Nursing in France

sbidal · Apr 30, 2005

Hopefully someone who lives there will give you the heads up. I think you must present yourself on application, and you might look at taking the french language exam just to have the paper in front of you that you speak well ( it helped me get a hospital job)
I met a canadian nurse in France who immigrated with a work visa, so I know its possible. Sure wish I had her contact info for you. Good luck.

Thank you for the encouragement. I realize that my move to France won't happen overnight. I am presently moving to California and will be working there for approx. 6mos on a travelling assignment. From there I might try to get an overseas contract in London as I hear it is easily (easier anyways) transferable to any EU countries. But in my quest I'm hoping to find some extra guidance.

germain · Apr 30, 2005

The language tests are called the Deflt,

Diplome des Etudes Langue Etranger , or something like that I FORGET. sorry, sleep deprived. A google search should help.

DNAl · Jul 7, 2005

Hi Dudette or anyone out there

Great website, very informative. This is my first posting.

I moved from the UK to France 3 years ago and have just left a management post in the tourist industry. I wish to return to nursing. Having looked at this forum, I contacted the DDASS and It took them 4 months before they would see me. My comprehension and spoken French is good, but I am not fluent. Whilst acknowledging that my diploma is valid, the personnel at the DDASS now insist that I spend 6 months familiarising myself with French medical terms and pharmacology before they will let me nurse here. However they tell me that there are no 'return to nursing' courses in France and have offered no help. I am trying to find work experience at my local hospital, but wondered if any one knows if there is in fact a nursing course anywhere in France for returners to the profession.

I have purchased French nursing books and am studying these in the meantime.

Thanks,

Al

germain · Jul 9, 2005

Hi Dudette or anyone out there
Great website, very informative. This is my first posting.
I moved from the UK to France 3 years ago and have just left a management post in the tourist industry. I wish to return to nursing. Having looked at this forum, I contacted the DDASS and It took them 4 months before they would see me. My comprehension and spoken French is good, but I am not fluent. Whilst acknowledging that my diploma is valid, the personnel at the DDASS now insist that I spend 6 months familiarising myself with French medical terms and pharmacology before they will let me nurse here. However they tell me that there are no 'return to nursing' courses in France and have offered no help. I am trying to find work experience at my local hospital, but wondered if any one knows if there is in fact a nursing course anywhere in France for returners to the profession.
I have purchased French nursing books and am studying these in the meantime.
Thanks,
Al

Take the language test, above, with a specialty in science- there should be a course near you. Afterwards, with that in hand, see if a specific hospital willtrain you in the medical language ( you can maybe work as an aide soignant( nurses aide) in the mean time. I am told foreign nurses can waive the education requirements for that). There are 1000's of spanish and foreign nurses in France, and there will be lots of vacancies to fill just like here! Just do NOT expect the DRASS to help you. Good Luck

lady_jezebel · Jul 9, 2005

"So, I am 4 years of service, and when I was working full time in surgery in clinic, I was making 1500 euros per month. When you work at night, you earn 10 more %. As a "intérimaire" (agency nurse) at night, I am making 1950 euros per month for surgery."

1950 euros = $2327 US dollars (ie. about the same amt I make in Seattle)

1500 euros = $1790 US dollars

website:

http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html

**** are taxes taken out of base pay? if so, what %?

germain · Jul 9, 2005

"So, I am 4 years of service, and when I was working full time in surgery in clinic, I was making 1500 euros per month. When you work at night, you earn 10 more %. As a "intérimaire" (agency nurse) at night, I am making 1950 euros per month for surgery."
1950 euros = $2327 US dollars (ie. about the same amt I make in Seattle)
1500 euros = $1790 US dollars
website:
http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
**** are taxes taken out of base pay? if so, what %?

WOW- I work at a hospital in Seattle as an AIDE and I make that much- Nurses make quite a bit more than I do here. My impression and research was that nurses in France make significantly less than nurses here- hospital nurses, anyhow. However, the cost of living is not nearly as high, depending on where you are.

Era · Aug 16, 2005

hello hello! just new here and already i'm getting so much information on what i've spent weeks looking for in other sites! this site rocks!! :rotfl:

anyway, i am also interested in moving to france ( hopefully not too far from paris ) to live with my fiance.

you guys make it sound so easy. i've found a small section on how much nurses earn in france and was rather put off with the whole thing coz my calculations work out i'll be earning £1000 less than working in london.

does anyone here know roughly how much renting a house/flat cost in france?

how does it work? i've been told that a nurse earns +/- 1200 euro, is that true? i am just afraid to jump in too quick as i don't want to resign from a good post in london just to find myself in a parisian pickle :crying2:

but first, i now know that one has to be completely fluent in french ( which i am in the process of applying for this summer ). is there an agency to help with the transition from london to paris ( or round about )? i am trained in london and qualified here.

cheers for the info that anyone here may add :thankya:

lee1 · Aug 19, 2005

1950 euros is about $2,300/month salary???

How can you live on that?? Has anyone worked in Italy???

I would think that between trying to own a car, living expenses-----owning a home versus just renting, that is not good salary for the long run????

Silverdragon102, BSN · Aug 19, 2005

1950 euros is about $2,300/month salary???
How can you live on that?? Has anyone worked in Italy???
I would think that between trying to own a car, living expenses-----owning a home versus just renting, that is not good salary for the long run????

in the UK 1950 euros = 1,322 pounds which is really good for a months wage. More than what I get and I am a grade F but don't have unsociable hours

Dudette · Aug 19, 2005

Hi Dudette or anyone out there
Great website, very informative. This is my first posting.
I moved from the UK to France 3 years ago and have just left a management post in the tourist industry. I wish to return to nursing. Having looked at this forum, I contacted the DDASS and It took them 4 months before they would see me. My comprehension and spoken French is good, but I am not fluent. Whilst acknowledging that my diploma is valid, the personnel at the DDASS now insist that I spend 6 months familiarising myself with French medical terms and pharmacology before they will let me nurse here. However they tell me that there are no 'return to nursing' courses in France and have offered no help. I am trying to find work experience at my local hospital, but wondered if any one knows if there is in fact a nursing course anywhere in France for returners to the profession.
I have purchased French nursing books and am studying these in the meantime.
Thanks,
Al

Hi and sorry for answering so late, but I just read your question !

All I can tell you, is that a friend of my Mum who is a RN, had to do a stage of 6 months after 10 years of non activity, to be allowed to work as a nurse again. I know it is very long, but I don't know any course to return to the profession.

We have a lot of nurses coming from Spain, and I can tell you their french is not always very good when they arrive. But working every day, they improve it very very quickly, and we are used to their accent too so the comunication is going better quickly. It is not a problem for long. Plus, I know lots of them came directly to the clinic to look for a job and I wonder if it is not the clinic that makes the papers for them. Do you have a European diploma?

Dudette · Aug 19, 2005

hello hello! just new here and already i'm getting so much information on what i've spent weeks looking for in other sites! this site rocks!! :rotfl:
anyway, i am also interested in moving to france ( hopefully not too far from paris ) to live with my fiance.
you guys make it sound so easy. i've found a small section on how much nurses earn in france and was rather put off with the whole thing coz my calculations work out i'll be earning £1000 less than working in london.
does anyone here know roughly how much renting a house/flat cost in france?
how does it work? i've been told that a nurse earns +/- 1200 euro, is that true? i am just afraid to jump in too quick as i don't want to resign from a good post in london just to find myself in a parisian pickle
but first, i now know that one has to be completely fluent in french ( which i am in the process of applying for this summer ). is there an agency to help with the transition from london to paris ( or round about )? i am trained in london and qualified here.
cheers for the info that anyone here may add :thankya:

hi era!

i am a rn for 4 years now and i am working as an agency nurse (intérimaire) at night. for a full time, witch is 15 nights per months, i earn 1950 euros a month. this salary is what you have after the social taxes are taking of. means after you have paid for social security which is very good here, because you can be cured or buy medicines for free with your "mutuelle" wich is about 30 euros per month. plus in that taxes your retirement plan is included too, your job insurance as well. so these are things you don't have to pay for as in usa. plus the cost for an appartment is lower. i am living by the méditerrannée, in south of france, and you pay 500 euros per month for a 3 bedroom. it is more expensive in paris of course, but you can have a better salary there too. you have to know about public and private for the establishment too. "cliniques" are private and "hopital" are public. public pays better than private but i don't know if you can be hired if you are not native from france. you have a lot of advantages for retirement, hollidays, and so on...

private can be "ccu" (convention collective unique) that is these ones that pay the less. or "fehap", that is non lucrative organisation, that pays almost as well as public, with the 13th month for instance, that you don't have with ccu. it is a little bit complicated, but these are things that makes a difference at the end of the month!

sorry i gotta go, i am working tonight! just let me know if i can help.

ciao!!!

Era · Aug 22, 2005

in the UK 1950 euros = 1,322 pounds which is really good for a months wage. More than what I get and I am a grade F but don't have unsociable hours

Hi, have you checked you're in the right category?

How come I'm getting more than you? I'm grade E ( dunno if top E though as I've been an E grade for a few years!) I suppose the unsocial hours make a massive difference... ? do one night per rota?

Kind regards

-x-