Working in Australia or New Zealand

Specialties Travel

Published

It seems that there are a many people who have had some bad expereinces whilst nursing abroad.

It was very different for me. I spent six months in Melbourne, Australia working in A+E and then 6 months in New Zealand. It was without a doubt the best 12 months of my career. The work was very different - in Australia, nurses are given more freedom to do what their clinical instinct tells them and also there is less scrapping between doctors and nurses. I would wholeheartedly reccommend working in Australia or NZ to any nurses who have thought about it but have been afraid to go there.

I went through an agency that organised my visa, registration, flight and accommodation. It is possible to go it alone but the agency charges nothing and sorts out all the paperwork for you.

International Medical Recruitment was the one I went through http://www.international-medical-recruitment.com

Hope this inspires others to travel and find adventure

Kind regards

Tim

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I am very interested in going to New Zealand. I went there recently and loved it. How is the pay there compared to the U.S.? Will I be able to live comfortably? Also how long can you or do you have to stay for? How long did it take to get a visa? I guess I do not know where you are traveling from so some of these questions may be hard for you to answer. One more- Where were you working at(city) in NZ? The nurses? Were they easy to work with? Accomadating?

Thanks Tim,

Sherry

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

Thanks for the tip. I will check out your agency. Did you get the information to the states in Australia to look over your transcripts? Did you have to take other classes? I have my BS and am working on my MS now. Was wondering about the hoop jumping and how long did it take you?

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

On the tax website it said without a taxpayer ID the tax rate is 51%. Did you pay that or did you get a tax ID and only have to pay the 29%?:roll

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Tim

it is really great to read that you had such a good time nusing in Australia - you often take for granted where you live - l reckon that we live in a pretty great place - and would love many others to see us as a great place to come and travel in and work - it is the one of the best side effects about nursing - it gives you a chance to travel and experience other places - l did it 25 years ago in England and had a fabulous 3 and half years - came home with wonderful memories and experiences and l am only talking nursing here.

Thank you for the thread - come on down under its a great place

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Tim

I was glad to read your comment on Australia.

My boyfriend & I are looking into moving in Jan.

I am trying to obtain all the info I can regarding

pay, agencies, hospitals etc. There is so much to

get in order to go. Can you tell me a little more about

your experience?

Thanks Toni

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

The hospital I want to work at will not sponser the work visa cost which is around 3,000. Also I found out I would have to go to school there before I could work since I am an ADN. I also have a BS and am almost done with my MS but those two degrees don't count there.

renerian

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WOW renerian, that is unbelievable:confused: They won't accept your degrees here??:eek:

Geez I just did hospital training back in the 80's and they still let me work lol.

That really sucks for you. Stupid rule I reckon.

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

NO since my Bachelors is in science I would need to talk nursing classes which I cannot do.........to bad. I was really wanting to work at Baringa in Coffs....

renerian

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Specializes in Mental Health - Older Adults & Community.

Hi, I'm glad to see a positive report about working in Australia. My family and I are planning on moving to either NSW, VIC or WA. I am a CPN, and hope to find similar work there. Wondered whether to go it alone or go through an agency (which I understand is less hassle!) but do you get a say in where you are placed, and is it all hospital and shift work?

Emma

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Specializes in Mental Health - Older Adults & Community.

Hi Tookie, are there many oppotunities for community psychiatric nurses in VIC? I have looked on pretty much every nursing site, and all I see are oppotunities for hospital work. I am visiting Australia in Nov with a view to staying, but have a family and need to know where to start!

Cheers, Emma

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I admire your courage to travel to an unknown country, Australia is amazing and has been my ideal home since I traveled there as a student ambassador in high school. I am currently a undergrad student getting all of my reqs done and I am either planning on attending University of Detroit Mercy or studying at an Australian University. The expenses are through the roof but I am assuming if I want to move there anyways I might as well and graduate from an overseas university. Also the people who are interested in New Zealand, New Zealand is AMAZING I loved it, I was blessed with the opportunity to stay with an anesthesiologist and his family, they are well paid over there too. I was wondering if I do decide to graduate from an American university how difficult is it to obtain a visa and or citizenship in these two countries. I am just interested in hearing peoples input and their experience in nursing there, I was there as a student ambassador my experience was limited to government officials and city life and plenty of museums. Unfortunately at that point in my life I was determined to go to law school but there are enough lawyers out there as it is, but when I think about nursing I think that anyone would be able to travel anywhere with the of course board certs and such in the desired location but im reading about people getting really discouraged and wondering, why? Please enlighten me about experiences and such and recommendations if any. I really don't want to live in the USA it's depressing and Australia/New Zealand are so amazing to anyone who hasn't been there.

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