Can US RN with Associate's degree work in Australia

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I am a Registered Nurse with 2 years experience as an RN with 2 previous years experience as an LPN here in the US. My RN experience is in Maternal Nursing - Postpartum. I would like to work in the same area in Australia. My husband is Australian and we are looking into what it would take for me to move there and work as a nurse. I have seen that RN's need a Bachelor degree there. Is there a bridge program that I would have to take? How long do you think all this would take for me to actually be able to work there. Our son was born there in Brisbane and I noticed that all the staff working on the Maternity ward were Midwives. Would I have to go back to school to become a midwife in order to do Maternity nursing there in Australia. Thanks for all the help in advance.

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Specializes in Medical.

I don't know about the Associate's degree thing, but with national registration only a month away you should be able to contact the board and find out if you wait until mid-July.

In my experience, only midwives and mid students work in maternity but I could easily be wrong. Consider this a rather than actually help :)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Hi

I am an Australian RN.

Contact the Nursing & Midwifery Board (NMB) for the state (WA, SA, QLD, ACT, NT, TAS, NSW, VIC) you wish to practice in, and on their website, there will be a form you can print off and complete for recognition of prior learning, or email them with your query.

To be a postpartum nurse, you would have to be a midwife. Contact the NMB for your state to discuss what qualifications you would need (you can email every NMB). Yes you can do bridging courses through every university that offers nursing & midwifery courses. For example, you may get prior recognition and only have to do a course for say a year or 18 months to qualify. Email all the universities and ask (many do external courses as well so you don't have to move). They will also take into account your work experiences, so get good references of what you have achieved. Don't worry, you will get there, we need good midwives and nurses here from other countries to give us fresh ideas into nursing!

Good luck.

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Specializes in CTICU.

I would not bother contacting state boards given that the national board goes into effect in 3 weeks.

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Hi

I am an Australian RN.

Contact the Nursing & Midwifery Board (NMB) for the state (WA, SA, QLD, ACT, NT, TAS, NSW, VIC) you wish to practice in, and on their website, there will be a form you can print off and complete for recognition of prior learning, or email them with your query.

To be a postpartum nurse, you would have to be a midwife. Contact the NMB for your state to discuss what qualifications you would need (you can email every NMB). Yes you can do bridging courses through every university that offers nursing & midwifery courses. For example, you may get prior recognition and only have to do a course for say a year or 18 months to qualify. Email all the universities and ask (many do external courses as well so you don't have to move). They will also take into account your work experiences, so get good references of what you have achieved. Don't worry, you will get there, we need good midwives and nurses here from other countries to give us fresh ideas into nursing!

Good luck.

What ''fresh ideas" I wonder?

and goodbye to all nurses.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Everybody should have an open mind - we can all benefit from fresh/new ideas don't you think? Better to be open minded than closed minded.

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I am tagging myself into this post just in case I hear something back from anyone after the national boards are in effect.

I am from the US and I would like to know if Australia has any opportunities for LPNs.

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Hi Aliviasims13!

Because your husbands Australian, have him file legal residence for you so you get the Australian fees for the bridging program / conversion. Foreigners pay 3x more for that.

good luck:)

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Hello,

does anyone have the website to find out more info about the new AUS RN national board?

Thanks

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hello,

does anyone have the website to find out more info about the new AUS RN national board?

Thanks

First post in this thread has the link to the new board

New grad Filipino nurse wanting to work in Australia/New Zealand Part 2 - Nursing for Nurses

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Well, I have a 2 year (AS Degree in Registered Nursing from Fresno City College, California), and finished a bridge Program at California State University, Fresno, CA. (RN to BSN) for my 2nd Bachelors Degree. The first one was a B.A. in Psychology from the same University (CSU Fresno). I am glad this girl found out that a Bachelor's in Nursing is required to work in Australia! Is there a bridge (RN to BSN Program) there? Maybe, it is complicated because she was educated in the USA or just go back to the USA and finish the RN to BSN program seemed to be easy for me when I was working Med./Surg. at the Fresno VA Hospital and graduated in Dec., 2002. Then, the Air Force Reserves deployed me overseas as a Clinical Nurse (Med./Surg. and Ortho Floors, and some JCACHO assistance officer work) to help our Army Quality Management Chief (QM) LTC. (Masters in Nursing) help Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany pass the Hospital Accreditation which is voluntary for the U.S. Army in May, 2005!

Of course, what does all this experience mean to Australian Nurses? Could any actively working nurse give me a rundown on my experience and educational requirements to be an RN there? Could I use my B.A. in Psychology to do a career change to Psychiatric Nursing there? I have also a PHN (Public Health Nurse Certification from the State of California that I never used, but received after I receive my Bachelor of Science in Nursing! Maybe, none of this is any use in Australia? Could anybody give me a run down of where foreign USA trained Registered Nurses with my background end up working in Australia?

Lee Scott, RN, PHN, BSN

:yeah::coollook:

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well, i have a 2 year (as degree in registered nursing from fresno city college, california), and finished a bridge program at california state university, fresno, ca. (rn to bsn) for my 2nd bachelors degree. the first one was a b.a. in psychology from the same university (csu fresno). i am glad this girl found out that a bachelor's in nursing is required to work in australia! is there a bridge (rn to bsn program) there? maybe, it is complicated because she was educated in the usa or just go back to the usa and finish the rn to bsn program seemed to be easy for me when i was working med./surg. at the fresno va hospital and graduated in dec., 2002. then, the air force reserves deployed me overseas as a clinical nurse (med./surg. and ortho floors, and some jcacho assistance officer work) to help our army quality management chief (qm) ltc. (masters in nursing) help landstuhl regional medical center, germany pass the hospital accreditation which is voluntary for the u.s. army in may, 2005!

of course, what does all this experience mean to australian nurses? could any actively working nurse give me a rundown on my experience and educational requirements to be an rn there? could i use my b.a. in psychology to do a career change to psychiatric nursing there? i have also a phn (public health nurse certification from the state of california that i never used, but received after i receive my bachelor of science in nursing! maybe, none of this is any use in australia? could anybody give me a run down of where foreign usa trained registered nurses with my background end up working in australia?

lee scott, rn, phn, bsn

[email protected]

domain names 1 internet inc.

tel.1 (559)800-7105:yeah::coollook:

i just recently contacted aphra, www.ahpra.gov.au who now handles aus registration.they sent me these attachments for registering for an aus rn lic. how i understand it is first you need to apply for an lic., then you can either find a hospital to hire you through employment agencies or find one yourself. then you apply for a visa with the help of that hospital. there other options for getting a visa, here's the link, http://www.visabureau.com/australia/nursing-job.aspx. hope this helps!

Application-for-general-registration-as-a-nurse-or-midwife--overseas-applicants----AGOS-04.pdf

Framework-for-the-Assessment-of-Internationally-Qualified-Nurses-and-Midwives-for-Registration.pdf

Update-for-International-Nurses---news-item.pdf

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