What are the opportunities for career progression in nursing in Oz, and especially how do they compare with those back home?
In my research of this topic I've come across this article about Queensland: http://www.ajan.com.au/vol30/issue4/4eley.pdf
and something about nurse practitioners, but who are already very senior in role: http://theconversation.com/australia-could-do-so-much-more-with-its-nurse-practitioners-17693
Of course, things in the UK are not great career progression-wise either, http://journals.rcni.com/doi/full/10.7748/ns2014.04.28.35.14.s18
but opportunities for training are generally good.
The reason I am asking is because I would like to do a nursing degree in the UK, with the view of emigrating to Oz, at the (1) earliest and (2) best opportunity. The earliest for me would be one year after registration, but the question is would that necessarily be the best time? Should I get a few more post-registration speciality qualifications in the UK, if they are more difficult/expensive to do in Oz? Or would I be better off doing all my post-reg training in Oz (as the local employers might prefer local courses)?
For what it's worth, I'm in my mid 30s, changing career from academic research in Psychology and primary care to hopefully a practising career as a nurse. I'm still quite fond of research and the academia, so I would like to envisage the chance to do research and perhaps get involved in university teaching further down the line - but that's not a deal-breaker. I haven't started my nursing pre-reg MSc yet, but will do so this year - with a view of emigrating in 3-4 years.
Any specific insights or more general thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
