Aussie getting to US - Paeds and Maternity?

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I'm planning to start nursing school in Australia in the New Year but I have a strong interest in working in the US. From what I've read here, Australian nursing students lack training in paediatric and maternity settings. Where can I get the clinical and theory hours required for these topics? A recruitment company in the US just told me that they thought Deakin University was no longer going to offer the course. Does anyone have experience getting this additional training through a US university or community college?

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Specializes in CTICU.

You need to complete the hours as part of your uni course and do the clinical at the same time. Do you get to choose electives at all?

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I'm planning on studying the 2 year Graduate Entry Nursing degree at the University of Sydney. There are compulsory clinical placements in Clinical practice (40hrs), Surgical clinical practice (80hrs), Primary care (80hrs), Mental health care (80hrs), Acute care (80hrs), high acuity (88hrs), Medical/surgery (88hrs), another mental health (88hrs), chronic illness practicum (88hrs), community clinical (80hrs) and then a choice of one of the following "specialties" for 160 hrs of clinical: mental health OR pediatrics OR high acuity OR clinical nursing.

So to me it looks like I would automatically get enough mental health clinical hours and then I could do the specialty in pediatrics and that would leave me to get the maternity clinical hours + coursework after I complete my Australian degree. Does that sound right to you?

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Hey :)

I've just been through the process of applying to the US. If your last placement can be in paediatrics definitely sign up for it. As for maternity request placement there. The US requires hours in medical, surgical, paediatrics, maternity, mental health and community. Unfortunately I didn't receive a surgical placement so I only have the theory portion on that requirement. It's a long process but compared to other countries quite affordable. Good luck!

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"Unfortunately I didn't receive a surgical placement so I only have the theory portion on that requirement."

Hi Annie,

were you still able to sit the NCLEX without having done a surgical placement?

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No, not yet. CGFNS needs theory hours to process the application fully and send it to the BON in Florida. Finding a University that will let me complete an elective in surgical nursing has been difficult.

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No, not yet. CGFNS needs theory hours to process the application fully and send it to the BON in Florida. Finding a University that will let me complete an elective in surgical nursing has been difficult.

Explore a nursing course which offers a unit in critical care with clinical placement in med-surgical will fulfill this criteria.

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I'm planning on studying the 2 year Graduate Entry Nursing degree at the University of Sydney. There are compulsory clinical placements in Clinical practice (40hrs), Surgical clinical practice (80hrs), Primary care (80hrs), Mental health care (80hrs), Acute care (80hrs), high acuity (88hrs), Medical/surgery (88hrs), another mental health (88hrs), chronic illness practicum (88hrs), community clinical (80hrs) and then a choice of one of the following "specialties" for 160 hrs of clinical: mental health OR pediatrics OR high acuity OR clinical nursing.

So to me it looks like I would automatically get enough mental health clinical hours and then I could do the specialty in pediatrics and that would leave me to get the maternity clinical hours + coursework after I complete my Australian degree. Does that sound right to you?

Do you know how many hours you need for florida Bon

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