Becoming a nurse in Australia with a United States degree.

[Mindylane]

Hi all,

I am planning on going back to school to become a nurse. I am in the preliminary stages (taking prerequisites here in the United States.) My husband is Australian, and we went through the pain in the butt process of getting him his citizenship here. I had spent a great deal of time there, but I came back to finish my schooling, and he followed shortly after.

It will still be 2+ years in the future, but I am wondering if it is possible, and if it is, easy, to become a nurse in Australia if you've got your license in the United States. His family lives in Ballarat (an hour or so out of Melbourne) so if it varies by state, I suppose I'm inquiring about Victoria, in general. I've researched it a bit and was unable to find much corroborating information, so if anyone knows or has any experience, I would greatly appreciate it!

Regards,

Mindy

[Mindylane]

And just in case anyone was wondering, I realize there are other posts that are similar, but I think my visa status would be reasonably easier, since I'm married to someone who is already a citizen...

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

The only difference is obtaining your visa allowing you to live and work in Australia, you will still have to meet AHPRA requirements for International trained.

[talaxandra]

Silverdragon is, as always, right. There are two hurdles for OS-trained nurses, and the relative ease you'll have clearing one has no effect on the other. There are several US-educated nurses working here who post, so there's first-hand knowledge available.

I'd start here, including the minimum requirement of a Bachelor degree for registration as an RN, and pay attention to the recommendations for CV layout. Also bear in mind that you are unlikely to get a position in a supported graduate-transition program (for which there's keen local and Kiwi competition), so having post-registration experience in the US will improve your employment chances here.

Good luck :)