lorna84

I've been here for 2 years and it's nothing like the crime rate in the UK full stop. I had to laugh the other week as the main headline on the evening news was about someone who'd breached their parole conditions for a minor crime. When would that even make the news in the UK?? My husband (an auzzie) will often comment on how dodgy a particular area is but to be honest, being from Manchester, his idea of a dodgy area would be what I consider a decent one :wink:!

Hi guys I'm just getting registered after a year. All I did for criterion 8 was ask uni to write me a letter on headed paper stating that I had indeed fulfilled the criteria. Just make sure they sign it and stamp it and they will accept it. Hope this helps.

The right hand doesn't know what the left is doing. They told me 2 weeks ago that they will register me (along with all diploma RMN's, child and learning disability nurses) but with a 12 month supervision condition. However, they have since sent a letter to say that although this is the case, they are still having a meeting about it on the 6th November and it will be up to 3 weeks after this before my name is on the register! When I asked them what the supervision order would entail they honestly said they didn't know!!! They've had to back track as they know they're in the wrong but they don't know how they're going to deal with it. Employers don't want to know either as they don't understand so I'm not employable. I couldn't even take a job I was offered working in a depot clinic as I would need to be supervised, despite having jabs more bums than they've had hot dinners!!! It's an utter disgrace for ALL fields of nursing!! Experience should be counted for yet it's tossed aside as they prefer pieces of paper instead of hard work and dedication. Speak to any Hospital or clinic and they're crying out for nurses and are really upset with AHPRA. I totally agree with you globetrotters, we're being used to fill a financial hole!

Hi cityboy That's the same timeline as me. To be honest, it was the Subiaco office that messed me around in the first place otherwise I would have had my application in earlier than October! Unfortunately it only applies to mental health, Paediatric and learning disabilities at the moment. Apparently the supervision restriction is for 12 months so finding a job is still going to be difficult. Which visa were you on when you applied? I was on a WHV at the time so it doesn't apply to me but it's looking like all those who had an ANMAC assessment prior to February this year will be registered. I know over East there has been a lot of campaigning and it's looking like a lot of people are going to be registered but I'm struggling to find people who are doing the same thing in Perth.

I was referred for the Bridging programme last week but AHPRA have since contacted me again to say that they are going to register me after all but it will be with restrictions. This applies to all Diploma Nurses that are qualified in Mental Health, Paediatrics or Learning Disabilities. A note will be placed on the system to say that we can only work in these fields (which is the same as the UK) and it will mean we will need to be supervised but haven't stated for how long. I'm awaiting further information at the moment and they have said that they are trying to push these applicants through asap (AHPRA speak for anything between now and next Christmas)! Don't know how perspective employers will react to this?

Hi Jac, did your friend get assessed by ANMAC prior to lodging her application? I didn't get assessed by ANMAC as I was told that I didn't have to with my partner Visa. AHPRA have told me they will register Nurse's who applied before Feb but only if they were granted a skilled workers Visa and had an ANMAC assessment which means they still want me to do the IRON programme.

The backlog is huge! I applied in October 2013 and have only just had a letter 2 days ago. They've denied my registration on the basis that I am a Diploma nurse but I'm waiting to hear from them about the new changes that grant mental health, paediatric and LD nurses registration with supervision as I am an RMN. They've referred me to do the IRON bridge course but the only places that do this in WA charge $12000 which most people, including me can't afford. Hope you guys hear soon and it's good news!

Thanks again! I've contacted AHPRA regarding registration with a supervision condition and my case officer is going to call me back. In the meantime I'll look at Chester Uni and see what I can do. Might as well see if I can top up regardless so nothing else comes back to haunt me!

Thanks Gaia, that's really helpful. I will contact my case worker asap to find out what exactly the supervision restrictions are and see if I can be registered under that ruling. Thanks too Carol! When I submitted my application last September I was oblivious to the new criteria that was going to be implemented like so many others were. If they would have given me a heads up then I could have topped up ages ago!. I completed the Advanced standing and the accredited Mentorship course which means I only need 1 more module to top up to the degree. I'm just wondering if there is anywhere I can do a single module online rather than the full course?

Cheers, will do!

Hi Jac I know, I've been following the threads for a while. I was just letting people know that AHPRA are finally putting people out of their misery and I wanted a rant :rolleyes:! Even though it was September, it was anyone who didn't have their application processed by this time so I was literally just out of luck. I know I'll end up doing the course and in a way I don't mind, it's more the expense. $12500 is ridiculous and I feel like it's been purposely set high in order to deter people from doing it. With no payment plan and only 12 months to find the money and complete the course it's essentially forcing people to give up or to get in serious debt, something I've already had to do in order to get my partner visa and can't afford to do again. It's this that has annoyed me more than anything as I know it will have annoyed countless others.

So here's my story.... I came to Perth in 2013 to be with my Australian partner and applied for a spouse visa (a hassle in itself). I'm a UK diploma registered RMN with 5 years post qualifying experience and thought that it would be easy to fill out some paperwork and register with AHPRA, which would lead to a happy career in Perth. I eventually got all my paperwork and documents together and lodged my application in September 2013 then waited...... and waited..... I lost count how many times I contacted AHPRA for an update. I was met with the same response each time, "we're currently assessing your application" "No we cannot give you a time frame" etc etc. Jump forward to March 2014 - six months after I lodged my application. I receive a letter stating that they have changed the way they are assessing internationally qualified nurses and now I need to provide further evidence to satisfy criterion 2,3 and 8. Despite the fact that I had been constantly calling and emailing them for six months, they had not once informed me that this was going to happen! So I decided to grit my teeth and set about collecting the new documentation. It was extremely difficult as the NMC and my University were not given a "heads up" from AHPRA about the planned changes and were struggling to cope with the high volume of irate nurses wanting more info and documents. I eventually got everything together and took them into the Perth office personally then waited.........and waited......... The calls and emails resumed and again it was the same response "we're currently assessing your application" "No we cannot give you a time frame".............aaaargh! Today though, I finally got my answer. After 1 whole year of tears, tantrums and frustration........................."you were not found to be eligible for registration" A whole year it has taken the masterminds at AHPRA to determine that despite the fact the NMC state that I am in fact a registered nurse, the fact my former colleagues hold me in high regard, the fact that I have devoted years to the care of people with mental illness and despite the fact that ANMAC say otherwise, I am not "eligible" to be registered in Australia. But wait.....there's a light at the end of the tunnel! AHPRA have been kind enough to inform me that if I complete a small 12 week bridging course, they will in fact be able to register me after all. Not ideal but I thought I'd check it out and have a look, I've jumped through enough hoops so I might as well get past the last hurdle, after all, I've been playing this game for 12 months. Only this small 12 week IRON bridging course is $12,500 (nope, I didn't accidentally add a zero by mistake!) Plus, AHPRA will only give you 12 months to complete it or no registration at all! I spoke to the course co-ordinators and they have said that they do offer a payment plan:- $1500 when I lodge my application $9000 before I start my clinical placement (4 weeks into the course) $2000 before I can get my certificate Not much of a payment plan! I looked around and found that some private clinics did the course at half the price and you could do your clinical placements with them but have recently and mysteriously stopped this (possibly before the p**sed off influx of international nurses start to bother them). So I'm left with a choice, do I find the money somehow within the next 12 months and do it, or kiss my dreams and career goodbye once and for all?? Well first I'm going to fight it. Tomorrow I'll be going to my local MP and arranging a meeting (apparently she's very approachable)! I'll see how that goes and I'll obviously appeal to AHPRA too. If anyone has anything to add or has a similar story I'd love to hear. Perhaps we can get together and do something about it? We've come this far after all...................xx

Hi Clairemolly I just wanted to thank you for your post and also say how sorry I am. I'm a Diploma Nurse who qualified in 2009 and applied in October too (I moved to Oz 18 months ago on a spouse visa as my hubby's an Ozzie). I thought everything was going to be straightforward with AHPRA (yeah right) but it's been one long nightmare. I was calling every week and NOT ONCE did they mention the new assessment criteria they were bringing in in February. When they did finally tell me (in March this year), I then had to get the NMC and Uni to provide further evidence as I'm sure you did too, yet they still didn't say that they won't consider Diploma. I still haven't had a decision from them, but reading your post means I know what to expect. I just wish they'd put me out of my misery!! When I do finally hear from them I'm definitely going to appeal and think the more of us who complain/appeal the better. I was also wondering what they said about your decision. Did they classify you as an enrolled nurse by any chance?? Obviously need to consider my next move - it's going to kill me to do a bridging course when I'm a RMN. Sure everyone else feels the same :mad: Thanks, Lorna.