USA nurse working in Melbourne

World Australia

Published

Hi there!

I have been an Oncology/Hematology nurse for 5 years. I was a nurse in California before I moved to Australia to do nursing and be with my Fiancé who is Australian. I've been a nurse in Melbourne for over a year now, but I'm still struggling greatly with the differences. It's a very busy ward, I hardly get off on time and find it hard to recover from the varied shifts on days that I'm off. Do not get me wrong I love Melbourne and have made lots of great friends. I am very appreciative of the great things and people I have experienced.

I'm just wondering if there is anyone going through the same thing I am and if you have any advise for me?

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Drop to .8, put in your roster requests instead of relying on your roster manager, use you annual leave, dont sleep in on a late because if you are on an early the next day you won't be tierd enough. Exercise, get on you bike and explore I love this city!

Or look for a secondment to a onc day centre, HITH etc

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I lived in Melbourne for almost 4 years. It's an amazing city! Make sure you get down to Torquay and relax on the beach, that will definitely calm you down.

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Thank you for your responses. I am working .8 and do my own rostering, which is a very good suggestion.

You're right Torquay is gorgeous and along with all of Victoria, I love it!

I think I'm just still struggling with the differences and am looking for a Day Onc. position just for some regularity. I know wherever I go it won't be exactly the same, but I'm living in a different country ;)

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Trust me as an expat myself I know, however even 2 hospitals in the same country will have differences.

Make plans for your days off so that you have goals so you don't waste them, do housework before or after work and don't spend your days off doing it.

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Specializes in L&D, Nursery, and Post-Partum.
Make plans for your days off so that you have goals so you don't waste them, do housework before or after work and don't spend your days off doing it.

That has to be the best advice!!!!!

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Chemo Nurse, if you don't mind me asking...how hard was it to get registration in Victoria? I am currently in a Canadian Nursing degree program, and would love to move back to Melbourne.

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That is very good advice. I think I'm just home sick, I've been here for 2 years, might be time

to start planning my move back.

The thing that took the longest receiving my registration here was how long it took for the California registration board to send evidence of registration to the Australian one. Once they recieved it, it didn't take long.

AHPRA is the licensing board here in Australia. Their website is very informative for overseas nurses applying. Visit Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia - Internationally qualified nurses and midwives

Hope that helps and good luck!!

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Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

Have you been home in those 2 years? I tend to get a bit itchy if I haven't been back home in a while, I couldn't go home last year as I was NUM and had no senior ANUM to take over for 3-4 weeks and it did bug me.

I have looked ononline for jobs at home in Ireland and that settles me down.......lack of jobs, lack of career advancement, terrible wages, no staffing ratio............ O and my mortgage here lol í ½í¸

Have a proper conversation with your finance as well. Good luck!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Neuroscience, Med-Surg.

Hi Chemo nurse,

I just got my notice of in principle approval for registration and the need to present ID's in person seeing I am now eligible registration, was this the same for you? Were you able to use this for visa for work (which visa did you get is you don't mind sharing as I am looking at the subclass skillselect 189)? Any information you can provide would be great :)

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