US RN planning moving to NZ, what's it like?

[Hoosiernurse]

Hello! My husband and I are thinking of a possible move to NZ in the next five years. We're going to take a trip there in a year or two, but we're looking for a new culture and experience.

I am 41, and my husband is 46. His job opportunities in IT are drying up where we are living, and we're just at the stage where we're thinking of a new adventure where there are more opportunities. We're hoping in NZ, there is less emphasis on greed and "getting ahead," rush, you know, the rat race.

I have 1.5 years of experience in medical-surgical and cardiopulmonary step-down critical care. From my search, it looks like there are a lot of opportunities in nursing in NZ. What I would like to know are some of the particulars of working in nursing there. Do they do 12-hour shifts or have other arrangements available? If I worked in a cardiac setting, or possibly maternity (I'm thinking of some changing!), or maybe ortho, what is the patient load like usually? I know these are the generalities I'm asking for. There are a lot of pressures regarding what I call "perfection" nursing-meaning. I know we are trying to be our best, but the hospital I am at currently comes up with something new every week that we have to document, do for customer service, etc. They put coworkers against coworkers, spying on them to see if they are doing everything perfectly, and they audit our charting looking for any mistakes. Sometimes they are not mistakes but just documentation you don't have time to do until later in your shift because the day has been crazy-busy. So they call you on your phone and gripe at you for not having your documentation done.

Do you carry a phone or a phone and pager? Is there computer documentation? How do doctors tend to treat nurses overall? Is there more of an emphasis on complementary therapies in any facet of nursing?

I appreciate any info you can give me about what it's all like...I see the salaries are comparable to what I'm making as a new nurse. I make about 40,000 or so American money. I want to make as much or maybe a little better by then since I'll have my bachelor of nursing.

Does anyone know what sort of things I'll have to do to get the approval to practice in NZ? I know the bachelor's degree is necessary, but anything else??

Thanks!

Cara

[PMFB-RN, RN]

uswoman said:

Here is the idea for getting registered in New Zealand. (First, you have to have New Zealand nursing registration, and then you can apply for a practicing certificate). You can go to the New Zealand Nursing Counsel website and have a look around. On there, you will find the application, which you can print out. You will need to fill that out and submit the fee (when I did it, it was $485 NZD - and you will need to figure out how to submit the fee as they don't accept US dollars.) You will need a police report, which you can get from the FBI, and that requires about 4-6 weeks to get, and about a $16 money order (from the post office). Let me warn you ahead of time: the sources will tell you to visit your local police station to get your fingerprints done. I did exactly that and was told they don't do them anymore; you have to go to a place to have your fingerprints scanned in. Well, being from a country that is right up there with technology, it made sense to me, so that's what I did. They won't accept the report. You MUST have inked fingerprints and send those in, and have them returned with the official FBI stamp. I was lucky, and the security people where I worked were happy to help out. (And have several sets made - if one is smudged in the least, they can't check it, so send three sets to be safe (They will return the unused sets, unstamped.) If they can't read the prints, you will have to do the process all over. Your police report is good for six months. So, while you are waiting for the police report, you can get the other documents together. I'm assuming you have a valid passport.

*** Thanks so much for spending the time to write this. I am an American with dual citizenship (US-NZ, married to a Kiwi girl). Though I have visited NZ many times, I have never lived there, but my wife and I are considering it. Is the above required for the RN license, or is some of that (police report, fingerprints) for the work permit (the part I don't need)?

[uswoman]

You might want to check the NZ Department of Immigration site. You generally don't have NZ citizenship unless you have been a permanent resident of New Zealand for at least five years and have completed the requirements. Even being married doesn't mean you are a permanent resident - you would have to apply. I am the partner of an NZ citizen, and instead of gaining permanent residence via partnership, I went the skilled migrant route. A marriage certificate really doesn't mean anything as you still have to prove you are in a "genuine and stable" relationship. (And by that, you will have to show common bills or accounts, that you have lived together, etc.)

And yeah, you need the police report for the NZ Council of Nursing as well as one for the Department of Immigration.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

You might want to check the NZ Department of Immigration site.

*** I am already a citizen of NZ, as are my children. The kids and I have dual citizenship with passports in hand. My wife did not obtain her US citizenship and retained her NZ citizenship.

You generally don't have NZ citizenship unless you have been a permanent resident of New Zealand for at least five years and have completed the requirements. Even being married doesn't mean you are a permanent resident - you would have to apply. I am the partner of an NZ citizen, and instead of gaining permanent residence via partnership, I went the skilled migrant route. A marriage certificate really doesn't mean anything as you still have to prove you are in a "genuine and stable" relationship. (And by that, you will have to show common bills or accounts, that you have lived together, etc.)

*** Yep, I already did all that. You don't need a permanent resident; you already have an NZ passport in hand. That we have been married 17 years and having children together satisfied them that we are in a genuine relationship. I am a full-fledged citizen of NZ and, having gone through the process, am very familiar with the laws and rules required for citizenship, but not those to obtain an NZ registration as a nurse.

And yeah, you need the police report for the NZ Council of Nursing as well as one for the Department of Immigration.

*** Thank you. That is what I needed to know.

[uswoman]

Good on you! Have fun with the Nursing Council if you decide to move here. Ugh. By the way, my partner (who is a Kiwi) is about ready to jump the ditch. I think Australia is going to national registration, so I have told him I'll wait until that is in place since not sure where we might wind up. He says New Zealand is not the place it used to be even five years ago. I still love it here, though, but that's probably because I have a good job and don't know "how it was"!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

uswoman said:

Good on you! Have fun with the Nursing Council if you decide to move here. Ugh. By the way, my partner (who is a Kiwi) is about ready to jump the ditch. I think Australia is going to national registration, so I have told him I'll wait until that is in place since not sure where we might wind up. He says New Zealand is not the place it used to be even five years ago. I still love it here, though, but that's probably because I have a good job and don't know "how it was"!

*** We have visited NZ for 30-60 days every other year for the last 20 years and have seen a great many changes as well. I have experience as a patient in a NZ hospital after a chainsaw accident but no experience as a nurse. We are thinking of spending 1-3 years in NEW so that my children can get to know their mom's side of the family better and for them to better understand the country where they hold citizenship. We are not contemplating a permanent move there for the rest of our lives.

The only way we could afford to spend a few years in NZ is if I could work full-time there. Thanks for all the helpful advice you took the time to write.

[uswoman]

Where are you thinking about living? I'm up north, working at Bay of Islands Hospital, and we could use a nurse or two right about now! I worked at Waikato Hospital and was astounded when someone handed me the DD keys. I haven't seen that in a couple of decades. And I worked in Cincinnati, where Mark Twain said he wanted to be when the end of the world came since everything happens ten years later in Cincinnati! I thought medication rooms, DD keys, and more than two patients in a room were things of the past, but not here. But, I've adapted in some ways (slowness of services still kills me sometimes, not to mention patients.) Actually, things are overall pretty cruise, but in a little hospital, it can really vary from day to day, and we are more like family than co-workers, which I like.

[ANnot4me]

Hey Hoosiernurse,

I am also a US nurse who has lived in NZ for about 7-years. First of all, you really need to do your research before you come here, as you cannot base your judgments on immigration websites. NZ is a small country of 4 million people and was only half of that 40 years ago. Immigration and tourism are big contributors to the LOW WAGE economy (not my opinion, but an economic fact). While you may come here feeling rich, once you have spent your relocation money and survived only on your NZ salary, you will be stuck with a lifestyle that may not suit you. Even if I wrote a 2,000-word essay, it would not be enough. While I am not a big consumer or trendy by any means, maintaining a basic "GAP" wardrobe with quality shoes will cost you a far greater proportion of your income than you can now imagine. Use that as a metaphor for your entire life as what used to be a lower end will become average and more expensive.

Centrally heating is not common here, and things like double glazing and insulation are not the quality you may be used to (and you would pay an enormous cost to bring it up to your standards). Property here is expensive, and Kiwis pay for the property on which a building sits dearly. It is not uncommon (and even expected) that a younger (20-30s) Kiwi go and works abroad (usually in the UK or Australia) to get onto the property ladder. Many never return as they find things more suitable in their new home, and the opportunities here are fewer and lower paid. The loss of NZ's best and brightest leads to the constant need for immigrants: many of these people are middle-class, educated people from the "third world" who aren't coming to NZ for an adventure. They are willing to work harder for less and to put up with conditions that Kiwis aren't, as they have no choice. The fasting growing minority here are Asian immigrants, and it is not always rainbows and lollipops.

NZ is also plagued with alcohol abuse, drugs, and violent crimes (including child abuse). You may say, "Ah, but isn't everywhere?" Research this in comparison to other OECD countries (along with income and poverty figures). You may be surprised. This is not a magical land of hobbits that live in rolling meadows. It is a real place with real problems and real people. Currently, many of these people are unemployed, and guess what? They will be looking to hire a Kiwi first and foremost. As a nurse, you will find a job, but how will your husband feel after months and months of not even an interview? While immigration may report shortages in certain fields, you may find them to be quite different when you arrive here. Nurses and doctors are definite, but other fields are not so much.

I live 35 km outside of Auckland and pay $250 dollars per week for rent alone—nothing fancy: just clean and dry. Living in the city for a similar unit would cost me at least $400 per week. I make $27 dollars an hour. I lived in San Francisco proper (a very expensive city) and made $40 per hour; my rent was cheaper, I needed no car, and public trans anywhere in the city was $1.25. I could eat out a couple of times a week, go to the movies, buy a CD or a new pair of pants without thinking. Here, every penny I earn is accounted for weeks in advance.

Also, if you think you will be welcomed with open arms and a dinner invitation, then think again. You will struggle to understand the language, the culture, and where to find a piece of cheesecloth for a long, long time. In NZ, the government may be sucking up to the US, but they have a strong relationship with China. The average Kiwi has a bit of a complex about America and Americans. You will be bombarded with comments that will seem quaint at first but will begin to grate on you after a while. And believe me, you will find your life will be made very difficult if you are not careful: being a bright star, self-confident, or standing out in any way here in NZ will see you made a target for bullies (read about Tall Poppy Syndrome).

It is not all bad here, or why would I have stayed for so many years... Well, there are many reasons why I have stayed, and not the least is my pig-headedness. Also, I have spent some time in Australia and back in the USA. Actually, I plan to do another stint in Australia to earn some cash, do some travel and have a change. My advice would be to take it slow, do your research (not just NZIS sites), and make sure you have a plan B (and keep the cash to carry it out).

Best of luck.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

uswoman said:

Where are you thinking about living? I'm up north, working at Bay of Islands Hospital, and we could use a nurse or two right about now! I worked at Waikato Hospital and was astounded when someone handed me the DD keys. I haven't seen that in a couple of decades. And I worked in Cincinnati, where Mark Twain said he wanted to be when the end of the world came since everything happens ten years later in Cincinnati! I thought medication rooms, DD keys, and more than two patients in a room were things of the past, but not here. But, I've adapted in some ways (slowness of services still kills me sometimes, not to mention patients.) Actually, things are overall pretty cruise, but in a little hospital, it can really vary from day to day, and we are more like family than co-workers, which I like.

*** My wife's hometown is Westport which is on the west coast of the south island, but she has a lot of family in Christchurch as well as a waiting job any time she wants it in a family business. Another motivation for me is trout fishing and hunting, and I know from past experience that the south island is great for those things, so I am thinking of someplace near Christchurch and hoping for a job in one of the larger hospitals there. All of my nursing experience is in ICUs and ERs, so I would like to continue to do that kind of nursing.

Actually, the hospital conditions you describe remind me of working in a VA hospital here in the States. 4 bedrooms, slow service, and old fashioned way of doing things. It is my opinion that the hospitals I have worked for the last few years have gone completely overboard in their attempts to get good patient satisfaction scores, with the hospitals becoming more and more like hotels. The last place I worked had free valet parking, room service meals with real menus for the patients to pick from, of course, single-bed rooms, and a culture that seems to value a nurse's ability to suck up to patient families more than competence. Let's not forget complicated and buggy computer charting systems that make it much easier for the people on the top to pull data out of the system but only complicate the bedside nurse's job and greatly reduce the amount of time you have available for patient care.

[ANnot4me]

Please get in touch with the nursing council as an English language test is now mandatory if trained outside of Australia or New Zealand, and you will need to meet that requirement. Also, you may need to complete a CAP program at your own expense.

[Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN]

uswoman said:

Pagers? Cell phones? I hope you don't mean actually IN the hospital! Patients have this thing called a "call light" They push a button, a light comes on over the door, and the nurse goes in to see what the patient wants.

WOW!! Thanks for the great post. Yepper, I sure do mean IN the hospital. I carry a cell phone. At a previous hospital, I carried a cell phone AND pager. I am contacted by the front desk concerning the patient call lights that concern me (unless a tech can deal with it); I am called almost constantly by family members, doctors, other departments, the pharmacy, you name it. Either that, or I am constantly calling the doctors or other departments, arranging, clarifying, or whatever needs to be done to accomplish care. The phone rings all the time. But our techs are trained to do peripheral blood draws, so that's a perk.

We're thinking about either NZ or AU at this point. We're running out of time to do either, really. AU sounds like it might be a better cost-of-living situation...we're researching.

Again, thanks for the post!

Cara

[Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN]

uswoman said:

Where are you thinking about living? I'm up north, working at Bay of Islands Hospital, and we could use a nurse or two right about now! I worked at Waikato Hospital and was astounded when someone handed me the DD keys. I haven't seen that in a couple of decades. And I worked in Cincinnati, where Mark Twain said he wanted to be when the end of the world came since everything happens ten years later in Cincinnati! I thought medication rooms, DD keys, and more than two patients in a room were things of the past, but not here. But, I've adapted in some ways (slowness of services still kills me sometimes, not to mention patients.) Actually, things are overall pretty cruise, but in a little hospital, it can really vary from day to day, and we are more like family than co-workers, which I like.

HEY! I'm working in Cincinnati. The Christ Hospital, to be exact. I agree with Mark Twain.

HAHAHAHA

Cara

[sainty]

Does anyone have an idea what is the salary per hour for a nurse working in NZ with less than a year of experience?