical care nurse (37),husband an ODP (41) we have two children 7 & 3 and hoping to move to a critical care post in Perth at sir charles gairdner hospital. We have just put our house on the market and the first viewer has offered the full asking price and so we are in shock! It's all going to happen very quickly now and I feel sick with excitment. We have been on holiday to Perth before on holiday which was a massive culture shock! So all being well we will be down under in a few weeks.

I also love everything here in the UK and I am not unhappy. However I do get fed up with long, cold dark winters and not being able to spend time outdoors. I am looking forward to some sunshine and in patricular we are looking forward to our sons health improving. Our son has very bad allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma and eczema. This dramatically inproved in Perth despite the fact it was there worst time of the year for hay fever.

Anyway Good Luck to all applying and to those already nursing over there let us all know what it's like.

Sarah x

**murphandelf** · 24-02-2008, 04:32 PM

Hi All,
I'm Mary and have been nursing 27 years, including training. Strange, cos I'm sure I'm only 29 years old!! Anyway, currently working as a heart failure nurse specialist in the community, but prior to that all my experience has been in secondary care. Waiting for a case officer currently. Hoping to move early next year - everything crossed. Desperately trying to get my Masters dissertation finished in the hope that it will improve my job prospects when I get there. Not sure where we're going to aim for, but probably somewhere along the east coast (vague or what??)
Good luck to everyone waiting, and waiting, and waiting......
Mary