Becoming a nurse in Australia with a United States degree.

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  1. by Feb 1, '11
    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
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  3. 3 Comments so far...

  4. Feb 1, '11 by
    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...
  5. Admin
    Feb 1, '11 by
    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.
  6. Feb 5, '11 by
    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
    TalleRN and Silverdragon102 like this.