Ask me anything, Australian RN here

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Just trying to give back to the community which helped me get started.

About me:

- Originally from the Philippines

- Bridging program in 2012

- Living and working in Sydney since 2012

- Theatre Nurse RN (Operating Room)

- I compiled and submitted all my visa application requirements from business visa, which was needed when I applied for the bridging program, to Australian citizenship by myself

I will try my best to answer all of your questions.

:)

Hello! I checked Universal of South Australia if I'm not mistaken. Thank you. I'm currently reviewing for OET now. I will update you guys again. Thank you so much for all those information.

Hi! I know in your time it was easy to look for sponsorship. But now, I know its not that easy anymore. Any advices on how to look for sponsorship for newly registered nurses in Australia. Is Ramsay careers a good option?

Hi! I know in your time it was easy to look for sponsorship. But now, I know its not that easy anymore. Any advices on how to look for sponsorship for newly registered nurses in Australia. Is Ramsay careers a good option?

I work in one of the hospitals that is owned by Ramsay and yes they still do sponsor nurses.

If you are a theatre (operating room), icu, mental, or aged care trained RN with then you can still find sponsors here.

Thanks for any answers you have! I'm looking to move to Australia in the not too distant future (probably to Mackay or Proserpine). I'll have about 3-4 years of nursing experience when I move. Therefore, I won't need sponsorship thankfully.

As a US based nurse we mostly work 12hr shifts, 3 days a week and where I am we get paid around $35/hr USD ($48/hr AUD) w/o differentials. Is this possible to do in Australia and is it different if you work in the ICU or ED? Do you get paid more for those specialties?

What are the nurse to patient ratios? Is there electronic charting? I'd read that a new hospital near Proserpine was all digital.

Is OT commonly offered? Lets say I wanted to work 4 12's a week, would that be accepted or are hospitals really strapped for cash and unlikely to offer OT? How much extra would a nurse make on weekends/evenings on avg?

How much do you typically lose from your paycheck through taxes and such? I'd be coming over as a Permanent Resident so I'd qualify for national healthcare (and the tax that comes out of your paycheck).

Is it expensive to go back for your NP, say in acute care?

If I wanted to buy a house in Mackay near the beach (say for about ($600k), would I be able to do that on a nurses salary?

For wages refer to :

http://www.qirc.qld.gov.au/qirc/resources/pdf/certified_agreements/cert_agreements/2016/ca32_2016.pdf

This will also cover your penalties for weekends etc. You are generally paid based on experience rather than the area that you are working in.

For QLD nursing ratios refer to: Frequently asked questions | Queensland Health

Most Australian hospitals will use more paper charting than you are used to in the USA.

to get an idea of current jobs in the region of Mackay

https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/jobtools/jncustomsearch.searchResults

Generally only speciality areas such as ED or ICU offer 12 shifts (can vary a bit between hospitals and states)

you can estimate how much tax you would pay using the ATO calculators

Calculators and tools_Host | Australian Taxation Office

to do your Master of NP at University of Queensland is approx $14000 IF you qualify for a commonwealth supported position Master of Nurse Practitioner - Future Students - University of Queensland

You would not be able to get a homeloan for $600k on a nursing salary, more like $350-400k HOWEVER for example ... looking at south Mackay, there is only one house in the $600k region, and it is a massive 9bed 4 bathroom place. Most houses are in the $250-400k range

Hey Rajo,

Can you help me decide in choosing between working in a public hospital vs. a not-for-profit hospital (in terms of workload, benefits (payrates and education funding) and career progression)?

Kind regards!

Hi

There aren't not-for-profit hospitals :)

There are either publically funded hospitals or private hospitals (which definitely intend to turn a profit).

Pay-rates: Vary depending on the state, research the public award for the state that you are planning to move too.

Workload: again this will vary depending on the state that you are in, as some have mandated ratios, others don't. It will also depend on the area that you are working in. From my experience Public is a little bit better at making sure that they get agency staff to fill the gaps if they are short staffed however again this can vary depending on the hospital.

Education: by and large, public hospitals are better for providing Staff development nurses, developement option for staff etc. Because private hospitals are aiming to generate a profit, things like staff education can be slashed whenever they are having a tough year.

Hi!

I'm a RN, I already have my bachelor's degree in nursing

I got my registration in 2016

And I would like to work in Australia

How do I go about it?

Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi!

I'm a RN, I already have my bachelor's degree in nursing

I got my registration in 2016

And I would like to work in Australia

How do I go about it?

Look up AHPRA website

Hello,

I am a nursing student and applying for the grad program. Can you help me with my selection criteria?

no one else can tell you what to write in your selection criteria however a couple of tips. (Also Grad applications vary between different states & organisations)
1. Use the STAR format for answering selection criteria
https://www.selection-criteria.com.au/storificelectioncriteria.shtml
2. Find out any facility-specific requirements for selection critera (speak to the grad coordinator, attend info session etc)

Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

And follow the instructions for the hospital applications. My hospital gets about 1000 applications for less than 180 spots. If you want to get past the first round of culling follow the instructions. If it states a 2 pg CV then it better only be 2 pages. Make sure you address the correct hospital in your cover letter.

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