International experience

OK, here's the situation: I graduate with my BSN in December of '08. My husband was just asked by his boss if, at that time, we would consider relocating to open an office in Ireland for a year or two. It won't be a permanent move, so we'll be back in the states a few years later. If I work in an ICU over there, how will that experience be viewed by admissions committees? Does anyone on this board have any international experience? Also, since I have read that RNs in Ireland aren't permitted to perform as many technical skills as we are here, would ICU experience there even translate to an ICU job when I return? If I go, should I just consider it as a great travel experience and count on having to start from ground zero as far as CRNA preparation when I return, or will it help me at all? I would assume that it won't HURT me, but if a school wants 2 years of ICU experience, does it all have to be American? Thank you!

I been reading your post for a while now and it seems to me that you really do depent on your future nursing career an what YOUR HUSBAND DOES! It seems to me that you are a great student getting As on everything. So it is only a matter of experience before you get into CRNA school. Why does'nt your hubby relocate to WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. keep in mind that CRNA schools can vary significally, so you will have to find one that fits you the best, This about only looking at CRNA school only on the state, and getting your ICU experience on other countries because your man needs to go there, Really is what is the PROBLEM WITH NURSING. You are not giving your self your price, just like so many nurses that I know. Is nursing less important that your husband's career, are you less important than your husband. this is the mentality that nursing needs to come out off.

OMG...seriously! You're questioning another family's decisions about how to run their lives? She was asking about how the experience will translate, not asking us to comment about VERY personal decisions.

May

You're best bet would be to contact some schools to see what they think about that kind of experience. As far as the opportunity to live in Ireland for a few years I would be all over that if it works out. Even if it does'nt it may still be worth it.

My buddy who is a Sociology Prof lived in New Zealand for a couple years when he graduated and I am pretty certain he would not trade that experience for anything. Living in another country enables you to gain perspective of the world that apparently some on this board do not have.

And things have changed a lot in the last 6 weeks since I posted that! His company is no longer considering Ireland, but are going to open an office in Grand Cayman. His boss asked him yesterday if we could move there Jan 1, and if I could just "put school on hold" for a year. He didn't even need to call me to turn that down - quitting school is not an option. The only reason we would consider moving for his job again would be if he was going to be making better than CRNA money - he's close already, and does not have a college degree. He works for an internet company and what he does is pretty specialized, and it would be very difficult for him to find a similar-paying job elsewhere. Plus, he gets along well with his coworkers and bosses, and they treat their staff really well. It's not that he wouldn't consider moving for me to go to school, but why shouldn't I first apply to the 4 schools that are within 2 hours of where I live and where he'll have income to support me while I go to school full time for the second time in our marriage? Plus, it's not like they've asked us to go live somewhere miserable for a year without running water, I'd love to go spend a year on an island (be it Ireland or the Caymans). I just don't want to hurt my future career chances by doing it.

There are a lot of women who post on these boards about how their husband's are completely unsupportive and discourage them from going to school - mine is the opposite. Since he is the only one of us who's working at the moment, and someone has to pay the rent, his job is kind of important to hang onto. If I go to CRNA school, I'll be unemployed again - sure would be nice if he still has his job, and can afford to keep a roof over our heads without going massively into debt. He's not "some man," he's the person I've chosen to spend the rest of my life with. That means that there are two people to consider every time we make a major decision - neither of us is more important than the other, and that's why we talk about these things. Things can come across differently on these boards than if we were talking in real life, and if you met me and my husband you'd know that we are nothing like you've imagined. I'm the opposite of that stereotypical woman who subjugates herself to a man - trust me, there was no "obey" line in our vows!