Forensic Nurising in Oz

gwenith, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2005

If you want to immigrate check the sticky at the top because the sooner you apply the better - it takes forever!! You would have the added step of having to apply to the Australian nursing and midwifery council as well as state registration (don't ask I have been trying to find out why there is this extra layer for immigration as opposed to Visa's) anyway lots of luck!!

Summer24 · Sep 25, 2005

If you want to immigrate check the sticky at the top because the sooner you apply the better - it takes forever!! You would have the added step of having to apply to the Australian nursing and midwifery council as well as state registration (don't ask I have been trying to find out why there is this extra layer for immigration as opposed to Visa's) anyway lots of luck!!

Surely I can't apply for immigration until I qualify. I was hoping that because I would be a nurse and it is on the SOL it would be fastracked. I plan to immigrate with my fiance, we will be married by that time though.

Summer

Interested Party · Sep 25, 2005

Ooops! We have sort of hijacked the thread! Sorry! But even though there has been a LOT of bad press for QLD health lately I still think there are some good parts of the ols system. Mind you Morris was on the money about the sheer number of paper pushers:p
Hmmmm I can always "split" this bit off to be general Aussie chat.

General Aussie chat for this topic? :lol2: Try it an see what happens.

Helen46 · Oct 7, 2005

Hi

I'm from Adelaide, South Australia.

I can't talk from personal experience, however, from what I know (plus I have just done a major paper on forensic Nursing in "Australia), I would suggest that you look to the US rather thatn Australia. Here, forensic nursing is not even recognised as a specialty. there is talk of trying to get it recognised. Colleges are just beginning to introduce courses in forensic nursing, but I have read that each course is geared to the needs of the local community.

The term 'forensic nursing' here relates to any nurse that is involved with nursing of offenders, rape victims, victims of assault etc etc. The term is most commonly used with nurses who work in correctional institutions (jails) as I understand it - and the majority of these inmates are also mentally ill. And in reality, these nurses are considered the 'failures of the Nursing world' due to the populations they work with. These nurses are known to be pretty miserable. Life for them is trying to control threat of violence, and from the people I have known, they tend to be somewhat 'damaged people' - they develop signs of mental illness themselves - or they have nasty violent streaks like the people they nurse - maybe its just othe ones I have met.

Try contacting Linda Saunders at Flinders University (south australia). She is the head of the nursing faculty there, and a specialist in forensic nursing. She also heads a forensic nursing course at this university.

But from what I know, 'forensic nursing' is just a term that is bandied around in australia. Unlike the US, there is no such specialist in australia at the moment - not like a 'mental health nurse, or a midwife etc - and its all quite miserable and scummy.

Helen

Hi all
I am contemplating moving to Sydney when I graduate. I lived there for 8 years and have loads of family there. I am currently in the UK and am a 1st year student nurse.
However my main interest is Forensic Nursing. I am wondering if it is a career that is possible to follow in Australia?
I have heard so much about it in the US, but never hear anything about it in Oz.
Any info on how I could research this a bit more, and I would be very grateful.
Thanks
Summer