Australia RN's and Immigration

[MikeyT-c-IV]

From the time I was a little kid my Dad was always heavily involved in short-wave radio. He spent countless hours setting up radio antenna's and positioning them in just the right spot to listen to as many foreign radio stations around the world as he could. I learned so much from him. Have you guys ever heard of QSL reports? Basically, my Dad would tune in to a station, perhaps located on the other side of the planet, and send in a report that he heard that station. In return, he would receive a post-card that he proudly posted in an old photo album purchased from K-Mart. Today, I retain every single QSL report he ever received and I'm proud to say he has one from nearly every country in the world. Impressive.

My dad was so involved with short-wave radio that he and some buddies operated an illegal short-wave radio station (all of whom are dead.) They were known as "The Voice of Laryngitis." You can look them up on the web.. that's my dad. They professionally produced numerous shows... and aired them over the short-wave airways. I think they produced well over 20 shows. We'd go camping out in the nowhere in Oklahoma to broadcast their shows... And wouldn't you know it? They were a hit in the pirate world. And we had to hide from the FCC.

My dad went to college and earned an associate degree in nursing. He was a terrible alcoholic and he was addicted to any narcotic he could get his hands on. I was sure he went to nursing school for access to drugs. Shortly after his graduation and passing the NCLEX he was arrested for a DUI which ultimately ended his nursing career... before it even started. Just a few years later, he was dead.

In the years since, I was grown and have a history of myself. When I was growing up I had a serious interest in Australia. My very first QSL report was from Australia. Okay, my ONLY QSL report was from Australia. It was from a radio station in Sidney and I was so proud of my accomplishment! So now, I spend so much time reading about healthcare in Australia and the immigration rules. It seems as though the cultural similarities between myself and big-city Australians are similar. I'd love to live there but I am scared.

I've worked with several Australians that have moved to the U.S. with no problem. I wonder how U.S. nurses are accepted in Australia? My wife and I are both RN's....