McFisher

Hi, Me and my husband are looking to move to Australia, however I need to first train to become a nurse to get us over there. Being a nurse is what i've always wanted to do anyway. Although i'm now knocking on at 35!! My mum works at a hospital and was talking to a girl who is doing her nursing and she said she looked into Australia too, and that she saw that you could get over there as a band 4, instead of a band 5 (nurse)....which would be amazing if its true, as it would mean we could shave a good couple of years off our waiting/training time. Does anyone know if this is correct? I am trying to look into it myself but am not having much luck at the mo... Thank you in advance xxx

Hi, you all ok? I'm just waiting on a start date for my job with nhs as apprentice clinical support worker. Very exciting though. Feel like I'm moving forward. My mum who is a band 3 in renal spoke to a girl who started off as a CSW and is now doing nursing has told mum that Australia are accepting band 4's and don't need to be a nurse. Has anyone else come across this? If its right then it's fantastic news. Means I can get to oz so much sooner. Xx

Well its been ages since I have been on here, have been mega busy...im still working in the nursing home on a dementia unit. I do love it although I isn't something I want to do long term... I have applied as an apprentice clinical support worker with the nhs. I have done an English and Maths test and im just waiting to see if I have an interview now. I really really want this job. Hope you are cracking on and getting nearer to your dreams, one day at a time....keep focused..im trying!!

Which access course people did you go with Stacey? well done for finally getting it sorted. x

I don't know if its different for me as im paying for my access course, but once you have started the course, they are not going to know you are doing an nvq? Im doing my nvq through work also.

On my access course I did level 2 maths and English which gives you equivalent to a C, then the science stuff (biology) is level 3, and this where you get the distinctions needed, hopefully..

Yep me to - I'm mortified that i'm even using the phrase 'by the time i'm 40'...I don't have any kids but I do have a full time job and a dog who is very full on, takes up a lot of our time. I went travelling with my husband when we were 25 for a year, was the best year of my life. we went to Thailand for 2 months, Indonesia for 2 months then Australia for 3 months. I want to move to Australia more than anything. x

For us we are saying its a 5 year process - we would like to be in Aus by the time we are 40.... How old are you Stacey? If you are young enough and patient enough then you can bide your time, get qualified and experienced as much as you can to give yourself the best chance of having your emigration application accepted. it will be so worth it. xx

I totally agree with all this - in my mind I want to move to Australia, have always wanted to be a nurse. If I didnt get to Australia I will still have a good career..

The course itself is good - they ease you in, so start you off nice and easy. So by the time you have to do proper work you are practiced in it. My problem is motivation, its difficult to get yourself moving when you are at home on your own... Who are you doing the access course with? when do you start? x

I didn't do very at school neither, got 3 viable gcse's...went straight into office work and have been doing that ever since, for 15 years, right up until last sept. I had started the access course the feb 2013, gave up my office job sept 2013, started work doing home help until jan 2014...had to leave there as there was no work/life balance. I had no life with the hours they gave me. So now i'm working in a care village, they do residential, nursing inc dementia, rehab and respite care...im doing care work to get the experience needed for uni. They will put me through my NVQ's which is good....

Im doing an access to nursing course at the moment and should be applying for uni next year, however I need to call a couple of unis today as I have missed the deadline to apply for this year, but UCAS have said they will accept late applications but to confirm it with the unis first.

Well make sure you go young lady, you will be so pleased that you did...yes it will be a bit hard to start with, but you will soon get into the swing of it and will be so worth it. Let us know how you get on, good luck xx

So tomorrow you can apply for college? What course is it? x

I didn't do study for around 15 years before starting this course, but they do ease you in....you just have to have the motivation, which I do struggle with. (my hubby is in Glasgow today at Parkhead watching Celtic) x

I like watching it, I certainly don't take it literally. I like seeing the different areas and what it says about the jobs. It annoys me that there is always a conflict from someone in the family who don't want to go. Is that a prerequisite to get on the show? it just seems to me that the presenter is using the same script every week, just changing the names.

Its going good - its taking a little longer due to me having to put it on hold for around 3 months cos of my job. I should have it finished in April. Its a good course, definitely sets you up for uni study. How are you doing? Have you started a course yet? x

I'm in Leeds, so Leeds, Bradford & York.

Thank you. Yes I think I am doing all I can to get on the uni course, and if they still turn me down then I don't know what I will do. I don't want to be a carer for the rest of my life, as fab and rewarding as the job is, £6.40 an hour isn't going to get me a great lifestyle and being a carer isn't going to get me to Australia. Lots of PMA needed.

Hi, All havent been on here for months, hadn't had the time... I wrote on this thread last year that I was starting my road to nursing...I gave up my office job last September, to start work doing home help, to get care experience ready for my uni application. However this job didn't work out as the company were horrible, giving me ridiculous hours. I ended up having to put my access to nursing course on hold (with DLC) which is annoying as I would have had this finished by now. Anyhoo, I have started a new job working in a care village (it is a nursing home, residential home, rehab and respite) which is much better as its more involved than home care. I have now restarted my access course which I should have finished by end of April. Because I had to put the course on hold I will now have to wait until next year to apply for uni, so in the meantime my employers will put me through my NVQ levels 2 & 3, so this should make my uni application more desirable (hopefully). So im a wee bit behind most of you, but I feel im getting there and at least doing something about it rather than moaning about it. I will get to oz by the time im 40 (fingers crossed, im 34 now). Good luck everyone x

WellI had my interview on Friday, and I then got a letter yesterday telling me that I have got the job!! Not sure when I start or when I can hand my notice in (this bit is scary as I have been there 7 years and is only a small company, it wont be received well, they see anything like this as a slight on them), I think I will need to wait for CRB check to come back. So i'm a wee step closer to realising my dream, i'm doing the course and now getting the experience...I just need to knuckle down now. x

Cherries002 - You will definitely deserve that drink or few when you are done - you must be so proud of yourself. Goes to show with a bit of hard work you can do anything. Well, i have an interview on Friday to be a home carer, the pay is only around £200 less a month, which for me isnt that bad, plus i could make it up in overtime once i get going - if i get the job of course. The job im in have kind of pushed me to this sooner than i was intending, i really do not like it here, have been here 7 years and cannot begin to imagine being her for another 18 months until i start uni. If i get this job they will put me on various courses which will look fab on my cv for uni...I just want to make sure that when it comes to selection i will be looked upon favourably, i dont want to go through all this work and planning for it to go wrong...just giving myself the best chance.

Good luck with your placement. Can i ask, were you in a caring type job before, when you say you were in a dead end job? did already have the necessary qualifications in order to get in to uni? I am doing an access course at the moment. and i'm thinking of leaving my office job to become a home help, in order to get the experience needed for uni also. It will mean a big drop in salary though, thats the only thing holding me back.

But i do think for yourself you need to also have experience, what if you go through all that training and you realise its not for you?

I think one of my problems is my age, im 34 already, so will be nearly 40 by the time i can start the ball rolling to apply to Oz. Does anyone on here think that will be a problem? x