US or Oz?

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Specializes in OB/GYn, Orthopaedics, NeuroSx.

Hiya! My husband and I have been nursing here in the UK for 6 + years now. We both trained in the Philippines but are now British Citizens and are of course registered with NMC here.

With the Agenda for Change and all the uncertainties:confused: w/ the future of the NHS, we've decided we had enough of England and want to relocate to another country. The big question is: which one???

He wants to go to the US. I prefer Australia... maybe Melbourne.

Can anyone give me any advantage/perks of nursing in OZ to help me convince him to go for Melbourne?

Cheers!!!

:nuke:

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Specializes in ICU.

1) It's Australia - what more can you want? Lovely one day perfect the next:D

2) More unionised than America - so more set rules for employers

3) Free puiblic health care system - much like what you are used to in England

4) It's full of Australians - nice people those Aussies:D

5) Plenty of jobs available

6) Nicest and most unusual country on earth!!

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Specializes in disability.

Dear tohflo

I agree with the above comments by gwenith. But give Queensland a go sunshine beaches never worry about snow or beening cold great for arthrities suffers. Besides the shopping here is perfect you can buy anything :)

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Specializes in OB/GYn, Orthopaedics, NeuroSx.

How about annual leaves and benefits as a nurse? Is it pretty much the same here?

We get I think around 5-7 weeks (depending on your years of service) paid annual leave in UK. And off duties are very flexible especially for working mums like me.

Can I expect to get the same if I work in Australia?

Thanks Barb101. I'll do my research on Queensland... sunshine beaches and shopping... sounds like the perfect place for me!

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Having worked in both the USA and the UK my vote is for OZ. It has always seemed to me that the Australians really have their sh*t together. I think that healthcare in the US and UK are a mess basically. I've never been to OZ but I know many people who have worked there and no one has a bad thing to say about the place. Everyone seems to love it. I may go there.

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Specializes in ICU.
Having worked in both the USA and the UK my vote is for OZ. It has always seemed to me that the Australians really have their sh*t together. I think that healthcare in the US and UK are a mess basically. I've never been to OZ but I know many people who have worked there and no one has a bad thing to say about the place. Everyone seems to love it. I may go there.

Thank-you:thankya::cheers:

Yes we like it:D

As to the questions - in Queensland we get 6 weeks annual leave per year but we do not get public holidays off. We do get paid time and a half for working weekends and public holidays though.

We also get long service leave but this is only claimable after 10 years (but VERY nice once you have accumulated that:D)

Here is the official job vacancy website for Queensland health - it does not list all the jobs as there are a lot in private hospitals as well.

Think Nursing

Queensland Health's commitment to on-going training and education generally includes:

  • Promotional/transfer opportunities
  • Remote area allowances
  • Generous employer superannuation (up to 12.75%)
  • Training and skills development
  • Paid study leave contributions
  • Job security
  • Cumulative sick leave
  • 17.5% Annual leave loading (where applicable)
  • Salary sacrificing opportunities

Applications must address the selection criteria set out in the Application Kit and include a resume or curriculum vitae.

So, that is the good news - we also have "transition" programs such as the transition to critical care that is free for those working to Q health and is worth 1/2 a Graduate certificate in Critical care nursing.

The "parent friendliness" depends on the hospital - mine I KNOW has a child care facility.

Some hospitals will also sponsor you to come out to Australia on a work visa.

Other states also have the nursing recruitment websites like the one I just posted.

Standard warning! Do not accept any position with "rural and remote" in the job description. Regional is fine but our rural and remote is VERY isolated and can mean that you are the only medical personnel for hundreds of miles. Get the feel of the system at a metropolitan or regional hospital first - we have different drug names, scope of pratice etc - then, if you want to - go out to a rural hospital - it is good money and often great life for the kids.

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Specializes in Mostly Surgical.

At this point in time, getting to Australia would probably be much easier than moving to the USA. Also i think Australia is a much more tolerant society when compared to the USA. But thats just my opinion.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

Definitely more vacation time in Australia than the US as a rule. I've always got 6 weeks a year, working shift work. The lifestyle is not hugely different, although you won't have as much trouble getting credit etc in Australia as in the US, there is free healthcare for permanent residents and the weather as a rule is not as extreme as in many places in the US.

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Specializes in OB/GYn, Orthopaedics, NeuroSx.

Thank you all for your quick replies. Good news! We've made a decision --> and it's Oz!!!:monkeydance:

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Specializes in Medical.

Congratulations on your wise, wise choice! Now for the big decision - where? I see you were orignially thinking Melbourne, which is fantastic: all the conditions other Aussie nurses have (6 weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading, shift penalties etc) PLUS ratios. And you get all the joy of actual weather, (marginally) cheaper rent than Sydney, the world's best food, inthe world's most livable city. What more could you want?!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

Having lived in both Sydney and Melbourne, I'd have to say Melbourne's rents are far more than "marginally" cheaper than Sydney's! For the price of my 1BR box in Sydney, I'd have a 3 br house in Melbourne!

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Having worked in both the USA and the UK my vote is for OZ. It has always seemed to me that the Australians really have their sh*t together. I think that healthcare in the US and UK are a mess basically. I've never been to OZ but I know many people who have worked there and no one has a bad thing to say about the place. Everyone seems to love it. I may go there.

as you say you have never been here, I hav'nt worked in the states but all the americans i'v worked with out here in oz have gone home to work, so that must tell you something. I have found the standard of individual nurses to be very good but the overall practice quite backward, ie task oriented, traditionalistic, and medically dominated, we really are expected to be handmaidens. Healthcare in the uk may be a mess, but in my time in a&e there i never saw a patient wait 12 hours plus to see a speciality doctor after being refered, I never saw patients wait 8 hours in reception to be seen after triaging them as cat 3, (yes i did point this out to the consultant, he thought it was someone elses problem). I also never saw patients sat in the dept with flowers and cards round their bed because they had been there for 4 days and still no sign of a bed on the ward.

Outside of work the cost of living is not dramatically less than the uk but the quality of goods and services is poor. And while at the moment the states are protecting nurses from the impact of the new IR laws you can expect that to change after howard is re-elected next year, and if you think it wont happen to nurses, it already is in areas like nursing homes etc.

Rant over, its just my opinion and will probably be dismissed as that of a whingeing pom.

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