Masters in Nursing

[Abs1999]

Hello I was just looking from some advice/if anyone else has been a in similar situation! 

I'm about to finish my current degree in Biological sciences and after I'm going to start a 2-year Pre-registration Masters in Nursing course which will allow me to become a registered nurse in the UK! This is slightly different to the PgDip in nursing, where I have seen mixed results online about those applying with this being accepted by APHRA. I am struggling to find anything online about the success of those being able to register with APHRA, who have done a 2-year masters in Nursing instead. So I was just wondering if anyone has had experience with this/know of anyone etc! My aim is to eventually move out and practice as a nurse in Australia as I was lucky enough to do a study-abroad year out there and fell in love with the country!

I know I'm a while away from starting the process, but it would be good to get an idea of what the success rate is like! 

 

Thanks

[DukeNinja]

Your best bet is to speak to someone at AHPRA directly. You don't want to waste two years of your life for nothing. Also bear in mind that as with any profession, nursing (or your chosen field of nursing) may not be in the skills shortage professions list by the time you are ready to apply.

[Marisawright]

What DukeNinja said.  Registration bodies like AHPRA can be rigid when it comes to unusual qualifications.  If it's not on their standard list, they're not interested in investigating whether it's equivalent, and all you get is a straight "no".  No idea whether that applies to your qualification but only AHPRA can tell you for sure.  Good luck.

I would also say, I hope you haven't chosen nursing just because you think it will get you a visa to Australia. It probably won't. Pre-Covid, there was a glut.  Newly qualified nurses were struggling to find work and some states had stopped issuing visas for nurses, unless you were willing to work in remote, difficult outback locations.  Thanks to Covid there has been a much increased demand and nurses have been getting visas--but that means that there's likely to be a glut again by the time you qualify and work the years of experience necessary to be eligible for a visa.

It's always hard to predict what professions will be in demand in future years, but I'd suggest checking what occupations are on the list that relate to the environment or ecology or conservation, which your degree would be relevant to.  If you can find an occupation where your degree counts towards the qualification, and you can move straight onto gaining work experience, you 'll reach your goal much more quickly.

If you haven't had a Working Holiday Visa yet, you might even be able to use that (next year) to gain work experience in Australia

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Marisawright

[Abs1999]

10 hours ago, DukeNinja said:

Your best bet is to speak to someone at AHPRA directly. You don't want to waste two years of your life for nothing. Also bear in mind that as with any profession, nursing (or your chosen field of nursing) may not be in the skills shortage professions list by the time you are ready to apply.

Yes I have actually tried speaking to someone at AHPRA, but they give the most general answers and are not too helpful at all! Yeah I am fully aware of that, Nursing is the career that I want to go into to if it's the case I'll just have to wait until there is the opportunity/ or use a working holiday visa!

Thank you for your advice!  

[Abs1999]

10 hours ago, Marisawright said:

What DukeNinja said.  Registration bodies like AHPRA can be rigid when it comes to unusual qualifications.  If it's not on their standard list, they're not interested in investigating whether it's equivalent, and all you get is a straight "no".  No idea whether that applies to your qualification but only AHPRA can tell you for sure.  Good luck.

I would also say, I hope you haven't chosen nursing just because you think it will get you a visa to Australia. It probably won't. Pre-Covid, there was a glut.  Newly qualified nurses were struggling to find work and some states had stopped issuing visas for nurses, unless you were willing to work in remote, difficult outback locations.  Thanks to Covid there has been a much increased demand and nurses have been getting visas--but that means that there's likely to be a glut again by the time you qualify and work the years of experience necessary to be eligible for a visa.

It's always hard to predict what professions will be in demand in future years, but I'd suggest checking what occupations are on the list that relate to the environment or ecology or conservation, which your degree would be relevant to.  If you can find an occupation where your degree counts towards the qualification, and you can move straight onto gaining work experience, you 'll reach your goal much more quickly.

If you haven't had a Working Holiday Visa yet, you might even be able to use that (next year) to gain work experience in Australia

 

Thanks for your advice, I have tried contacting AHPRA but they do give very general answers and were't too helpful at all! 

Yeah of course, nursing isn't a career to chose to just get a visa, anyone who does that would be making quite a big mistake your heart has to be in it for sure!

My degree is actually more focused on the biomedical side, where lab based work would be the majority of work and that isn't for me! I would much rather do a job I enjoy than do a job to just to get a visa to come to Australia quicker! I

I haven't had a working holiday visa yet and have seen it could be good option if nursing isn't on the list of skills shortage when it comes to it! 

Thank you for your advice/suggestions!