Zoe Coton Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hi everyone :biggrin: I wondered if you could give me any advice? I'm a 3rd year student nurse in the UK due to qualify with a BSc (hons) degree in adult nursing in September this year. I really want to spend 12+ months in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa, travelling and I'd love to be able to work as a nurse whilst doing so! However I have found that most hospitals I have contacted are only happy to employ nurses with at least 1 years experience. I've read on a few forums here that some agencies are happy to employ new qualified nurses? I'd really appreciate hearing of anyone's experiences or knowledge on how I could go about this? I wouldn't be in a financial place to go until at least February 2015 so I will have 6 months experience and would like to work in the Queensland area. Thanks! Zoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hi sorry, my little boy has my left hand so I cant type much. I know the agencies all look for 12-24 months experience. You may struggle if its not a permanent visa as employers can only keep you for 6 months. It would probably take you that long to become familiar with the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoe Coton Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 Hi sorry, my little boy has my left hand so I cant type much. I know the agencies all look for 12-24 months experience. You may struggle if its not a permanent visa as employers can only keep you for 6 months. It would probably take you that long to become familiar with the place. Thanks Jac. That's what I was worrying about, although I've heard some agencies do offer a travelling scheme. If not I guess I'll just have to do normal care work whilst I'm out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Iv spoke to a 'lot' of agencies and the best I could get was 12 months work experience and I have been researching and asking around a lot! There is one agency that may be able to put me forward for a permanent role with less than 12 months but this is based on me having a permanent visa and around 6 months work experience in a regional area(lower demand). I really would wait the 12 months out. I have also heard that if you don't complete the 6 months post qualifying in the UK you have to retrain once you are back in the UK as you haven't met the NMC minimum criteria of work experience. I'm not 100% sure on this as it was a while back I read it but I realised I needed to get 6 months minimum work experience. I will be getting 12 months work experience first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoe Coton Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Iv spoke to a 'lot' of agencies and the best I could get was 12 months work experience and I have been researching and asking around a lot! There is one agency that may be able to put me forward for a permanent role with less than 12 months but this is based on me having a permanent visa and around 6 months work experience in a regional area(lower demand). I really would wait the 12 months out. I have also heard that if you don't complete the 6 months post qualifying in the UK you have to retrain once you are back in the UK as you haven't met the NMC minimum criteria of work experience. I'm not 100% sure on this as it was a while back I read it but I realised I needed to get 6 months minimum work experience. I will be getting 12 months work experience first. I have a job secured for September at my local hospital so I will work for 12 months and then hopefully head out. I want to go to Queensland and even if I can get a 6 month contract somewhere I'd be happy, and then travel for the next 6 months of my visa. To see what healthcare is like out there is what I really wanna do. Fingers crossed. Do you know where you want to immigrate to in Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Hi, yes it would be Queensland too but we are thinking of heading out to Townsville, the healthcare facilities and employment situation looks good, plus it has the quiet, outdoors lifestyle we are looking for. I am still waiting for a job interview I have been promised in a private hospital near where I live as it would be in the area I love and a higher salary than NHS. I think most my cohort are aiming for private hospitals here in Nottingham. I think the NHS had better start re-evaluating nursing salaries soon. The private hospitals are paying £28k starting salary which all go's in the Oz pot :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chan8180 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hi Jac2011 your in a similar position as me just one year ahead ( I hope that 3rd year goes fast, if I spend as much time doing essays as I do reasearching Oz I should fly through !?!). I'm doing paed nursing and hoping to go on a reccie next year but can't decide where. I'm flipping between Adelaide then Brisbane but also recently to Townsville. I like the sound of it I'm from Devon so like large town feel , city ok for visit but I'm definitely beach laid back type. I have three young children so needs to be right! Have you enquired with agencies or hospitals who cover Townsville? If do what is the vibe like for jobs? I was put off Queenslandadt year when they were laying off a lot if nurses sp started to look at Adelaide but now wondering if things will have improved by then? Are you planning on doing a reccie beforehand? chantelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hi Chantelle, No reccie for us! It eats into too much of our initial funds and my husband has been to Oz before (albeit Adelaide). We personally feel that a reccie would show us a 'holiday' lifestyle rather than the everyday lifestyle so we are jumping in feet first! 3rd year flies by, you have so many things going on that before I knew it I was coming to my last month in lectures (final placement end of May)! I also preferred the assignments this year too. I cant comment on the job situation for paeds nursing but I did find the QLD health website had a lot of details of MH nursing departments/teams in Townsville, much more than was available for other areas of the state. I know there is the largest hospital in the North of QLD there and 2 other private hospitals. They also apparently struggle to recruit nurses due to the remote location. Townsville for us offers us 'the dream' we have in our mind. Sitting by the beach, with the children playing in Kayaks or a boat trip to Magnetic Island and cycling around the island. We want a nice property at a cost that wont kill our work/life balance and it would appear from realestate.com.au 'sold' prices we would get a lovely 4 bed property for $400k. We also have 3 children. The schools appear reasonable and there is the James Cook University which offers a reasonable amount of courses. My husband is looking at studying again there so that's why we don't want to break the bank with a large, expensive house. There are 2 public swimming areas that are free, that you can use when stingers are out. Plenty of shopping malls. And an airport for access to the rest of Oz. We also love driving so to us we have the opportunity for road trips to Cairns, Airlie Beach, Brisbane, GC, Sydney or Melbourne depending how brave we were and how much time we had! It ticks all our boxes and still offers us the rest of Oz on our doorstep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chan8180 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Hi Chantelle, No reccie for us! It eats into too much of our initial funds and my husband has been to Oz before (albeit Adelaide). We personally feel that a reccie would show us a 'holiday' lifestyle rather than the everyday lifestyle so we are jumping in feet first! 3rd year flies by, you have so many things going on that before I knew it I was coming to my last month in lectures (final placement end of May)! I also preferred the assignments this year too. I cant comment on the job situation for paeds nursing but I did find the QLD health website had a lot of details of MH nursing departments/teams in Townsville, much more than was available for other areas of the state. I know there is the largest hospital in the North of QLD there and 2 other private hospitals. They also apparently struggle to recruit nurses due to the remote location. Townsville for us offers us 'the dream' we have in our mind. Sitting by the beach, with the children playing in Kayaks or a boat trip to Magnetic Island and cycling around the island. We want a nice property at a cost that wont kill our work/life balance and it would appear from realestate.com.au 'sold' prices we would get a lovely 4 bed property for $400k. We also have 3 children. The schools appear reasonable and there is the James Cook University which offers a reasonable amount of courses. My husband is looking at studying again there so that's why we don't want to break the bank with a large, expensive house. There are 2 public swimming areas that are free, that you can use when stingers are out. Plenty of shopping malls. And an airport for access to the rest of Oz. We also love driving so to us we have the opportunity for road trips to Cairns, Airlie Beach, Brisbane, GC, Sydney or Melbourne depending how brave we were and how much time we had! It ticks all our boxes and still offers us the rest of Oz on our doorstep. Hi right that's is you've sold it to me lol I looked at Townsville a few years ago (ive been obsessed for the last 5/6 years but after having twins 3 years ago had to wait until they were 21 months to feel brave enough to start the nursing course) and have come back around to it again. It has a prison there as my OH may try to look at going back into this as a career or other security as he's ex forces and working abroad at the moment doing security to fund us moving there. All I think about is going, I should have been doing a pharmacology essay today but spent all day on internet and realestate lol . I hope the 3rd year essays are more interesting it may actually motivate me more to get off realestate .Ill have a look again on the queensland site, the children's unit at the public hospital doesn't seem a bad size, they have a small ward on the Mater but didn't realise there was another? I want to do a reccie mainly as an excuse to have a holiday and keep me going while I have the long wait for the visa! hoping it may also give the kids a lovely holiday and get them excited about going. What areas are you researching for houses? been looking at cost of houses at Arrandale and Douglas and all seem nice and within budget. Appeals that I will have short drive to the hospital too. Just want to go now at least planning the holiday will keep me going! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jac2011 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 I've been looking since 2008 too and stalking this forum! I had a uni interview at 38 week pregnant and got offered a place! I didn't think I would lol... It has been really hard doing the course with a baby alongside, especially as throughout the first year he slept by the side of my bed holding my hand in his cot. My husband worked away 4 days a week during uni days and sometimes on placements I had to get 7 buses a day just to take the kids to school and back and get to placement! I don't know how I did it. He's also struggled with febrile seizures and croup and had 4 stays in hospital during this time, alongside every other possible child illness he could get!!! He was sent to test me! When would you plan on going? We have been looking at new builds so it would depend on where they were building at the time. Currently there are some lovely homes in Bushland Beach but the school is quite a distance and the forensic MH facility I have my eye on is in the centre of town. I've not really isolated anywhere in particular to live a this stage as I know how easily I change my mind. When are you planning to go on holiday? I'm hoping to move over in Sept 15 when I have the 12 month experience. I am planning on a PR visa and setting a date 12 months to the day my NMC pin comes through! Then I can book accommodation and flights at the best price and we can have something to look forward too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chan8180 Posted April 13, 2014 Share Posted April 13, 2014 Bloody tough isn't it training with kids I could kick myself I didn't do it beforehand. I think its only the thought of what's at the end that keeps you going, must be same for you probably why I'm constantly on forums and researching ill go mad else. I'm looking at Reccie hopefully as soon as I qualify in Aug before I get a job and boys start school in September. Doesn't matter it will be winter if I go to Queensland will probably be a lovely time to visit. I finish uni the middle of August but it all depends on my OH rotation at work, he works 11 weeks away 3 weeks home. If not then ill have to take kids out of school and go on his next rotation hoping potential new job will be understanding of me taking 3 weeks off??? can always say I had it planned for a year and it was our celebratory holiday after the 3 years? I thinking of visiting two places, now swaying towards flying to Brisbane as have OH's friend there and then after a week going up to Townsville? Was also thinking maybe Adelaide but the extra cost is ruling that out especially as I don't think the job situation is as good for my OH from what I can gather? I'm not worried so much on me finding work I know ill pick up agency but more concerned about what he will be able to get so the reccie will be a holiday but also more for him to touch base with a couple of companies and get the feedback. Basically like you 12 months to the day my pin is though my flight will be booked, ill probably take Ilets towards my last year of Uni just in case I fail and have to wait again to rebook. Ill need to get everything moving fast as I've read that if arriving after Oct it will be harder to secure jobs until new year as most places on wind down for holidays and recruiting is slow. Also I would ideally like to finish the kids school year and not have to start then again for a short time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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